Cardi B Leads 2026 BET Awards Nominations with Six NodS
P. Angus·May 24, 2026·Updated: Aug 21, 2026·4 min read
Cardi B leads the 2026 BET Awards nominations with six nods, the top count among contenders, as the full list reveals a broad cross-section of Black culture across music, film, sports and beyond. The nominations were announced on May 19, 2026, and two new categories—Fashion Vanguard Award and the Pulse Award—were introduced to honor fashion influence and digital media impact, alongside the traditional categories.
At a glance
Cardi B leads with six nominations.
Kendrick Lamar and Mariah the Scientist have five nominations each.
Nominations were unveiled on May 19, 2026.
Two new categories: Fashion Vanguard Award and the Pulse Award.
Ceremony air date is June 28, 2026.
New categories and what they mean
The BET Awards’ two new categories expand the scope of the celebration beyond music, recognizing fashion’s impact with the Fashion Vanguard Award and highlighting influence across digital and traditional media with the Pulse Award. “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 Connie Orlando, EVP, Specials, Music Programming & Music Strategy at BET.
Top nominees and cross-genre breadth
The full slate includes Cardi B at the top, followed by a diverse field spanning hip hop, R&B, pop and beyond. A complete list of nominees across all categories is published by Billboard, Rolling Stone, The Hollywood Reporter, Essence, and BET, underscoring the BET Awards’ role as a cross-cultural showcase.
The breadth of categories highlights collaborations and cross-genre collaborations that have defined Black music and culture this year, with nominations spanning solo artists, groups, collaborations and visual media projects.
The following table details the BET Awards 2026 music category nominees as listed in the briefing data.
It Depends (The Remix) — Chris Brown feat. Bryson Tiller & Usher
Take Me Thru Dere — Metro Boomin feat. Quavo, Breskii, YK Niece & DJ Spinz
wgft — Gunna feat. Burna Boy
Best New Artist
Belly
Gang Kushington
DESTIN CONRAD
JayDon kwn
Miles Minnick
Monaleo
Olivia Dean
RAYE
Trap Dickey
Best Gospel/Inspirational Award
Able — Kirk Franklin
ABLE (REMIX) — Darrel Walls, PJ Morton & Kim Burrell
All to Thee — BeBe Winans
Already Good (Tasha Slide) — Tasha Cobbs Leonard
At the Cross — CeCe Winans
Church — Tasha Cobbs Leonard & John Legend
Do It Again — Kirk Franklin
Headphones — Lecrae, Killer Mike & T.I.
Best Actress
Angela Bassett
Ayo Edebiri
Chase Infiniti
Coco Jones
Cynthia Erivo
Keke Palmer
Quinta Brunson
Regina Hall
Teyana Taylor
Best Actor
Aaron Pierre
Aldis Hodge
Anthony Mackie
Colman Domingo
Damson Idris
Delroy Lindo
Denzel Washington
Michael B. Jordan
Sterling K. Brown
YoungStars Award
Daria Johns
Graceyn Gracie Hollingsworth
Heiress Harris
Jazzy’s World
Lela Hoffmeister
Thaddeus J. Mixson
VanVan
Best Movie
One Battle After Another
Relationship Goals
Ruth & Boaz
Sinners
Wicked: For Good
Sportswoman of the Year
A’ja Wilson
Angel Reese
Claressa Shields
Coco Gauff
Flau’jae Johnson
Gabby Thomas
Jordan Chiles
Naomi Osaka
Sha’Carri Richardson
Sportsman of the Year
Aaron Judge
Anthony Edwards
Caleb Williams
Jalen Brunson
Jalen Hurts
LeBron James
Shedeur Sanders
Stephen Curry
BET Her
Already Good (Tasha Slide) — Tasha Cobbs Leonard
Be Great — Jill Scott feat. Trombone Shorty
Beautiful People — Jill Scott
First — Tems
girl, get up. — Doechii feat. SZA
Go Girl — Summer Walker feat. Latto & Doja Cat
Gorgeous — Doja Cat
Lady Lady — Olivia Dean
Viewers’ Choice
Burning Blue — Mariah the Scientist
Chains & Whips — Clipse feat. Kendrick Lamar
Chanel — Tyla
Folded — Kehlani
I Just Might — Bruno Mars
It Depends — Chris Brown feat. Bryson Tiller
Man I Need — Olivia Dean
Outside — Cardi B
Raindance — Dave & Tems
Take Me Thru Dere — Metro Boomin feat. Quavo, Breskii, YK Niece & DJ Spinz
Video of the Year
“100” — Ella Mai
“Anxiety” — Doechii
“Burning Blue” — Mariah the Scientist
“Chanel” — Tyla
“Escape Room (Short Film)” — Teyana Taylor
“Folded” — Kehlani
“LET ’EM KNOW” — T.I.
“luther” — Kendrick Lamar & SZA
“I Just Might” — Bruno Mars
“It Depends” — Chris Brown feat. Bryson Tiller & Usher
“Take Me Thru Dere” — Metro Boomin feat. Quavo, Breskii, YK Niece & DJ Spinz
“wgft” — Gunna feat. Burna Boy
Video Director of the Year
A$AP Rocky & Dan Streit
Anderson .Paak
Benny Boom
Cactus Jack
Cardi B & Patientce Foster
Cole Bennett
Director X
Hype Williams
Teyana “Spike-Tey” Taylor
Ceremony details
The BET Awards ceremony is scheduled for June 28, 2026, with broadcasts across BET and its sister networks, continuing to position the event as a cross-platform celebration of Black culture.
P. Angus covers anime and music for The Pop Reporter — new shows, season announcements, studio and staff news, and the artists and releases people are talking about. He knows the space well enough to tell a real update from a rumor.
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May 24, 2026
·Updated: Aug 21, 2026 ·
4 min read
