Cardi B in the lead as 2026 BET Awards nominations announced

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The nominations for the 2026 BET Awards were released on Tuesday morning, and Cardi B is in the lead with six nominations.

Her nominations include: The Fashion Vanguard Award, Best Collaboration (for “Errtime Remix” featuring Jeezy and Latto), Best Female Hip Hop Artist, Video Director of the Year with Patientce Foster, Album of the Year for “Am I the Drama?” and Viewers’ Choice for her song “Outside.”

Compton rapper Kendrick Lamar and singer Mariah the Scientist are tied with five nods, while Doechii, Doja Cat, Clipse, Teyana Taylor, Olivia Dean and Latto have racked up four each. 

A$AP Rocky, Bruno Mars, Bryson Tiller, Chris Brown, Jill Scott, Kehlani, Metro Boomin, SZA, Tasha Cobbs Leonard, T.I. and YK Niece each received three.

This year’s awards show will feature two new categories: the Fashion Vanguard Award and Pulse Award.

“The Fashion Vanguard Award will recognize a global figure whose fashion presence has had long-standing cultural impact, has significantly influenced style narratives, and continues to elevate fashion as a form of storytelling across music, film, sports, and public life,” organizers explained. “This year’s nominees include: A$AP Rocky, Bad Bunny, Beyoncé, Cardi B, Colman Domingo, Doechii, Rihanna, Teyana Taylor and Zendaya.”

In the meantime, the Pulse Award “will recognize a creator, campaign, or content series that most powerfully moved Black culture forward in digital spaces by sparking conversation, building community, and defining the moment online. his award celebrates the intersection of creativity, authenticity, and cultural impact across social media, streaming, podcasting, and beyond.”

The nominees in the category are “85 South Show,” “Baby, This Is Keke Palmer,” Charlamagne Tha God, Don Lemon, Druski, “It Is What It Is, Joe and Jada,” “On the Radar” and “R&B Money Podcast.”

“All of our nominees represent the very best of Black culture across music, film, sports, and beyond, and with the introduction of the Fashion Vanguard Award and the Pulse Award, we’re proud to honor even more of the ways our culture continues to show up and evolve,” said executive vice president of, Specials, Music Programming & Music Strategy at BET, Connie Orlando.

Comedian and internet personality Druski will host the ceremony this year, making him the youngest-ever host of the awards.

The BET Awards will air June 28, at 8 p.m. PST on BET and be simulcast on BET HER, CMT, LOGO, MTV, MTV2, Nickelodeon (NAN), Paramount, POP, VH1, Comedy Central, and TV Land. It will take place at the Peacock Theater at L.A. Live in Downtown Los Angeles.

The ceremony comes amid the three-day immersive BET Experience 2026, which runs from June 25-27 and features fan-focused events.

Voting for the awards is set to open soon.