Lauryn Hill will receive the Living Legend Icon Award at the 2026 BET Awards.
On Thursday, producers announced that the Doo Wop (That Thing) singer will be honoured during the ceremony held at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles on 28 June.
Hill, 51, has not yet commented on the news.
But BET executive, Connie Orlando, declared that the singer-actress remains one of the most singular and enduring forces in the entertainment industry.
“Ms. Lauryn Hill is the very definition of a living legend,” she praised. “Across every era, she has never chased the moment; she has shaped it. Her artistry redefined what was possible in our music and gave a generation permission to be fearless, spiritual, and free. Her influence is woven into the fabric of the culture, and it is a profound honour to celebrate her legacy on Culture’s Biggest Night.”
In a statement, BET officials explained that the Living Legend Icon Award is presented to artists who “mastered their craft and never let go of the culture”.
“This distinction belongs to the artists and creators whose body of work has remained essential not because the culture held on to them, but because they never stopped holding on to it,” they added.
Hill rose to fame as the frontwoman of the Fugees, with the group’s second album, 1996’s The Score, including the popular singles Killing Me Softly and Ready or Not.
Two years later, the star unveiled her enduringly popular debut solo album, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill.
Actor-comedian Druski will serve as host of this year’s spectacle.
Cardi B is set to dominate the prizegiving, having garnered six nominations, while Kendrick Lamar and Mariah the Scientist each landed five apiece.
At the 2025 ceremony, Mariah Carey, Jamie Foxx, Snoop Dogg, and Kirk Franklin were each feted with the Ultimate Icon Award.
