The 2026 BET Awards lit up the Peacock Theatre in Los Angeles on Sunday, June 28, with a spectacular celebration of Black excellence, bringing together some of the biggest names in music, film, television, sports and culture for the 26th edition of the prestigious awards ceremony.

Hosted by American comedian and internet personality Druski, the annual event honoured outstanding achievements across the entertainment industry while introducing new award categories and recognising the contributions of both established stars and emerging talents.

Heading into the ceremony, American rap superstar Cardi B dominated the nominations list with six nods, cementing her position as one of the biggest forces in contemporary hip-hop.

Her latest album, Am I the Drama?, earned a nomination for Album of the Year, while she also secured nominations for Best Female Hip Hop Artist, Best Collaboration for “Errtime Remix” featuring Jeezy and Latto, Video Director of the Year alongside Patience Foster, and the Viewers’ Choice Award.

Cardi B entered the awards with an already impressive BET Awards legacy. The Bronx-born rapper previously won Best Female Hip Hop Artist in both 2018 and 2019 and captured Album of the Year with her debut project Invasion of Privacy.

She also shared Video of the Year and Best Collaboration honours with Megan Thee Stallion for their chart-topping hit “WAP” in 2021.

Close behind Cardi B in the nominations race were acclaimed rapper Kendrick Lamar and multi-talented singer Doja Cat, who each received five nominations across multiple categories.

Other artistes enjoying strong representation included Doechii, Clipse, Teyana Taylor, Olivia Dean and Latto, each earning four nominations.

Several other notable performers, including Chris Brown, Bruno Mars, Bryson Tiller, SZA, Kehlani, Metro Boomin, Jill Scott, Tasha Cobbs Leonard and T.I. also received multiple nominations, reflecting the diversity of talent recognised this year.

One of the major additions to this year’s ceremony was the introduction of two new honours—the Fashion Vanguard Award and the Pulse Award—designed to celebrate influential personalities shaping fashion, media and digital culture.

The Fashion Vanguard Award recognised trendsetters including A$AP Rocky, Bad Bunny, Beyoncé, Cardi B, Doechii, Teyana Taylor, Zendaya, Colman Domingo and Rihanna.

The newly created Pulse Award celebrated influential voices in podcasting, broadcasting and digital entertainment, with nominees including Charlamagne tha God, Druski, Don Lemon and Keke Palmer.

The awards also recognised excellence in film and television. Nominees for Best Actress included Angela Bassett, Cynthia Erivo, Keke Palmer, Regina Hall, Quinta Brunson and Teyana Taylor.

The Best Actor category featured renowned performers including Denzel Washington, Michael B. Jordan, Colman Domingo, Anthony Mackie, Aaron Pierre and Sterling K. Brown.

Sports personalities also received recognition, with nominees for Sportswoman of the Year including Coco Gauff, Naomi Osaka, Sha’Carri Richardson, Angel Reese and A’ja Wilson.

The Sportsman of the Year nominees featured global sporting stars such as LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Jalen Hurts, Anthony Edwards and Aaron Judge.

The Best Movie category celebrated several highly anticipated productions, including Highest 2 Lowest, Sinners, Wicked: For Good and One Battle After Another.