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Teyana Taylor Leads Night of Tributes and Surprises at BET Awards

Tributes to Lauryn Hill plus Sylvia Rhone signaled BET's push to broaden how it honors Black creativity, with new awards alongside wider distribution.

Overview

  • Teyana Taylor won four awards on June 28, including the Icon of the Year honor that Janet Jackson presented in a surprise onstage moment.
  • Lauryn Hill received the inaugural Living Legend Icon Award and was celebrated with a lengthy multi-artist medley that included surprise performances by Hill herself.
  • Sylvia Rhone accepted the Ultimate Icon Award and used her speech to urge the industry to protect artistic creativity as technology reshapes music.
  • Comedian Druski set a new mark as the ceremony’s youngest host and received the newly created Pulse Award while BET introduced the Fashion Vanguard category.
  • Other major winners included Clipse for Album of the Year, Cardi B for Best Female Hip-Hop Artist, Kehlani for Best Female R&B/Pop Artist, and Leon Thomas for Best Male R&B/Pop Artist.