The BET Awards 2026 nominees have been revealed. Culture’s Biggest Night, hosted by Druski, airs live June 28 at 8 p.m. ET on BET. It will also simulcast on Paramount+, BET HER, MTV and VH1.
Rap act Cardi B leads the pack this year with six nods, including Best Female Hip Hop Artist. Meanwhile, Mariah The Scientist is the most-nominated R&B artist, earning her first five nods. Among her batch of nods is Album of the Year for Hearts Sold Separately.
Her fourth LP features her breakout single, “Burning Blue,” which is up for two awards: Video of the Year and Viewers’ Choice. The Nineteen85-produced track debuted and peaked at No. 25 on the Billboard Hot 100, marking her highest-charting single to date.
Teyana Taylor and Olivia Dean are up for four awards, while Chris Brown, Kehlani and Jill Scott each have three nominations.
This year, BET is introducing two new award categories: Fashion Vanguard Award and Pulse Award. The former category “will recognize a global figure whose fashion presence has had long-standing cultural impact, has significantly influenced style narratives, and continues to elevate fashion as a form of storytelling across music, film, sports, and public life.”
Meanwhile, the Pulse Award “will recognize a creator, campaign, or content series that most powerfully moved Black culture forward in digital spaces by sparking conversation, building community, and defining the moment online.”
Connie Orlando, EVP, Specials, Music Programming & Music Strategy at BET, said: “All of our nominees represent the very best of Black culture across music, film, sports, and beyond, and with the introduction of the Fashion Vanguard Award and the Pulse Award, we’re proud to honor even more of the ways our culture continues to show up and evolve.”
Circling back to Mariah The Scientist, Hearts Sold Separately was released Aug. 22, 2025, via Epic Records. It debuted at No. 1 on Billboard’s Top R&B Albums chart, marking her first chart-topper. Executive produced by Nineteen85, the album also features the Kali Uchis-assisted “Is It A Crime.”
Earlier this month, she joined rising R&B-pop singer Chxrry on her single “Bottles & Lights” from her debut album, U, Me & My Ego, out May 29 via XO/Republic Records
See the nominations below.
BET Awards 2026 Nominations List
The Fashion Vanguard Award
A$AP Rocky
Bad Bunny
Beyoncé
Cardi B
Colman Domingo
Doechii
Rihanna
Teyana Taylor
Zendaya
The Pulse Award
85 South Show
Baby, This Is Keke Palmer
Charlamagne Tha God
Don Lemon
Druski
It Is What It Is
Joe and Jada
On the Radar
R&B Money Podcast
Best Female R&B/Pop Artist
Ari Lennox
Coco Jones
Ella Mai
Jill Scott
Kehlani
Mariah the Scientist
Olivia Dean
SZA
Tems
Best Male R&B/Pop Artist
Brent Faiyaz
Bruno Mars
Bryson Tiller
Chris Brown
Durand Bernarr
Givēon
Leon Thomas
October London
Usher
Best Group
41
Clipse
De La Soul
FLO
French Montana & Max B
Metro Boomin & DJ Spinz
Nas & DJ Premier
Terrace Martin & Kenyon Dixon
Wizkid & Asake
Best Collaboration
“Chains & Whips” — Clipse & Kendrick Lamar
“Errtime Remix” — Cardi B feat. Jeezy & Latto
“Go Girl” — Summer Walker feat. Latto & Doja Cat
“Good Flirts” — Baby Keem feat. Kendrick Lamar & Momo Boyd
“Is It a Crime” — Mariah the Scientist & Kali Uchis
“It Depends (The Remix)” — Chris Brown feat. Bryson Tiller & Usher
“Take Me Thru Dere” — Metro Boomin feat. Quavo, Breskii, YK Niece & DJ Spinz
“WGFT” — Gunna feat. Burna Boy
Best Male Hip Hop Artist
A$AP Rocky
Baby Keem
BigXthaPlug
DaBaby
Don Toliver
Drake
J. Cole
Kendrick Lamar
T.I.
Best Female Hip Hop Artist
Cardi B
Coi Leray
Doechii
Doja Cat
GloRilla
Latto
Megan Thee Stallion
Monaleo
YK Niece
Video of the Year
“100” — Ella Mai
“Anxiety” — Doechii
“Burning Blue” — Mariah the Scientist
“Chanel” — Tyla
“Escape Room (Short Film)” — Teyana Taylor
“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
Teyana “Spike-Tey” Taylor
Best New Artist
Belly Gang Kushington
Destin Conrad
JayDon
kwn
Miles Minnick
Monaleo
Olivia Dean
Raye
Trap Dickey
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
Let God Sort Em Out — Clipse
Mutt Deluxe: Heel — Leon Thomas
The Fall-Off — J. Cole
The Romantic — Bruno Mars
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
“Headphones” — Lecrae, Killer Mike & T.I.
Best Actress
Angela Bassett
Ayo Edebiri
Chase Infiniti
Coco Jones
Cynthia Erivo
Keke Palmer
Quinta Brunson
Regina Hall
Teyana Taylor
Best Actor
Aaron Pierre
Aldis Hodge
Anthony Mackie
Colman Domingo
Damson Idris
Delroy Lindo
Denzel Washington
Michael B. Jordan
Sterling K. Brown
YoungStars Award
Daria Johns
Graceyn “Gracie” Hollingsworth
Heiress Harris
Jazzy’s World TV
Lela Hoffmeister
North West
Thaddeus J. Mixson
VanVan
Best Movie
Highest 2 Lowest
Him
Number One on the Call Sheet
One Battle After Another
Relationship Goals
Ruth & Boaz
Sinners
Wicked: For Good
Sportswoman of the Year Award
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
Jalen Brunson — Basketball
Jalen Hurts — Football
LeBron James — Basketball
Shedeur Sanders — Football
Stephen Curry — Basketball
BET Her
“Already Good (Tasha Slide)” — Tasha Cobbs Leonard
“Be Great” — Jill Scott feat. Trombone Shorty
“Beautiful People” — Jill Scott
“First” — Tems
“Girl, Get Up” — Doechii feat. SZA
“Go Girl” — Summer Walker feat. Latto & Doja Cat
“Gorgeous” — Doja Cat
“Lady Lady” — Olivia Dean
Viewers’ Choice
“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
The 2026 BET Awards air live Sunday, June 28, at 8 p.m. ET on BET. It will also simulcast on Paramount+, BET HER, CMT, LOGO, MTV, MTV2, Nickelodeon (NAN), POP, VH1, Comedy Central, and TV Land.
