Druski hosts BET Awards 2026 as Teyana Taylor gets top honor

Druski became the youngest person ever to host the BET Awards at 35, as Teyana Taylor took home the Icon of the Year Award at the 26th annual ceremony. The live show aired from the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles at 8 p.m. ET/PT on Sunday, June 28, with BET framing the broadcast as “Culture’s Biggest Night.”

The honors placed three generations of Black music leadership at the center of the evening. Along with Taylor’s Icon of the Year recognition, Ms. Lauryn Hill received the inaugural Living Legend Icon Award and Sylvia Rhone was presented the Ultimate Icon Award. The awards underscored how the BET platform continues to elevate artists and executives whose influence extends far beyond one night, shaping radio, touring, streaming and television attention across the larger entertainment market.

BET built the show around a broad performance lineup that mixed veterans, mainstream stars and newer voices. The first wave included Cardi B, Common, Doechii, Don Toliver, French Montana, Max B, Jill Scott, Kehlani, Queen Latifah, Rick Ross, Tems, T.I., The War and Treaty and kwn, with MC Lyte returning as announcer. BET later added Nas, Ari Lennox, Baby Keem, BJ the Chicago Kid, Durand Bernarr, Erica Campbell, George Clinton, Le’Andria Johnson, Rapsody, Raye and Kenny Iko, while Keke Palmer, Kelly Rowland, Latto, Nia Long, DeRay Davis and Jaafar Jackson were among the presenters.

The ceremony also sat at the center of a larger BET week. BET Experience 2026 ran from June 25 through June 27, with fan activations at The Beehive leading into the telecast. BET directed viewers to watch on the network and follow @BET and #BETAwards for live updates, reinforcing how the awards continue to function as both a televised event and a cultural launch point for music, fashion and celebrity commerce.