Janet Jackson's rare red carpet appearance dominated headlines at the 26th BET Awards, where Teyana Taylor and Clipse tied for the most wins and Lauryn Hill closed out the night with an electric performance.
Tems attends the 2026 BET Awards at Peacock Theater on 28 June 2026 in Los Angeles, California. Picture: Frazer Harrison / Getty Images North America / Getty Images via AFP
Black excellence took centre stage at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles on Sunday night as the 2026 BET Awards marked its 26th edition, blending red carpet glamour, emotional tributes and big wins for hip-hop and RnB’s biggest names.
Hosted by comedian Druski, the ceremony returned to celebrate black excellence across music, entertainment, sports and culture, with Cardi B leading all nominees with six nods, including Album of the Year, while Kendrick Lamar and Doja Cat followed with five nominations each.
Janet Jackson’s rare appearance honours Tupac
The night’s biggest fashion talking point came courtesy of Janet Jackson, who made what was described as a rare public appearance. The 60-year-old singer arrived wearing a 2Pac T-shirt over a striped white long-sleeve button-up, paired with grey striped trousers, a large belt and a fedora with a veil.
The look was widely read as a tribute to Tupac Shakur, her co-star in the 1993 film Poetic Justice – a homage that landed in a year marking 30 years since Shakur’s murder, per WWD. Stylist Laurel Thomson was credited with the look, which WWD described as blending ’90s edge and pop diva style with touching sentimentality.
Jackson’s appearance had a purpose beyond fashion: she was there to present Teyana Taylor with the inaugural Icon of the Year Award. Introducing Taylor, Jackson said: “It seems like only yesterday our rose from Harlem grew out of the concrete and blossomed into our Icon of the Year,” before adding that Taylor “possesses unflinching perfectionism, a devotion woven into everything you touch.”
An emotional Taylor, who called Jackson her “biggest inspiration,” accepted the honour in tears.
Red Carpet Highlights
Beyond Jackson’s tribute, the carpet delivered its usual mix of bold glamour and personal statements. Doechii turned heads in a revealing dark brown knit gown with an interlocked hairdo, while Queen Latifah arrived in a pouffy textured coat, a braided updo and a red lip, proving that “fashion is not confined to any season.”
Other notable looks came from Marsai Martin, who wore a fitted black gown with an off-the-shoulder neckline, per HelloBeautiful, and from Jodie Turner-Smith, who paired an abstract-printed gown with voluminous curls and opera gloves.
Janet Jackson’s nephew, Jaafar Jackson, was also spotted on the carpet alongside Michael co-star Nia Long, with whom he shares scenes in the recently released Michael Jackson biopic.
Lauryn Hill, Sylvia Rhone honoured
The ceremony’s most poignant segment came when Lauryn Hill received the inaugural Living Legend Icon Award. A star-studded line-up – including Queen Latifah, Nas, Common, SZA, Lizzo, Doja Cat, Doechii, Tems and three of Hill’s own children – paid tribute to her catalogue, before Hill herself closed the moment with a live performance of “Ex-Factor.”
Music executive Sylvia Rhone was honoured with the Ultimate Icon Award, while a separate tribute saw artists including Ari Lennox, Raye and Parliament-Funkadelic’s George Clinton pay homage to the late D’Angelo, who died last year at age 51.
Winners: Clipse and Teyana Taylor lead the pack
According to Billboard, Teyana Taylor and Clipse were the night’s biggest winners, each taking home three competitive awards. Clipse won Album of the Year for Let God Sort ‘Em Out, alongside Best Group and Best Collaboration for “Chains & Whips” with Kendrick Lamar. Taylor’s wins – Best Actress, Video Director of the Year and the new Fashion Vanguard Award – came on top of her honorary Icon of the Year title.
Key competitive winners:
- Best Female Hip-Hop Artist: Cardi B – her third win in the category, and first since back-to-back victories in 2018-19
- Best Male RnB/Pop Artist: Leon Thomas, beating record-holder Chris Brown
- Best Female R&B/Pop Artist: Kehlani
- Best Actor: Michael B. Jordan, for Sinners – his fourth win in the category
- Best Movie: Sinners, marking director Ryan Coogler’s third BET Awards win in the category after the two Black Panther films
- BET Her Award: “Girl, Get Up” – Doechii and SZA
- Pulse Award (new category): Druski
- Rising Star Award: Jazzy’s World TV (Jazlyn Guerra), a 16-year-old interviewer who first gained attention for a 2021 interview with Jay-Z
- Sportswoman of the Year: A’ja Wilson
- Sportsman of the Year: Jalen Brunson
In her acceptance speech, Taylor told the audience: “There’s room for all of us to win,” adding that “this business is wicked… it teaches us to compete, but I’ve never believed that my success had to cost someone else theirs.”
Performances
The night also featured live performances from Cardi B, Common, Doechii, Kehlani, Queen Latifah, Rick Ross, Tems, T.I. and The War and Treaty, alongside sets from Baby Keem, Ari Lennox, Nas and Rapsody.
