The BET Awards, which honor Black excellence in entertainment and sports, held on Sunday night, June 27, with the theme “Year of the Black Woman.”
Award-winning actress Taraji P. Henson hosted the ceremony from the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles, where a live audience attended for the first time since the pandemic began.
“Celebrating Black women isn’t a fad or a trend it’s a forever mood” Henson said, opening up the show. “There is more than enough room for all of us to thrive, because can’t nobody be like me and can’t nobody be you like you.”
Veteran rapper and actress, Queen Latifah received this year’s Lifetime Achievement Award for her “amazing success” throughout her decades-long career.
Rappers Lil Kim, Rapsody, MC Lyte, and Monie Love honored the entertainer with a performance of her songs “Ladies First” and “U.N.I.T.Y..” Queen Latifah then gave a speech, expressing her gratitude.
“I want to thank BET for creating an outlet for beautiful Blackness to thrive, to shine,” Queen Latifah said while accepting her award. “When we couldn’t get played on the radio in other places, we couldn’t get our videos played in other places, there was BET that allowed us to be in our fullness.”
Rapper Megan Thee Stallion was tied with DaBaby for having the most nominations of the night and took home awards for “Best Female Hip Hop Artist,” “Best Collaboration,” “Viewer’s Choice” and “Video of the Year.”
Rap legend DMX, who died from a heart attack earlier this year, was honored at the ceremony with a special tribute performance from Busta Rhymes, Method Man, Swizz Beatz, and Michael K. Williams.
Andra Day, the City Girls, DJ Khaled, Jazmine Sullivan, Lil Nas X, Kirk Franklin, and Migos were among the stars that performed at the annual award ceremony.
Check out the full list of nominees and winners:
Album of the Year
- “Heaux Tales” Jazmine Sullivan — Winner
- “Ungodly Hour” — Chloe x Halle
- “King’s Disease” — Nas
- “Good News” — Megan Thee Stallion
- “Blame it on Baby” — DaBaby
- “After Hours” — The Weeknd
Best Female R&B / Pop Artist
- H.E.R. — Winner
- Beyoncé
- Jazmine Sullivan
- Jhené Aiko
- Summer Walker
- Sza
Best Male R&B / Pop Artist
- Chris Brown — Winner
- 6LACK
- Anderson .Paak
- Giveon
- Tank
- The Weeknd
Best Group
- Bruno Mars, Anderson .Paak and Silk Sonic — Winner
- 21 Savage & Metro Boomin
- Chloe X Halle
- Chris Brown & Young Thug
- City Girls
- Migos
Best Collaboration
- “WAP” Cardi B ft. Megan Thee Stallion — Winner
- “Rockstar” — DaBaby ft. Roddy Ricch
- “Popstar” — DJ Khaled ft. Drake
- “What’s Poppin (Remix)” — Jack Harlow ft. DaBaby, Tory Lanez and Lil Wayne
- “Cry Baby” — Megan Thee Stallion ft. DaBaby
- “For the Night” — Pop Smoke ft. Lil Baby and DaBaby
Best Male Hip Hop Artist
- Lil Baby — Winner
- DaBaby
- Drake
- J. Cole
- Jack Harlow
- Pop Smoke
Best Female Hip Hop Artist
- Megan Thee Stallion — Winner
- Cardi B
- Coi Leray
- Doja Cat
- Latto
- Saweetie
Video of the Year
- “WAP” Cardi B ft. Megan Thee Stallion — Winner
- “Up” — Cardi B
- “Do It” — Chloe x Halle
- “Go Crazy” — Chris Brown and Young Thug
- “Laugh Now Cry Later” — Drake ft. Lil Durk
- “Leave the Door Open” — Bruno Mars, Anderson .Paak and Silk Sonic
Video Director of the Year
- Bruno Mars & Florent Déchard — Winner
- Benny Boom
- Cole Bennett
- Colin Tilley
- Dave Meyers
- Hype Williams
Best New Artist
- Giveon — Winner
- Coi Leray
- Flo Milli
- Jack Harlow
- Latto
- Pooh Shiesty
- Bobby Jones Best Gospel / Inspirational Award
- “Strong God” — Kirk Franklin
- “In Jesus Name” — Bebe Winans
- “Never Lost” — Cece Winans
- “Hold Us Together” — H.E.R.
