Key Takeaways
- The 2026 BET Awards brought together Cardi B, T.I., Kehlani, Don Toliver, and many more for live sets at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles.
- Tribute segments recognized D’Angelo and Ms. Lauryn Hill, with multiple artists participating in the honors.
- Several performers connected their appearances to recent projects, including Cardi B’s AM I THE DRAMA? and T.I.’s KILL THE KING.
The 2026 BET Awards brought a full night of live performances to the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles on Sunday (June 28), with Druski serving as host for a ceremony that moved across Hip Hop, R&B, soul, gospel, and tribute moments.
The show opened with Druski descending from the rafters as a choir performed Kirk Franklin’s “Revolution.” T.I. then kicked off the musical portion of the night with “LET ’EM KNOW” from his album KILL THE KING. The Atlanta rapper performed part of the record from a car alongside his son, Clifford “King” Joseph Harris III, before Young Dro joined him toward the end.
Cardi B used the BET Awards stage to spotlight music from AM I THE DRAMA? The Bronx rapper performed “Hello,” “Check Please,” “Errtime,” and “Pretty & Petty” during a high-energy set that included fiery red hair, a motorcycle entrance, a cityscape setup, dancers, a roulette table, and pole work. She entered the night as the ceremony’s most-nominated artist and later won Best Female Hip Hop Artist.
Kehlani delivered one of the night’s R&B-centered performances with help from Jamie Foxx and Anelise Foxx. Jamie played piano while Anelise played guitar for a cover of Kehlani’s “Folded,” setting up Kehlani’s slowed-down version of the song with a full orchestra. “Folded” became the singer's first Top 10 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 and earned nominations at the ceremony, where she won Best Female R&B/Pop Artist.
Don Toliver brought “E85” and “Body” to the broadcast, while RAYE performed “Nightingale Lane” after being introduced by Druski. Tems also took the stage during the show.
French Montana, Max B, and Rick Ross added another Hip Hop highlight to the night. The Coke Wave 3.5: Narcos duo represented New York proudly with a live rendition of “Ever Since U Left Me (I Went Deaf)," before Ross joined them for "Minks In Miami."
Tribute performances brought up a lot of emotion at the 2026 BET Awards
The ceremony briefly shifted into tribute mode for several major honors. D’Angelo’s children introduced a performance dedicated to their late father, with his band the Vanguard joined by Ari Lennox, RAYE, George Clinton, Durand Bernarr, BJ the Chicago Kid, and other artists. Ms. Lauryn Hill was also celebrated as the inaugural Living Legend Icon Award recipient, with Doechii, Doja Cat, Nas, Queen Latifah, Rapsody, Common, Tierra Whack, YG Marley, Zion Marley, and Selah as part of the tribute surrounding Hill’s impact.
Check out some of those performance clips below.