BET Awards 2026: Meet the Young Stars of the Next Generation
The YoungStars category is one of the clearest snapshots of where Black youth stardom is headed.
BET’s 2026 nominees include child creators, teen interviewers, young actors, and a new crop of musicians whose audiences are already showing up for them on TV, YouTube, Instagram, and streaming platforms.
What makes this category feel especially strong is that it is not built on one kind of fame. Some of these nominees are coming up through family-friendly digital content, some are moving through film and television, and some are already making noise in music before they are even old enough to vote.
Talented Black kids and teens are not waiting for permission to matter in entertainment. They are building the audience and BET is putting them on the stage while it is still early. Meet the YoungStars we’ve got our eyes on.
Daria Johns
The Chicago-born actress has been acting since she was six, and her BET nomination adds another marker to a résumé that already includes TV work and commercials. She is already getting real industry attention.
Gracie’s Corner has become one of the biggest Black kids’ media success stories on YouTube, built around education, representation, and music that kids actually want to watch. Graceyn voices Gracie herself, which makes this nomination feel like a win for both young talent and family-made IP.
Heiress Harris
The 10-year-old daughter of T.I. and Tiny already has a public performer’s confidence, and her official page says it all with “#HeiressDoesItAll.” She has appeared on BET stages before, and this nomination keeps her in the conversation as one of the youngest faces in the family-legacy lane.
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Jazzy’s World TV
The Bushwick-based interviewer has built a real audience by asking celebrities the kinds of questions only she can get away with asking. The 15-year-old reporter and her platform show how young media voices are already shaping celebrity culture.
Lela Hoffmeister
Lela is an L.A.-based actress with credits that include “Abbott Elementary,” “Kidding,” and “Erin & Aaron.” She is already part of a serious TV ecosystem and the YoungStars nod gives her a bigger spotlight.
North West
North West is no longer just a nepo baby. She is actively stepping into music, with a debut EP, “N0rth4evr,” that she reportedly produced in full. At 12, she is one of the youngest names on the ballot and one of the clearest examples of Gen Z fame turning into actual creative output.
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Thaddeus J. Mixson
Known for “Creed III,” “South of Heaven,” and “Candy Cane Lane,” Thaddeus already has the kind of screen credits that make him feel like a real next-wave acting name. His Instagram also shows he is building his own entertainment lane beyond just acting.
VanVan
Savannah McConneaughey, better known as VanVan, became a viral rap sensation as a little kid, and BET already knows her well from her performance with Heiress Harris in 2024. She’s a proud three-time BET award nominee, which makes this latest YoungStars nod feel like a continuation of a very real rise.
