Teyana Taylor to Receive Icon of the Year Award at 2026 BET Awards

Teyana Taylor continues to collect her flowers. The award-winning singer and actress will be honored with the Icon of the Year Award at the 2026 BET Awards.

According to BET, the Icon of the Year Award “celebrates the artist who is defining this moment. This distinction belongs to the creative force whose work, presence, and vision are setting the tone right now – someone whose impact isn’t measured in years but in the undeniable weight they carry in every room, every conversation, and every corner of the culture they touch.”

Taylor has been making a significant impact in music and film over the past year. She won a 2026 Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress in the critically acclaimed film One Battle After Another. Her role as Perfidia also earned her first-ever Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress.

At the 2026 NAACP Image Awards, Taylor scored six nominations, taking home a trophy for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited Television (Series, Special, or Movie) for Tyler Perry’s Straw. Further, she was honored with the Visionary Award at Billboard’s Women in Music event. Outside of acting, Taylor’s visual album, Escape Room, landed her first Grammy nomination for Best R&B Album.

“Teyana Taylor is the embodiment of what it means to be an icon in this moment,” said Connie Orlando, BET’s executive vice president of specials, music programming and music strategy. “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.”

Aside from being honored with the Icon of the Year Award at the BET Awards, Taylor is also nominated in four categories. She is up for Fashion Vanguard Award, Video of the Year, Video Director of the Year, and Best Actress.

Hosted by Druski, the 2026 BET Awards airs live June 26 at 8 p.m. ET on BET.