Teyana Taylor leads winners at 2026 BET Awards

By Maya Calder · 29 June 2026, 17:03 · 2 min read

Teyana Taylor leads winners at 2026 BET Awards

Teyana Taylor emerged as a dominant force at the 2026 BET Awards, securing a combination of competitive wins and honorary recognition. The 26th edition of the annual ceremony, held Sunday, June 28, at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, celebrated achievements across music, film, television, sports, and entertainment.

Taylor won three competitive categories: Best Actress, Video Director of the Year, and the Fashion Vanguard Award. Beyond these trophies, she was presented with the Icon of the Year award, which recognized a career spanning two decades of music, film, creative direction, and choreography.

The ceremony was hosted by Druski and featured MC Lyte returning as the show's announcer. The night was marked by a wide array of performances, including appearances by Cardi B, Doechii, Queen Latifah, Common, Tems, T.I., Kehlani, Jill Scott, Don Toliver, French Montana, Max B, Rick Ross, The War and Treaty, and kwn.

Music and Hip Hop Honors

Clipse matched Taylor in competitive wins, taking home three awards. The group won Best Group and Album of the Year for Let God Sort ’Em Out. Clipse also shared the Best Collaboration award with Kendrick Lamar for the track Chains & Whips.

Kendrick Lamar secured two wins, including Best Male Hip Hop Artist. This victory marked his ninth time winning in that specific category.

Cardi B entered the night as the most-nominated artist with six nods. She ultimately won Best Female Hip Hop Artist, her third win in that category.

Kehlani won Best Female R&B/Pop Artist and Video of the Year for Folded. Leon Thomas won Best Male R&B/Pop Artist for the first time. Olivia Dean won Best New Artist, becoming the fifth artist to win the prize at both the Grammys and the BET Awards.