The Harlem-born multi-hyphenate joins culture’s biggest night, airing live June 28 from the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles
Teyana Taylor is getting her flowers on the biggest stage BET has to offer.
The network announced today that Taylor will receive the Icon of the Year Award, sponsored by Hyundai, at the BET Awards 2026. The ceremony airs live Sunday, June 28 at 8 PM ET/PT from the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, with Druski serving as host.
The Icon of the Year Award is reserved for the artist defining the moment in real time, and Taylor’s recent run makes the case without much argument. The Harlem-born singer, actress, director, producer, and choreographer has spent the last five years building one of entertainment’s most expansive creative stretches across film, music, and fashion simultaneously.
On the film side, she earned a Critics’ Choice Award for A Thousand and One, a 2026 Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress and an Academy Award nomination for Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another, and starred opposite Matt Damon and Ben Affleck in The Rip, in addition to joining the ensemble of Ryan Murphy’s All’s Fair. On the music side, her visual album Escape Room earned a 2026 Grammy nomination for Best R&B Album, adding to a catalog that includes the 2x-Platinum “Gonna Love Me” and Platinum “Issues/Hold On,” and collaborations with Lauryn Hill, Missy Elliott, Elton John, and Erykah Badu.
“Teyana Taylor is the embodiment of what it means to be an icon in this moment,” said Connie Orlando, EVP of Specials, Music Programming and Music Strategy at BET. “She doesn’t ask for a seat at the table; she builds the table, designs the rooms, and sets the tone for everyone who walks in. Her fingerprints are all over culture, and it is an honor to celebrate everything she represents on Culture’s Biggest Night.”
Additional honorees, performers, presenters, and special guests will be announced in the coming weeks.