BET Awards 2026
American entertainment awards ceremony
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The 2026 BET Awards was held on June 28, 2026, at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, California. The ceremony celebrated excellence across the entertainment industry, recognizing outstanding achievements in music, television, film, and sports. Actor, comedian, and media personality Druski hosted the ceremony for the first time.[1] The nominations were announced on May 19, 2026, with American rapper Cardi B having the most nominations with six. Kendrick Lamar and Mariah the Scientist followed her with five each.[2] The pre-show aired with hosts Rocsi Diaz, Bow Wow, Jason Lee, Loren LoRosa, Tierra Marsh, and Brian McIntosh.
Los Angeles, California
| 2026 BET Awards | |
|---|---|
| |
| Sponsored by | Hyundai and Sprite |
| Date | June 28, 2026 |
| Location | Peacock Theater, Los Angeles, California |
| Presented by | Black Entertainment Television |
| Hosted by | Druski |
| Most awards | Teyana Taylor (4) |
| Most nominations | Cardi B (6) |
| Website | www |
| Television/radio coverage | |
| Network | BET, BET Her, MTV, MTV2, Nickelodeon, Logo TV, Paramount Network, VH1, CMT, TV Land |
| Produced by | Jesse Collins Entertainment |
The ceremony also recognized influential figures for their contributions to entertainment and culture. On June 4, BET announced that singer, rapper, and actress Lauryn Hill would be honored with the inaugural Living Legend Icon Award.[3] On June 9, singer, songwriter, and actress Teyana Taylor was announced as the inaugural recipient of the Icon of the Year Award.[4] On June 11, music executive Sylvia Rhone was announced as the recipient of the Ultimate Icon Award, recognizing her extraordinary leadership and enduring impact on the industry.[5]
Category changes
Four new awards were created:[6]
- Fashion Vanguard Award
- Pulse Award
- Living Legend Icon Award
- Icon of the Year
Performances
The first set of performers was announced on June 17, 2026. The second set was announced on June 23, 2026.[7][8][9] The third set of performers were announced on June 26, 2026.[10]
Presenters
Presenters were announced June 23, 2026.[11]
Pre-show
- Rocsi Diaz
- Bow Wow
- Jason Lee
- Loren LoRosa
- Tierra Marsh
- Brian McIntosh
Main Show
- Druski – host
- Nia Long and Jaafar Jackson – presented Best Male Pop/R&B Artist
- Druski and Latto – presented Don Toliver
- Chloe Bailey – presented Kwn
- Terrence J – presented BET's HBWeCU initiative
- Gail Bean and Isaiah John – presented Best Female R&B/Pop Artist
- Janet Jackson – presented Teyana Taylor with the Icon of the Year Award
- Keke Palmer – presented Cardi B
- Yung Miami – presented the BET Her Award
- Keke Palmer – presented Album of the Year
- Carl Anthony Payne II, Chris "Comedian CP" Powell and DeRay Davis
- Ice Cube – presented Baby Keem
- Luke James and Jacob Latimore – presented Best Female Hip Hop Artist
- Marsai Martin – presented Barack Obama
- Imani Archer, Morocco Archer and Michael Archer Jr. – presented the tribute to D'Angelo
- Flau'jae Johnson
- Kelly Rowland – presented Sylvia Rhone with the Ultimate Icon Award
- Miles Caton – presented Kenny Iko
- Ice Cube – introduced Lauryn Hill
- Deon Cole and Diarra Kilpatrick
- Ice Cube – presented Lauryn Hill with the Living Legend Icon Award
Winners and nominees
Below is the list of winners and nominees.[12] Winners are listed first and highlighted in bold.[13]
In Memoriam
- Richard Smallwood
- Clive Davis
- Isiah Whitlock Jr.
- Ananda Lewis
- Demond Wilson
- Malcolm-Jamal Warner
- Danielle Spencer
- Michael L. Joyner
- Peabo Bryson
- Lynn Hamilton
- Walter Scott
- Lil Poppa
- T.K. Carter
- Claudette Colvin
- Lamonte McLemore
- Billy Bass Nelson
- Carl Carlton
- Gladys West
- Doran Reed
- Ty Bristol
- Kiki Shepard
- Sonny Rollins
- Charlie Neal
- Oliver "Power" Grant
- Tay Keith
- Dee Freeman
- D'Angelo