[06/04/26 - 09:01 AM] Ms. Lauryn Hill to Receive the Living Legend Icon Award at the "BET Awards" 2026 Sponsored by Sprite Culture's Biggest Night will broadcast live on Sunday, June 28 at 8 PM ET/PT, from the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, with Druski as host.
[via press release from BET]
MS. LAURYN HILL TO RECEIVE THE LIVING LEGEND ICON AWARD AT THE "BET AWARDS" 2026 SPONSORED BY SPRITE
Generational Artist, Songwriter, and Cultural Force to Be Celebrated at Culture's Biggest Night, Airing Live Sunday, June 28 at 8 PM ET/PT, from the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles
New York, NY - June 4, 2026 - BET today announced that Ms. Lauryn Hill will receive the Living Legend Icon Award sponsored by Sprite at the "BET Awards" 2026.
Culture's Biggest Night will broadcast live on Sunday, June 28 at 8 PM ET/PT, from the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, with Druski as host.
The Living Legend Icon Award honors the pioneers who mastered their craft and never let go of the culture. This distinction belongs to the artists and creators whose body of work has remained essential not because the culture held on to them, but because they never stopped holding on to it.
A singular voice across hip-hop, R&B, soul, and reggae, Ms. Lauryn Hill first captured the world's attention as a member of The Fugees, whose 1996 album The Score topped the charts and turned songs like "Killing Me Softly" and "Ready or Not" into generational anthems. In 1998, she stepped forward with her debut solo album, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, an intimate, genre-defying body of work exploring love, faith, motherhood, self-worth, and Black womanhood that was immediately recognized as a masterpiece and went on to sell more than ten million copies.
The album reshaped the industry's understanding of what hip-hop and soul could be, and its influence has only deepened with time. Decades later, her catalog still feels like the present tense, studied, sampled, and sung back word for word, and claimed as inspiration by generation after generation of artists. From sold-out stages around the world to her continued work as a performer entirely on her own terms, Ms. Lauryn Hill remains one of the most singular and enduring forces in music.
"Ms. Lauryn Hill is the very definition of a living legend," said Connie Orlando, EVP, Specials, Music Programming & Music Strategy, BET. "Across every era, she has never chased the moment; she has shaped it. Her artistry redefined what was possible in our music and gave a generation permission to be fearless, spiritual, and free. Her influence is woven into the fabric of the culture, and it is a profound honor to celebrate her legacy on Culture's Biggest Night."
The "BET Awards" 2026 airs live Sunday, June 28, from the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, hosted by Druski. Additional honorees, performers, presenters, and special guests will be announced in the coming weeks. For the latest news, visit www.bet.com and follow @BET across social platforms.
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The BET Media Group, a unit of Paramount, a Skydance Corporation (Nasdaq: PSKY), is the world's largest media company rooted in community, culture, and connection for the Black community. For over four decades, BET has served as a trusted home for Black audiences, amplifying authentic stories, elevating Black voices, and creating spaces where culture thrives and community comes together. Through a powerful portfolio of brands - including BET, BET Her, BET Studios, and VH1 - along with FAST channels such as BET Tyler Perry Comedy, BET Tyler Perry Drama, BET Comedy Movies, BET Cinema, BET Classics, BET Visionaries, BET Throwbacks, and BET
Pluto, BET connects audiences across cable, digital, live events, studios, and global platforms. Together, these platforms deliver culturally resonant content that reflects the depth, creativity, and impact of the Black experience. For more information,
visit www.bet.com and follow @BET on social platforms. For additional announcements, visit paramountpressexpress.com/bet/.
ABOUT BET AWARDS
"BET Awards" is one of the most-watched award shows on cable television, according to the Nielsen Company. The "BET Awards" franchise remains the #1 program in cable TV history among African-Americans, and it is the #1 telecast for BET every year. It recognizes the triumphs and successes of artists, entertainers, and athletes in a variety of categories.
ABOUT BET EXPERIENCE
BET Experience is the destination for elevating unapologetic Blackness with authentic entertainment, access, and lifestyle experiences. Through the lens of millennial and Gen Z audiences, BET Experience curates the culture, standing at the intersection of who this coveted segment is and where they're headed.
Game Show, The 2025 World Series Game 1 Anthem, NFL Detroit Lions Thanksgiving Day Halftime Show starring Jack White and Netflix's Snoop's Holiday Halftime Party.
From the scripted division: scripted series - Real Husbands of Hollywood, American Soul and miniseries - The New Edition Story and The Bobby Brown Story. From the unscripted division: unscripted series - Heart & Hustle: Houston, Tia Mowry: My Next Act, Gabrielle Union: My Journey to 50, Oh Hell No! With Marlon Wayans, Cardi Tries, My Killer Body with K. Michelle, DJ Cassidy's Pass the Mic and Forward: The Future of Black Music, competition series - Hollywood Squares, Rhythm + Flow, Celebrity Squares, Becoming A Popstar, Sunday Best, Hip Hop Squares and Nashville Squares, talk shows - We Got Time Today, Yara Shahidi's Day Off and Face to Face with Becky G, and children's series - Bookmarks: Celebrating Black Voices (Daytime Emmy Award winner). Emmy Award winner Jesse Collins is the Founder & CEO of Jesse Collins Entertainment and executive producer of all JCE programming. He is also an executive producer for the annual GRAMMY Awards and produced the 2021 Oscars. Emmy winner Dionne Harmon is President. Emmy nominee Jeannae Rouzan-Clay is Senior Vice President of Specials.
