Teyana Taylor and Clipse were the big winners at the 2026 BET Awards, which were held at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles on Sunday (June 28).
The show, hosted by Druski, aired live on BET. Both artists won three competitive awards on the night. Kendrick Lamar and Kehlani were runners-up in the winners tally, with two wins each.
In addition to winning three competitive awards – best actress, video director of the year and the fashion vanguard award – Taylor received the Icon of the Year award, one of three honorary awards presented on the night.
Taylor has had a year for the record books, winning a Golden Globe and receiving an Oscar nomination for One Battle After Another, and receiving a Grammy nomination for best R&B album for Escape Room.
Clipse won album of the year for Let God Sort ’Em Out, best group and best collaboration for “Chains & Whips,” their pairing with Lamar.
Let God Sort ’Em Out was nominated for album of the year and best rap album at the Grammy Awards in February but didn’t win in either category.
Lamar also won best male hip-hop artist for a record ninth time. He has won in that category more often than the next two most frequent winners combined. (That’s Drake with four awards and Ye, the former Kanye West, with three.)
Kehlani won best female R&B/pop artist for the first time, beating, among others, SZA, who won in the category the last three years. Kehlani also won video of the year for “Folded.” Kehlani won two Grammys in February: best R&B song and best R&B performance, both for her soulful ballad “Folded.”
Olivia Dean, who won best new artist at the Grammys, also won in that category here. She’s the fifth artist to take the best new artist prize at both shows, following Alicia Keys, John Legend, Sam Smith and Chance the Rapper.
Cardi B won best female hip-hop artist. It’s her third win in the category; her first since she won back-to-back awards in 2018-19.
Leon Thomas won best male R&B/pop artist for the first time, beating, among others, three repeat past winners in this category: Chris Brown, who has won a record eight times; Usher, who has won five times; and Bruno Mars, who has won three times.
Thomas won two Grammys in February: best R&B album for Mutt and best traditional R&B performance for “Vibes Don’t Lie.”
Ryan Coogler’s Sinners won best movie. The film received a record 16 Oscar nominations, but lost the top award, best picture, to One Battle After Another. Sinners is the third Coogler film to win best movie at the BET Awards, following Black Panther and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. No other director has had more than two best movie winners.
Michael B. Jordan, who won an Oscar for best lead actor for Sinners, also won best actor here. It’s his fourth win in that category at the BET Awards, which puts him just one award behind category leader Denzel Washington.
In addition to Taylor, two other groundbreaking women received special awards. Ms. Lauryn Hill was honored with the inaugural Living Legend Icon Award. Legendary music executive Sylvia Rhone was named the recipient of the Ultimate Icon Award.
Jazzy’s World TV won the rising star award. That’s the stage name of Jazlyn Guerra, 16, a fast-rising journalist who conducts unstructured interviews of celebrities.
Raised in New York City, she first gained recognition for her interview with Jay-Z in 2021. Past winners in the category include Keke Palmer, Jaden & Willow Smith and Blue Ivy Carter.
Here’s the complete list of nominees for the 2026 BET Awards, with winners marked. They are divided into Music, General, Film/TV and Sports categories.
They are followed by lists of winners by the number of awards won, and then everyone who went home empty-handed, despite three nominations or more.
Album of the Year
AM I THE DRAMA? — Cardi B
DON’T TAP THE GLASS — Tyler, the Creator
everything is a lot. — Wale
HEARTS SOLD SEPARATELY — Mariah the Scientist
WINNER: Let God Sort Em Out — Clipse
MUTT Deluxe: HEEL — Leon Thomas
The Fall-Off — J. Cole
The Romantic — Bruno Mars
Best Female R&B/Pop Artist
Ari Lennox
Coco Jones
Ella Mai
Jill Scott
WINNER: Kehlani
Mariah the Scientist
Olivia Dean
SZA
Tems
Best Male R&B/Pop Artist
Brent Faiyaz
Bruno Mars
Bryson Tiller
Chris Brown
Durand Bernarr
GIVĒON
WINNER: Leon Thomas
October London
Usher
Best Female Hip Hop Artist
WINNER: Cardi B
Coi Leray
Doechii
Doja Cat
GloRilla
Latto
Megan Thee Stallion
Monaleo
YK Niece
Best Male Hip Hop Artist
A$AP Rocky
Baby Keem
BigXthaPlug
DaBaby
Don Toliver
Drake
J. Cole
WINNER: Kendrick Lamar
T.I.
