Kendrick Lamar, Michael B. Jordan, and Teyana Taylor stand out among the winners at the 2026 BET Awards
One of the stars of the night was Kendrick Lamar, who took home two awards, including Best Male Hip-Hop Artist for the ninth time, extending his record in that category after winning five Grammy Awards earlier this year.
Kendrick Lamar with one of his BET Awards
The 2026 BET Awards brought together figures from music, film, and television this Sunday at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles for a gala that recognized established artists and emerging talents, as well as paying tribute to icons of African American culture.
According to Billboard, one of the stars of the night was Kendrick Lamar, who won two awards, including Best Male Hip-Hop Artist for the ninth time, extending his record in that category after winning five Grammy Awards earlier this year.
In the acting categories, Michael B. Jordan was named Best Actor after winning the Oscar for Best Actor in March for his work in 'Sinners.' Teyana Taylor, nominated for an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for 'One Battle After Another' won the award for Best Actress at the BET Awards.
The film Sinners was also named Best Film, beating out One Battle After Another. The film, directed by Ryan Coogler and featuring a predominantly African-American cast, had received a record 16 Oscar nominations, though it lost the Best Picture award to One Battle After Another.
In the music category, Olivia Dean was named Best New Artist, becoming the fifth artist to win that category at both the Grammys and the BET Awards, following Alicia Keys, John Legend, Sam Smith, and Chance the Rapper.
Among the ceremony’s surprises, Billboard noted that the Video of the Year award went to Kehlani’s “Folded,” beating out productions such as Doechii’s “Anxiety” and Teyana Taylor’s “Escape Room (Short Film).” Likewise, Mariah the Scientist’s “Burning Blue,” won the fan-voted award, although it was the artist’s only win among her five nominations.
The publication also noted among the night’s biggest disappointments Doja Cat and Latto, who failed to win any of the four awards they were nominated for. Cardi B, the artist with the most nominations this year, lost the Album of the Year award for AM I THE DRAMA? though she did win the award for Best Female Hip-Hop Artist.
Tribute to D’Angelo
According to Billboard’s ranking, the highlight of the ceremony was the tribute to Lauryn Hill, featuring Nas, Doja Cat, SZA, Doechii, Tems, Lizzo, Common, Queen Latifah, Rapsody, and the singer’s children, before Hill herself closed the show with performances of “Ex-Factor” and “Everything Is Everything.”
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