Cardi B Leads 2026 BET Awards Nominations as Kendrick Lamar, Beyonce, Doechii, Teyana Taylor, Chris Brown, Usher & More Score Major Nods

The nominations for the 2026 BET Awards are officially in, and Culture’s Biggest Night is already shaping up to be one for the books!

BET announced this year’s nominees, and Cardi B is leading the pack with six nominations, proving once again that when Cardi steps into an era, she’s going to make sure the culture feels it. Right behind her are Kendrick Lamar and Mariah The Scientist, who both earned five nominations each, while Doechii, Doja Cat, Clipse, Teyana Taylor, Olivia Dean, and Latto each pulled in four nods.

Cardi’s nominations include Best Female Hip Hop Artist, Album of the Year for AM I THE DRAMA?, Viewer’s Choice for “Outside,” Best Collaboration for “Errtime Remix” featuring Jeezy and Latto, Video Director of the Year alongside Patientce Foster, and the newly added Fashion Vanguard Award. So yes, Cardi is nominated for the music, the visuals, the fashion, and the overall moment.

Kendrick Lamar is also having another major awards season moment, landing nods for Best Male Hip Hop Artist, Video of the Year for “luther” with SZA, and multiple nominations tied to his Clipse collaboration “Chains & Whips.” Meanwhile, Mariah The Scientist is holding it down for R&B with nominations including Best Female R&B/Pop Artist, Album of the Year for HEARTS SOLD SEPARATELY, Video of the Year for “Burning Blue,” Viewer’s Choice, and Best Collaboration for “Is It a Crime” with Kali Uchis.

This year also introduces two new categories: Fashion Vanguard Award and Pulse Award, with BET expanding the celebration to honor not only the artists dominating music, but also the creatives, style icons, digital voices, and culture-shifters making noise across the board.

The 2026 BET Awards will air live Sunday, June 28 at 8 PM ET/PT on BET. Get into the nominations below.

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Leading Nominees

Cardi B — 6 nominations
Kendrick Lamar — 5 nominations
Mariah The Scientist — 5 nominations
Doechii — 4 nominations
Doja Cat — 4 nominations
Clipse — 4 nominations
Teyana Taylor — 4 nominations
Olivia Dean — 4 nominations
Latto — 4 nominations

Best Female R&B/Pop Artist

Ari Lennox
Coco Jones
Ella Mai
Jill Scott
Kehlani
Mariah The Scientist
Olivia Dean
SZA
Tems

Best Male R&B/Pop Artist

Brent Faiyaz
Bruno Mars
Bryson Tiller
Chris Brown
Durand Bernarr
GIVĒON
Leon Thomas
October London
Usher

Best Group

Clipse
Davido & Omah Lay
Kirk Franklin & Maverick City Music
Marsha Ambrosius & Dr. Dre
Muni Long & Mariah Carey
New Edition
OutKast
The Carters

Best Collaboration

Cardi B feat. Jeezy & Latto — “Errtime Remix”
Clipse feat. Kendrick Lamar — “Chains & Whips”
Doja Cat & Summer Walker feat. Latto — “Go Girl”
Kendrick Lamar feat. SZA — “luther”
Kali Uchis feat. Mariah The Scientist — “Is It a Crime”
Baby Keem, Kendrick Lamar & Momo Boyd — “Good Flirts”
Muni Long feat. Mariah Carey — “Made for Me”
Wale feat. Leon Thomas — “Rather Be”

Best Female Hip Hop Artist

Cardi B
Coi Leray
Doechii
Doja Cat
GloRilla
Latto
Megan Thee Stallion
Monaleo
YK Niece

Best Male Hip Hop Artist

A$AP Rocky
Baby Keem
BigXthaPlug
DaBaby
Don Toliver
Drake
J. Cole
Kendrick Lamar
T.I.

Video of the Year

Doechii — “Anxiety”
Kendrick Lamar & SZA — “luther”
Mariah The Scientist — “Burning Blue”
Teyana Taylor — “Long Time”
Cardi B — “Outside”
Clipse feat. Kendrick Lamar — “Chains & Whips”
Doja Cat — “Gorgeous”
Latto — “Somebody”

Video Director of the Year

Benny Boom
Cardi B & Patientce Foster
Child.
Dave Free
Director X
Hype Williams
Teyana Taylor
Tyler Perry

Best New Artist

Fridayy
Leon Thomas
Lola Brooke
October London
Olivia Dean
Ravyn Lenae
Shaboozey
Tyla

Album of the Year

Cardi B — AM I THE DRAMA?
Clipse — Let God Sort Em Out
J. Cole — The Fall Off
Leon Thomas — MUTT
Mariah The Scientist — HEARTS SOLD SEPARATELY
Tyler, The Creator — DON’T TAP THE GLASS
Wale — everything is a lot.
Bruno Mars — An Evening With Silk Sonic: The Encore

Viewer’s Choice Award

Cardi B — “Outside”
Clipse feat. Kendrick Lamar — “Chains & Whips”
Kendrick Lamar & SZA — “luther”
Mariah The Scientist — “Burning Blue”
Teyana Taylor — “Long Time”
Doechii — “Anxiety”
Latto — “Somebody”
Wale feat. Leon Thomas — “Rather Be”

BET Her Award

Doechii feat. SZA — “girl, get up.”
Doja Cat — “Gorgeous”
Doja Cat & Summer Walker feat. Latto — “Go Girl”
Janelle Monáe — “Phenomenal”
Kehlani — “Folded”
Lizzo — “Love in Real Life”
Muni Long feat. Mariah Carey — “Made for Me”
Teyana Taylor — “Long Time”