Best Group
41
WINNER: Clipse
De La Soul
FLO
French Montana & Max B
Metro Boomin & DJ Spinz
Nas & DJ Premier
Terrace Martin & Kenyon Dixon
Wizkid & Asake
Best Collaboration
WINNER: “Chains & Whips” — Clipse & Kendrick Lamar
“Errtime Remix” — Cardi B feat. Jeezy & Latto
“Go Girl” — Summer Walker feat. Latto & Doja Cat
“Good Flirts” — Baby Keem feat. Kendrick Lamar & Momo Boyd
“Is It a Crime” — Mariah the Scientist & Kali Uchis
“It Depends (The Remix)” — Chris Brown feat. Bryson Tiller & Usher
“Take Me Thru Dere” — Metro Boomin feat. Quavo, Breskii, YK Niece & DJ Spinz
“wgft” — Gunna feat. Burna Boy
Best New Artist
Belly Gang Kushington
DESTIN CONRAD
JayDon
kwn
Miles Minnick
Monaleo
WINNER: Olivia Dean
RAYE
Trap Dickey
Dr. Bobby Jones Best Gospel/Inspirational Award
“Able” — Kirk Franklin
“ABLE (REMIX)” — Darrel Walls, PJ Morton & Kim Burrell
“All to Thee” — BeBe Winans
“Already Good (Tasha Slide)” — Tasha Cobbs Leonard
“At the Cross” — CeCe Winans
“Church” — Tasha Cobbs Leonard & John Legend
“Do It Again” — Kirk Franklin
WINNER: “Headphones” — Lecrae, Killer Mike & T.I.
BET Her
“Already Good (Tasha Slide)” — Tasha Cobbs Leonard
“Be Great” — Jill Scott feat. Trombone Shorty
“Beautiful People” — Jill Scott
“First” — Tems
WINNER: “girl, get up.” — Doechii feat. SZA
“Go Girl” — Summer Walker feat. Latto & Doja Cat
“Gorgeous” — Doja Cat
“Lady Lady” — Olivia Dean
Viewers’ Choice
WINNER: “Burning Blue” — Mariah the Scientist
“Chains & Whips” — Clipse feat. Kendrick Lamar
“Chanel” — Tyla
“Folded” — Kehlani
“I Just Might” — Bruno Mars
“It Depends” — Chris Brown feat. Bryson Tiller
“Man I Need” — Olivia Dean
“Outside” — Cardi B
“Raindance” — Dave & Tems
“Take Me Thru Dere” — Metro Boomin feat. Quavo, Breskii, YK Niece & DJ Spinz
Video of the Year
“100” — Ella Mai
“Anxiety” — Doechii
“Burning Blue” — Mariah the Scientist
“Chanel” — Tyla
“Escape Room (Short Film)” — Teyana Taylor
WINNER: “Folded” — Kehlani
“LET ‘EM KNOW” — T.I.
“luther” — Kendrick Lamar & SZA
Video Director of the Year
A$AP Rocky & Dan Streit
Anderson .Paak
Benny Boom
Cactus Jack
Cardi B & Patientce Foster
Cole Bennett
Director X
Hype Williams
WINNER: Teyana “Spike-Tey” Taylor
The Fashion Vanguard Award (New)
A$AP Rocky
Bad Bunny
Beyoncé
Cardi B
Colman Domingo
Doechii
Rihanna
WINNER: Teyana Taylor
Zendaya
The Pulse Award (New)
85 South Show
Baby, This Is Keke Palmer
Charlamagne Tha God
Don Lemon
WINNER: Druski
It Is What It Is
Joe and Jada
On the Radar
R&B Money Podcast
Best Movie
Highest 2 Lowest
Him
Number One on the Call Sheet
One Battle After Another
Relationship Goals
Ruth & Boaz
WINNER: Sinners
Wicked: For Good
Best Actress
Angela Bassett
Ayo Edebiri
Chase Infiniti
Coco Jones
Cynthia Erivo
Keke Palmer
Quinta Brunson
Regina Hall
WINNER: Teyana Taylor
Best Actor
Aaron Pierre
Aldis Hodge
Anthony Mackie
Colman Domingo
Damson Idris
Delroy Lindo
Denzel Washington
WINNER: Michael B. Jordan
Sterling K. Brown
YoungStars Award
Daria Johns
Graceyn “Gracie” Hollingsworth
Heiress Harris
WINNER: Jazzy’s World TV
Lela Hoffmeister
North West
Thaddeus J. Mixson
VanVan
Sportswoman of the Year Award
WINNER: A’ja Wilson — Basketball
Angel Reese — Basketball
Claressa Shields — Boxing
Coco Gauff — Tennis
Flau’jae Johnson — Basketball
Gabby Thomas — Track & Field
Jordan Chiles — Gymnastics
Naomi Osaka — Tennis
Sha’Carri Richardson — Track & Field
Sportsman of the Year Award
Aaron Judge — Baseball
Anthony Edwards — Basketball
Caleb Williams — Football
WINNER: Jalen Brunson — Basketball
Jalen Hurts — Football
LeBron James — Basketball
Shedeur Sanders — Football
Stephen Curry — Basketball —Billboard.com
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