Every BET Awards has a surprise appearance from an icon that gets the entire room on their feet in absolute awe. This year it was Janet Jackson and I think we can all agree that it doesn’t get bigger. Janet walked the red carpet in a 2Pac t-shirt, a tightly-cinched belt with black trousers and an over-the-top fedora, veil and all. 2Pac of course was Janet’s co-star in Poetic Justice, we love a sentimental easter egg. This July marks 30 years since the release of the movie, making this the perfect tribute to both the movie and Pac.

The look is also so signature to Janet and her style: edgy, rock n’ roll, glamorous, and eternally cool.  

Janet was at the awards to present Teyana Taylor with the Icon of the Year award. Teyana has long been vocal about how big of a fan she is of Janet, paying homage to her many looks. Teyana even as recently as earlier this year recreated Janet’s 1993 “Janet Tour” opening number look for People Magazine. The two have had a mentor-mentee relationship for years, think Mariah Carey and Ariana Grande. Teyana’s performance style is heavily influenced by Janet and a lot of her albums are sequenced with a similar intention to Janet’s. The emotion that came over her when she saw Janet walking out those doors was no surprise, that’s what you do when your cultural icon comes out to honour you. The second those first notes of “I Get Lonely” were played, the entire place was standing on their feet. Janet even had to tell the crowd to sit down so she could see the prompter, LOL. Janet went on to call Teyana her “beautiful friend, my good friend”. That would be enough to end me right there, and Teyana was all of us when she spent the first half of her speech gagging over Janet.

Kehlani had her own Janet Jackson freakout moment when she accepted her award for Best Female R&B/Pop Artist saying “Janet Jackson is here and that’s crazy to me! Hey, Janet Jackson!”. I’m glad to see we all act the same when in the presence of music royalty, because what the f-ck do you mean THE Janet is there. It did seem however that Kehlani ruined the surprise for Teyana, but again, she was just acting how any sane person would react to being in the presence of Jane

Before we get to the true highlight of the evening, we have to talk about another ethereal lady who tore the house down last night: RAYE. Her performance of “Nightingale Lane” gave me shivers up and down my spine. The roaring applause from the crowd and the reactions from celebrities in the audience made it one of the highlights of the evening. What a f-cking voice. RAYE is filling a void in today’s music and that is the power vocalist. The very first BET Awards had Christina Aguilera performing a tribute to Whitney Houston, so the power vocalist is in the DNA of the show. RAYE is carrying that torch for the 2020s, and if you think I’m stretching too far, take a second listen to that performance. And if that’s not enough to convince you of her overwhelming talent, she also showed off her scatting chops during the D’Angelo tribute performance.

The night was all about honouring iconic women, as Kelly Rowland honoured music executive Sylvia Rhone with the Ultimate Icon Award. Sylvia is the lady who signed artists like Destiny’s Child, Brandy, En Vogue and Tyla among others. Kelly’s Donna Summer inspired hair however stole the show. Now that’s a f-king icon.

Finally, the talk of the ceremony was the entire closing 30-minute block that was dedicated to the one and only Ms. Lauryn Hill. The tribute to Lauryn was incredible and truly encapsulated the highs of the 30+ year career that she’s had. SZA and Doechii opened the set with a performance of “Ready or Not” from her time with The Fugees, a classic for all 90s R&B heads like myself. Lauryn was singing back to the girls from her seat, clearly basking in the moment of watching the women whom she inspired on the stage in front of her. Queen Latifah, Lizzo, Doja Cat, Tierra Wack and Lauryn’s own daughter round out the tribute, keeping it all very girl power. The audience was swaying to her greatness for the entire 18-minute performance. As far as tribute performances go, this might be one of the best ones I’ve seen put together in years. Every song choice was spot on and each artist performing said songs put their best foot forward.

Ms. Lauryn Hill completes the trio of “Icon Awards” handed out at the ceremony with Ice Cube presenting her with the Living Legend Icon Award. Not to be confused with the Icon of the Year award won by Teyana Taylor earlier in the evening. They really should have named Teyana’s award “Entertainer of the Year”. Ms. Lauryn Hill is the definition of a living legend, anyone who was anointed by Whitney Houston when winning their Grammys is automatically music royalty in my eyes. Last night, Lauryn got the royal “icon” treatment she deserves. She graced us with an unplanned performance of “Ex Factor” that moved everyone to tears like only she could do. In her speech she mentioned that she still does this because she loves us. That’s right, she’s not just a vocal prophet but she’s a generous one.

Just like last year, the BET Awards were a massive success and made their tagline “culture’s biggest night” a reality, because everyone showed the f-ck out. The show is living proof that when the celebrities and the artists show up, it can create a truly entertaining night in music history. One of the greatest things about this show however is seeing how all of the biggest Black artists show up for their community. In an industry that fails to reward people of colour properly time and time again, shows like the BET Awards are those artists taking that power and spreading the love within themselves.

Lauryn said it best in her speech, when you pour within yourselves the world loves you back (with a quick “they already love us”, ha!). That’s why the Janet Jacksons and the Lauryn Hills continue to show up – pouring into your community is the greatest gift.

Teyana Taylor and Janet Jackson at the BET Awards 2026 held at Peacock Theater on June 28, 2026 in Los Angeles, California

Teyana Taylor, Janet Jackson, RAYE at the BET Awards 2026 held at Peacock Theater on June 28, 2026 in Los Angeles, California

Kelly Rowland, SZA, Doechii, Lauryn Hill at the BET Awards 2026 held at Peacock Theater on June 28, 2026 in Los Angeles, California

Photo credits: Walik Goshorn/MediaPunch/INSTARimages, CraSH/imageSPACE /MEGA/WENN, Rob Latour/Shutterstock

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