- “Thank You For It All” — Marvin Sapp
- “Touch From You” — Tamela Mann
BET Her Award
- “Good Days” Sza — Winner
- “So Done” — Alicia Keys ft. Khalid
- “Baby Mama” — Brandy ft. Chance the Rapper
- “Anti Queen” — Bri Steves
- “Baby Girl” — Chloe x Halle
- “Rooted” — Ciara ft. Ester Dean
Best International Act
- Burna Boy, Nigeria — Winner
- Aya Nakamura — France
- Diamond Platnumz — Tanzania
- Emicida — Brazil
- Headie One — United Kingdom
- Wizkid — Nigeria
- Young T & Bugsey — United Kingdom
- Youssopha — France
Viewer’s Choice Award
- “Savage (Remix)” Megan Thee Stallion ft. Beyoncé – Winner
- “WAP” – Cardi B ft. Megan Thee Stallion
- “Go Crazy” – Chris Brown & Young Thug
- “Rockstar” – DaBaby ft. Roddy Ricch
- “Popstar” – DJ Khaled ft. Drake
- “Laugh Now Cry Later” – Drake ft. Lil Durk
- “The Bigger Picture” – Lil Baby
- “Leave the Door Open” – Silk Sonic
Best Movie
- “Judas and the Black Messiah” — Winner
- “Coming 2 America”
- “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom”
- “One Night in Miami”
- “Soul”
- “The United States Vs. Billie Holiday”
Best Actress
- Andra Day — Winner
- Angela Bassett
- Issa Rae
- Jurnee Smollett
- Viola Davis
- Zendaya
Best Actor
- Chadwick Boseman — Winner
- Aldis Hodge
- Damson Idris
- Daniel Kaluuya
- Eddie Murphy
- Lakeith Stanfield
Youngstars Award:
- Marsai Martin — Winner
- Alex R. Hibbert
- Ethan Hutchison
- Lonnie Chavis
- Michael Epps
- Storm Reid
Sportswoman of the Year Award:
- Naomi Osaka — Winner
- A’ja Wilson
- Candace Parker
- Claressa Shields
- Serena Williams
- Skylar Diggins-Smith
Sportsman of the Year Award:
- Lebron James — Winner
- Kyrie Irving
- Patrick Mahomes
- Russell Westbrook
- Russell Wilson
- Stephen Curry
Viewer’s Choice: Best New International Act
- Bree Runway, United Kingdom — Winner
- Arlo Parks — United Kingdom
- Bramsito — France
- Elaine — South Africa
- MC Dricka — Brazil
- Ronisia — France
- Tems — Nigeria
Nigerian emerging artist Druppythekid is set to release his new two-track pack, No Love and LA LA LA (Serenade), on November 13, 2026, delivering a message of ambition, self-belief, and defiance in the face of criticism.
Originally from Kwara State and based in Lagos, Druppythekid developed a love for rap, hip-hop, and pop music as a teenager. Introduced to poetry in high school, he found a natural connection between words and rap, eventually joining a rap group before exploring music production at university. After graduation, he began rapping over his own beats, turning his passion into a growing musical pursuit.
On “No Love,” Druppythekid speaks to the determination required to chase dreams despite doubt and opposition. “LA LA LA (Serenade)” takes a more unapologetic approach, dismissing the opinions of those who never believed in him.
Together, the two records reflect one central message: keep pursuing your vision and never let the opinions of others define your journey.
No Love and LA LA LA (Serenade) arrive on major digital streaming platforms on November 13, 2026.
Chinwe Zoe, a Nigerian gospel singer and songwriter, began recording music in December 2025 after years of singing in church and at home. Less than a year later, she has released three singles, including “Chinwendum”, featuring gospel singer Frank Edwards, “Undeniable” and “Jesus Don Win”, her October 2026 release produced by Masterkraft.
For Zoe, the decision to record was connected to a personal experience that changed how she viewed her life and faith. She has described it as a near-death experience that left her with a renewed sense of gratitude. “In that moment, when I thought it was over, God showed me mercy,” she said. “He gave me victory. And that victory was too loud to keep inside.”
Her debut, “Chinwendum”, was released in December 2025 with Frank Edwards featured on the record. She followed it with “Undeniable” on May 7, 2026. The song’s official video has recorded more than 460,000 views on YouTube. In October, she released “Jesus Don Win”, produced by Masterkraft, with a video directed by Avalon Okpe.
Zoe’s approach to songwriting draws on personal experiences and scripture. She has said that she does not begin the process by searching for a melody, but by waiting for a message that she can develop into a song. She describes a process in which an experience or scripture stays with her until it takes musical form. The melody follows, and she hums it before committing anything to writing.
Her guiding principle is that a gospel song should be accessible to listeners while remaining suitable for congregational worship. “It should be simple enough for a child to sing and strong enough for a choir to carry,” she said.
Zoe has identified CeCe Winans, Nathaniel Bassey and Dunsin Oyekan among the musicians whose work has influenced her. She sings in English and Igbo, and occasionally in Pidgin, drawing on the worship tradition in her musical expression.
“Every song I sing comes from a place I have lived,” she said. “My pain taught me how to worship, my joy taught me how to praise.”
Her music has also begun attracting an online audience. Her YouTube channel has recorded more than 627,000 views across nine videos, while her Spotify monthly listeners have been reported at approximately 6,500. Her Audiomack profile is verified. Zoe records under her own imprint, H2 Records, with distribution through ONErpm. She made her first public performance at the 2026 Annual Virtuous Women Network conference in Enugu, where she performed “Undeniable”.
Outside music, she has spoken about her interest in soul winning and described it as connected to her musical work. She has also said that she wants her songs to encourage listeners facing difficult circumstances. “I want my songs to shift mindsets from worry to worship,” she said. “Whenever anxiety comes, whenever life tries to make you feel small, I want you to hear my sound in your spirit and declare victory over your life.”
Nigerian artist N8TAN is set to unveil his highly anticipated ‘UPRISING EP’, a body of work that chronicles his journey from the streets to the heights of his musical ambition.
Built around themes of struggle, resilience, ambition, survival, and triumph, UPRISING captures the realities of an artist determined to turn adversity into momentum. The project reflects N8TAN’s experiences, the challenges that shaped him, and the relentless drive that continues to push him forward.
More than a collection of songs, UPRISING is presented as a story of transformation—from navigating the streets and confronting uncertainty to finding purpose, embracing growth, and rising toward the top.
With its blend of raw storytelling, infectious energy, and personal perspective, the EP offers listeners an intimate look into N8TAN’s world while reinforcing his determination to carve out his own place in the music industry.
‘UPRISING EP’ is a statement of elevation: a reminder that where you start does not have to determine where you finish.
As N8TAN continues to build his musical identity, UPRISING marks another significant chapter in his journey—and an invitation for listeners to rise with him.
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