Host Druski promised a show we’d remember, and what a show it was. The 2026 BET Awards exploded onto the scene with T.I. descending from the ceiling in a huge crown. It was just the start of a night filled with stars and major highlights: BET Amplifed Performers KWN and Keey Iko making their BET Awards debuts; Jamie Foxx and his daughter Anelise dueting to open for Kehlani; Martin Lawrence taking the stage and so many more. Here are the moments that electrified the 2026 BET Awards stage.
Teyana Taylor Receives the Icon Award
Her eyes filled with tears before a word was spoken to Teyana Taylor, who received the Icon of the Year Award, presented by Janet Jackson. “In one year, Teyana Taylor accomplished more than most in a lifetime. Songwriter, choreographer, director, producer, mother, and now Golden Globe-winning actress. There’s nothing that she can’t do,” Jackson stated.
Taking the stage, Taylor pointed out that she didn’t know her award was being presented by the legendary Jackson. “That ‘s a surprise,” said Taylor over her presenter and then praised Jackson for paving a path she could follow. She spoke on abandoning imposter syndrome and accepting one’s greatness. “For a little minute, I wondered if I was supposed to feel uncomfortable saying that title out loud, but nah. I worked my ass off for 20 years for this … So I’m not accepting what I’ve earned with arrogance. I’m accepting what I’ve earned with gratitude.”
Taylor pointed out that she built her dream while helping others build theirs, because she never believed her success had to cost someone else theirs. “I will wear this title with pride,” she declared before recognizing her greatest masterpiece, her children, reminding her doting daughters to be watching and “off those [bleeping] phones” per usual.
Lauryn Hill’s Iconic Retrospective
Lauryn Hill, one of the greatest voices in Black music history, received the Living Legend Icon Award. Introduced by Ice Cube, he spoke of her commitment to music at a young age, how she helped shape the sounds of other musical greats and her philanthropic efforts. After an electric musical retrospective of her hits, performed by Queen Latifah, Common, The War and Treaty, SZA, Doechii, Tierra Whack, Doja Cat, Nas, her daughter Selah Marley and more, Hill took the stage and surprised all with a surprise performance of her hit, “Ex Factor” for a delighted audience.
“I do this because I love y’all,” she said to the audience while accepting the award, explaining how important it is for her to pour into people through music. “I’m rooting for everybody to be the best version of themselves that we can… I’m grateful that you’re rooting for me sometimes, too.” She closed down the awards ceremony with her 1999 hit “Everything Is Everything” from her award-winning album, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill.
More Awards & Tributes
Kelly Rowland praised music industry pioneer Sylvia Rhone, who received the Ultimate Icon Award as she took the stage amidst a standing ovation from the audience. The woman who shaped the careers of artists like Missy Elliott, Busta Rhymes, Travis Scott and Tyla, Rhone thanked BET for the honor, but said it belonged to all who create culture.
A tribute to the late, great D’Angelo was introduced by his three children and featured the members of his band, Vanguard, along with touching renditions of his hits featuring Ari Lennox, Raye, BJ the Kid, George Clinton and Durand Bernarr.
Gospel singer Erica Campbell sang Whitney Houston’s rendition of “I Love the Lord” to honor the legacies of composer Richard Smallwood, producer Clive Davis and other luminaries who passed over the past year.
Druski’s Viral Parodies Hit the Stage
Druski leaned into what made him a household name, playing off his immensely popular viral skits. He opened the show with “Mega Church Pastors LOVE Money” skit, lowered on stage via suspension, decked out in a GG-logo suit, with a full backup choir. His “Collect & Praise” opening featured a net-worth list of some of Hollywood’s biggest power players, including Tyler Perry, Stevie Wonder (in Braille), and Ray J, whose donation check “was pending…” and then “bounced back.” Druski followed that skit with “Coulda Been Records,” complete with his security checking BBL ganstas, soulful white boys and an a cappella impromptu by Durand Benarr (but he got booted out too), as well as his “WhiteBoy That’s Accepted By The Hood” dropping beats, with a whispered N-word. The skits showcased that Druski — the first content creator to ever helm the awards ceremony — wasn’t afraid to poke fun at his own success.
All the Greats
The BET Awards featured performances from some of the biggest names in the industry. Giving Marvel and DC a run for their money, Cardi turned the main stage into the Cardiverse. The colorful, comic-book-saturated staging was the perfect backdrop for her rapid-fire delivery of hits from her second album, Am I the Drama?, as she went on to win the Best Female Hip Hop Artist award.
There was French Montana and Max B singing “Ever Since U Left Left Me” and repping for the NBA champs, the NY Knicks. They then joined Rick Ross on stage in full-length fur (in June, y’all) as they glided through more hits. Tems, Don Toliver, Kehlani and Baby Keem also performed.
The Night’s Awards
Some of the biggest awards of the night:
Best Male R&B/Pop Artist: Leon Thomas
Best Female R&B/Pop Artist: Kehlani
Album of the Year: Let God Sort Em Out by Clipse
Best Female Hip Hop Artist: Cardi B
2026 BET Her Award: Doechii and SZA for “Girl, Get Up“