Key Takeaways

• Lauryn Hill received the Living Legend Icon Award at the 2026 BET Awards, delivering a speech centered on purpose, community and self-worth.
• Janet Jackson surprised Teyana Taylor with the Icon of the Year Award, as Taylor reflected on two decades of work across music, film and fashion.
• Sylvia Rhone accepted the Ultimate Icon Award, highlighting her decades-long impact on the music industry and the artists who shaped her journey.

Black excellence took center stage during the 2026 BET Awards on Sunday (June 28) as Lauryn Hill, Teyana Taylor and Sylvia Rhone were recognized with three of the ceremony's most prestigious honors.

Hill accepted the Living Legend Icon Award, recognizing artists whose influence continues shaping the culture long after their breakthrough. Taylor received the Icon of the Year Award, which celebrates creatives defining the current moment through their artistry and vision. Rhone, meanwhile, was honored with the Ultimate Icon Award, reserved for trailblazers whose contributions permanently changed the entertainment industry.

Lauryn Hill reflects on legacy, community and uplifting others at 2026 BET Awards

Before the “Doo Wop (That Thing)” hitmaker took the stage, Ice Cube introduced the honor, and a video narrated by Wyclef Jean reflected on her decades-long career. A tribute followed, featuring performances from The War and Treaty, SZA, Doechii, Tems, Tierra Whack, Doja Cat, Nas, Rapsody, Lizzo, Alexia Jayy, Queen Latifah, Common and her children Selah, YG and Zion Marley, all celebrating songs that helped define her catalog. Hill also surprised the audience by performing "Ex-Factor" before later returning to close the ceremony with "Everything Is Everything."

From helping The Fugees turn The Score into one of Hip Hop's defining albums to releasing The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, a project that continues inspiring artists decades later, Hill's influence has never faded.

Accepting the Living Legend Icon Award, the New Jersey native centered her remarks on purpose, community and self-worth rather than her own accomplishments. "I do this because I love y'all... I do this because I want you to have everything that I experienced," she said before reflecting on how her parents poured love into her growing up. Realizing that not everyone shared that experience motivated her to use music as a way to give back.

She also spoke about using her platform to defend her community, saying artists are sometimes called to have uncomfortable conversations because people eventually understand why those moments matter. Encouraging everyone to embrace their own talents, Hill reminded the audience not to "sell your gift short" because someone else needs what they have to offer.

Toward the end of her speech, she reflected on motherhood, celebrated her son John Marley's 23rd birthday and congratulated her daughter Sara Marley on graduating from high school before heading to the University of Miami. She also thanked listeners for embracing The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, saying the album was inspired by the beauty and potential she saw in her people.

The singer-rapper closed with one of the night's most memorable messages, encouraging everyone to celebrate and respect one another: "If nobody else shows us respect, let's respect each other. If nobody else loves us, let's love on each other... We're gonna show them how we wanna be loved."

Janet Jackson surprises Teyana Taylor with emotional presentation at 2026 BET Awards

One of the night's biggest surprises came when Janet Jackson walked onstage to present Taylor with the Icon of the Year Award. The moment left the Harlem native visibly emotional as she embraced one of her biggest inspirations before Jackson praised her relentless work ethic and creative vision.

The “All for You” singer applauded Taylor's accomplishments across music, film, directing, choreography and fashion while also recognizing her recent Golden Globe win, Grammy nomination and role as a mother to two daughters.

Taylor's acceptance speech quickly became another standout moment. Fighting back more emotions, she thanked Jackson for years of encouragement. "There would be no me without you," she told the music legend.

After admitting she once questioned whether she deserved to call herself an icon, the One Battle After Another star embraced the title while acknowledging the work behind it. "I worked my a** off 20 years for this. So I'm not accepting what I've earned with arrogance. I'm accepting what I've earned with gratitude," she expressed.

Taylor also reflected on building opportunities for others throughout her career, saying success should never come at someone else's expense. Instead, she encouraged artists to share knowledge, open doors and make room for new voices. Her milestone evening extended beyond the Icon of the Year Award. The 35-year-old also won Fashion Vanguard, Video Director of the Year and Best Actress, adding four trophies to one of the biggest nights of her career.

Sylvia Rhone honored for changing the music industry at 2026 BET Awards

Kelly Rowland presented Rhone with the Ultimate Icon Award, recalling the first time they met when she was one of "six young girls from Houston, Texas who had a dream." The 74-year-old's career has reshaped the music business for decades. After beginning as an assistant at Buddah Records, she became the first woman to lead a major record company and later helped guide the careers of artists including Missy Elliott, Busta Rhymes, Lil Wayne, Erykah Badu, Brandy, MC Lyte, Future, 21 Savage, Travis Scott and Tyla, among many others.

Accepting the honor, Rhone shifted the spotlight away from herself and toward the artists whose trust helped define her career, saying she would not have reached the milestone without them.

Together, the three honorees represented different corners of the music industry — artist, creative visionary and executive — while sharing a common message about perseverance, community and leaving the culture stronger than they found it.