The 2026 BET Awards, held on Sunday at the Peacock Theatre in Los Angeles and hosted by comedian Druski, proved to be a night of disappointment for Nigerian music stars. Despite earning major nominations, Wizkid, Burna Boy, Tems, and Asake all left without a single win, underscoring the fierce competition on one of Black entertainment's biggest stages.
Nigerian Nominees Fall Short
Tems, who received three nominations—Best Female R&B/Pop Artist, BET Her for her song First, and the Viewers' Choice Award for Raindance (her collaboration with British rapper Dave)—lost in all categories. Kehlani took Best Female R&B/Pop Artist, while Doechii featuring SZA won BET Her for Girl, Get Up. The Viewers' Choice Award went to Mariah the Scientist for Burning Blue. Despite the losses, Tems performed her 2025 hit What You Need live to an appreciative audience.
Wizkid and Asake were nominated for Best Group but lost to the acclaimed hip-hop duo Clipse, who also won Album of the Year for Let God Sort Em Out and Best Collaboration for Chains & Whips featuring Kendrick Lamar. Burna Boy's feature on Gunna's WGFT was unsuccessful in the Best Collaboration category, with Clipse and Kendrick Lamar again taking the prize.
South African and Nigerian-Descent Artists Also Shut Out
South African singer Tyla, nominated for Video of the Year with Chanel and the Viewers' Choice Award, also left empty-handed. In film and television categories, talents of Nigerian and African heritage faced similar outcomes. Ayo Edebiri and Cynthia Erivo were both nominated for Best Actress, but the award went to Teyana Taylor. British-Nigerian actor Damson Idris lost the Best Actor prize to Michael B. Jordan for his performance in Sinners.
No African artists won awards at the 2026 BET Awards, resulting in a total lockout for nominees from the continent. This contrasts with last year, when Ayra Starr was the only Nigerian artist to win, taking home the Best International Act award.
Teyana Taylor and Clipse Dominate the Night
Teyana Taylor had a remarkable evening, collecting three competitive awards: Best Actress, Video Director of the Year, and the newly introduced Fashion Vanguard Award. She also received the prestigious Icon of the Year honour, presented by Janet Jackson, in recognition of her achievements across music, film, and fashion.
Clipse matched Taylor's success with three competitive wins: Album of the Year, Best Group, and Best Collaboration. Kendrick Lamar added to his impressive BET Awards record by winning Best Male Hip-Hop Artist for a ninth time, while Kehlani secured two awards for Best Female R&B/Pop Artist and Video of the Year for Folded.
Other Notable Winners and Special Honours
Other winners included Leon Thomas (Best Male R&B/Pop Artist), Cardi B (Best Female Hip-Hop Artist), Olivia Dean (Best New Artist), and Ryan Coogler's Sinners (Best Movie). Special honours were also presented: music icon Lauryn Hill received the inaugural Living Legend Icon Award, veteran music executive Sylvia Rhone was honoured with the Ultimate Icon Award, and host Druski received the newly introduced Pulse Award.
BET Awards 2026 Full Winners List
- Album of the Year: Let God Sort Em Out — Clipse
- Best Female R&B/Pop Artist: Kehlani
- Best Male R&B/Pop Artist: Leon Thomas
- Best Female Hip-Hop Artist: Cardi B
- Best Male Hip-Hop Artist: Kendrick Lamar
- Best Group: Clipse
- Best Collaboration: Chains & Whips — Clipse featuring Kendrick Lamar
- Best New Artist: Olivia Dean
- BET Her Award: girl, get up. — Doechii featuring SZA
- Viewers' Choice Award: Burning Blue — Mariah the Scientist
- Video of the Year: Folded — Kehlani
- Video Director of the Year: Teyana Taylor
- Best Movie: Sinners
- Best Actress: Teyana Taylor
- Best Actor: Michael B. Jordan
- Sportswoman of the Year: A'ja Wilson
- Sportsman of the Year: Jalen Brunson
Special Honours
- Icon of the Year: Teyana Taylor
- Living Legend Icon Award: Lauryn Hill
- Ultimate Icon Award: Sylvia Rhone
- Pulse Award: Druski
Biggest Winners and Most Nominations Without a Win
Teyana Taylor led with three competitive awards plus the Icon of the Year honour. Clipse also won three awards, while Kehlani and Kendrick Lamar each won two. The night's biggest losers in terms of nominations without a win included Doja Cat (4 nominations), Latto (4), A$AP Rocky (3), Bruno Mars (3), Bryson Tiller (3), Chris Brown (3), Jill Scott (3), Metro Boomin (3), Tasha Cobbs Leonard (3), Tems (3), and YK Niece (3).
