Teyana Taylor will be named Icon of the Year at the 2026 BET Awards.
The 35-year-old star will be honoured during the live telecast on Sunday, June 28, broadcasting from the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles.
BET executive Connie Orlando praised her impact, saying: “Teyana Taylor is the embodiment of what it means to be an icon in this moment.
“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.”
More honourees, performers and presenters will be confirmed by the organisers in due course.
The award adds to Teyana’s growing list of accolades, including a Golden Globe, two Critics Choice Awards, and an NAACP Image Award, alongside nominations for an Oscar, BAFTA, Grammy, and more. She was also named one of Time’s Women of the Year in 2026.
The honour follows a headline-making moment at this year’s Oscars, where Teyana confronted a security guard backstage after winning Best Picture for One Battle After Another with her castmates.
Footage showed her calling out the guard for putting his hands on her, telling him repeatedly: “You’re very rude.”
Teyana explained to a concerned onlooker: “He put his hands on a female.”
She claimed: “He literally shoved me. He was damn near shoving her.”
In the clip, Teyana told people around her: “Do not touch me, do not shove me, do not push me.”
Speaking later, she told TMZ: “Everybody’s having a good time, and security was just doing a lot. There’s always that one.
“There’s nothing to wonder.
“The first thing people do is make assumptions, but at the end of the day, I just don’t tolerate disrespect, especially when it’s unwarranted and it’s unprovoked.”
