Teyana Taylor had a momentous night at the 2026 BET Awards on Sunday.
The multifaceted entertainer took home four awards — the most of the evening — including the inaugural Icon of the Year Award.
According to BET, the award “celebrates the artist who is defining this moment. This distinction belongs to the creative force whose work, presence, and vision are setting the tone right now – someone whose impact isn’t measured in years but in the undeniable weight they carry in every room, every conversation, and every corner of the culture they touch.”
Music icon Janet Jackson surprised Taylor with a tribute speech that had the 35-year-old drenched in tears. “It seems like only yesterday our rose from Harlem grew out of the concrete and blossomed into our icon of the year. I’ve enjoyed watching you — as you know, over the years — defy expectations, rewrite the rules and lead with an unstoppable work ethic,” said Jackson.
She continued, “What’s an icon? It’s intelligence. It’s care. It’s originality. It’s never losing sight of your purpose, no matter what. It’s where imagination meets impact. It’s inspiring the dreams of everyone watching. In one year, Teyana Taylor accomplished what most do in a lifetime. A songwriter, choreographer, director, producer, mother, and now Golden Globe-winning actress. There’s nothing that she can’t do. Teyana is ambition, fueled by purpose. She’s the vision and the execution.”
Before delivering her emotional acceptance speech, Taylor thanked Jackson for her unwavering support behind the scenes. “Thank you for always seeing me. Thank you for every text, every hug, every talk,” she said. “You are my biggest inspiration. Everybody who knows me know how I feel about you. The fact that you even took out the time to be here to celebrate with me. This is crazy. I love you so much.”
In her prepared speech, Taylor mentioned that she initially questioned whether she was deserving of the honor before reminding herself of the arduous journey she had taken to get where she is today. “For a little minute, I wondered if I was supposed to feel uncomfortable saying that title out loud. But nah, I worked my ass off 20 years for this,” said Taylor. “So I’m not accepting what I’ve earned with arrogance. I’m accepting what I’ve earned with gratitude. And this year alone, I continue to give the world the artist, actress, director, choreographer, creative director, stylist, designer, writer, producer, and chef — I graduated in September, y’all.”
She also shared her philosophy on what success looks like to her — not necessarily the accolades, but empowering and championing those in shared communities. “Most of my career has been spent building my own dream while helping somebody else build theirs because I believe there’s room for all of us to win, even if that means pouring from my own cup into someone else’s so they can overflow. Not because I had to, but because that’s just who I am,” said Taylor. “That’s pretty damn iconic if you ask me.”
Over the last year, Taylor has risen to even higher prominence, particularly in film. She won Best Supporting Actress at the 2026 Golden Globes for her role as Perfidia in the lauded film One Battle After Another. She also scored her first-ever Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress. In May, she was honored with the Visionary Award at Billboard’s Women in Music event.
Watch Teyana Taylor accept the Icon of the Year Award at the 2026 BET Awards below.
