It’s official! Today, BET 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.