Teyana Taylor Named 2026 BET Awards Icon of the Year

Teyana Taylor ‘s epic year is about to get even more mega after BET announced on Tuesday morning (June 9) that the Oscar-nominated One Battle After Another actress/singer will receive the Icon of the Year Award at this year’s BET Awards.

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The Hyundai-sponsored honor will be handed out during the show’s live broadcast on June 28 from the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles (beginning at 8 p.m ET), with comedian Druski hosting the proceedings. According to a release, the 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 is a perfect fit, given her eclectic résumé, highlighted by four full-length studio albums — including 2025’s Escape Room — as well as work as a director, producer, choreographer and fashion icon. She’s also emerged as an acting powerhouse over the past decade, rising from bit parts in films such as 2011 Madea’s Big Happy Family to starring roles in the 2023 single mother drama A Thousand and One and this year’s Ben Affleck-Matt Damon drama The Rip . Her mesmerizing role as rock-jawed rebel Perfidia Beverly Hills in director Paul Thomas Anderson’s acclaimed 2025 action thriller One Battle After Another earned Taylor a best supporting actress Golden Globe earlier this year, as well as an Oscar nomination.

“Teyana Taylor is the embodiment of what it means to be an icon in this moment,” Connie Orlando, EVP, specials, music programming & music strategy at BET said in a statement. “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.”

Additional honorees, performers and presenters at the 2026 BET Awards will be announced soon.

Check out the announcement video below.

_Originally reported by [Billboard](https://www.billboard.com/music/awards/teyana-taylor-icon-of-the-year-award-2026-bet-awards-1236267929/)._