BET has announced that Ms. Lauryn Hill will receive the prestigious Living Legend Icon Award, sponsored by Sprite, during the BET Awards 2026. Culture’s Biggest Night will air live on June 28 from the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, with comedian and entertainer Druski serving as host.
The Living Legend Icon Award recognizes artists whose influence has remained essential across generations and whose contributions continue to shape culture. Few artists embody that legacy more than Hill, whose groundbreaking work has left an indelible mark on hip-hop, R&B, soul, and reggae.
Hill first rose to global prominence as a member of The Fugees, whose landmark 1996 album The Score produced timeless hits including “Killing Me Softly” and “Ready or Not.” She later released her acclaimed solo debut, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, a genre-defying masterpiece that explored themes of love, faith, motherhood, identity, and Black womanhood, and sold more than 10 million copies worldwide.
“Ms. Lauryn Hill is the very definition of a living legend,” said Connie Orlando, BET’s EVP of Specials, Music Programming & Music Strategy. “Across every era, she has never chased the moment; she has shaped it.”
Nearly three decades after her debut solo album, Hill’s music continues to inspire artists and audiences worldwide, cementing her place as one of the most influential and enduring voices in modern music history.
