Teyana Taylor, singer, actress, director, and culture-shaper, will receive the Icon of the Year Award at the 2026 BET Awards.
The Icon of the Year Award celebrates the artist who is defining this moment. This distinction belongs to a creative force whose work, presence, and vision are setting the tone right now.
“Teyana Taylor is the embodiment of what it means to be an icon in this moment,” said Connie Orlando, EVP, Specials, Music Programming & Music Strategy, 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.”
Teyana Taylor has evolved from a multiplatinum singer-songwriter into an award-winning actress, director, producer, choreographer, and style icon. The Harlem-born singer broke out with her 2014 debut VII, followed by the Gold-certified K.T.S.E. and the Top 10 The Album, building a catalog that includes the 2x-Platinum “Gonna Love Me” and Platinum “Issues/Hold On,” alongside collaborations with icons like Lauryn Hill, Missy Elliott, Elton John, and Erykah Badu.
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. Her visual album Escape Room earned a 2026 GRAMMY nomination for Best R&B Album.
The BET Awards air live Sunday, June 28 at 8 p.m. ET/PT, from the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, with Druski as the host.
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