African Nominees at the 2026 BET Awards
African music will once again carry a visible presence at the BET Awards after the organisers unveiled the nominations for the 2026 ceremony, scheduled to hold on June 28 at the Peacock Theatre in Los Angeles with comedian Druski confirmed as host. This year’s nominations continue the steady integration of African artists into major mainstream categories, reflecting how deeply Afrobeats and Amapiano have become embedded within global music culture.
Leading the African contingent is Tems, who secured three nominations across some of the ceremony’s most competitive fields. She earned a nod in Best Female R&B/Pop Artist alongside names like SZA, Ella Mai, and Coco Jones, while her song “First” landed a nomination in the BET Her category. She also picked up a Viewers’ Choice nomination for “Raindance”, her collaboration with Dave.
Tems’ multiple nominations further reinforce her crossover positioning beyond the confines of Afrobeats. Over the last few years, she has steadily evolved into one of the continent’s most internationally adaptable artists, moving fluidly between R&B, soul, alternative pop, and African rhythms while maintaining a distinct identity. The BET recognition reflects how naturally she now exists within global award conversations rather than appearing as a regional inclusion.
South African star Tyla also continued her international award-show run with nominations that further cement her breakout momentum. Her hit “Chanel” earned a nomination for Video of the Year, placing her beside heavyweight global acts in one of the night’s most visible categories.
Meanwhile, Wizkid and Asake secured a historic nomination in the Best Group category — a rare recognition for Nigerian collaborators within a traditionally U.S.-leaning category. Their nod reflects the growing commercial strength of African collaborative projects and how African acts are increasingly being considered beyond international classifications.
For Burna Boy, the nominations continue a now-familiar streak of global visibility. He earned a Best Collaboration nomination for “WGFT”, his appearance on Gunna’s record. The nod adds another international recognition to Burna Boy’s increasingly expansive catalogue of global collaborations, further highlighting his consistency within American rap and crossover spaces.
One of the most noticeable aspects of this year’s nominations is the absence of several African names who have recently dominated international conversations, including Davido, Ayra Starr and Rema in the major music fields. Instead, the 2026 nominations largely centre on Nigerian and South African artists who have spent the last year making stronger crossover impressions through collaborations, touring, viral moments, and internationally resonant records.
The wider nominations were led by Cardi B with six nods, while Kendrick Lamar and Mariah the Scientist followed closely behind. Yet even within a nomination slate dominated by American rap and R&B heavyweights, African artists maintained a visible imprint across collaboration, video, group, and pop categories.
