The BET Awards 2026 slate is poppin’! 

Each category is jam-packed with top-tier musical talent, and it always comes down to the same criteria every year: momentum and cultural reach.

Cardi B leads with six nominations, while Kendrick Lamar and Mariah the Scientist are right behind her with five each. BET has also added two new categories: Fashion Vanguard and Pulse, to reflect how much the awards have expanded beyond music. Ahead of the live show on June 28th, here are the early reads on the major categories and our predictions on who just might need to make room on their trophy shelves.

Album of the Year

This is Cardi B’s category to lose. “AM I THE DRAMA?” is the biggest comeback story in the category. Tyler, the Creator, Wale, Mariah the Scientist, Clipse, Leon Thomas, J. Cole, and Bruno Mars all have real cases, but Cardi has the cleanest mix of sales, visibility, and pop-culture heat. 

Prediction: Cardi B 

Best Female Hip Hop Artist

Everything is coming up Cardi B for this year’s awards. Little Miss Drama has the edge here because the whole year has been built around her return. Doechii, Doja Cat, GloRilla, Latto, and Megan Thee Stallion all dominate in their own ways: Doechii has real motion off “Anxiety,” and Glo delivers hit after hit, but Cardi’s hits come from multiple angles. 

Prediction: Cardi B

Best Male Hip Hop Artist

Kendrick is nominated for this category, as well as for  Collaboration, Video of the Year, and Viewers’ Choice, which is exactly what a dominant BET Award-winning year looks like. Drake, J. Cole, A$AP Rocky, and T.I. are heavy contenders, but Kendrick’s blend of critical respect and mainstream reach gives him the clear edge. 

Prediction: Kendrick Lamar

Best Female R&B/Pop Artist

The category includes SZA, Ari Lennox, Coco Jones, Ella Mai, Jill Scott, Kehlani, Mariah the Scientist, Olivia Dean, and Tems, but SZA still feels like the most complete package: huge name recognition, major fan support, and the cross-category visibility that BET tends to reward. Though Dean could be a dark horse in this race.

Prediction: SZA

Best Male R&B/Pop Artist

With a category that’s filled with R&B greats like Chris Brown, Brent Faiyaz, Bruno Mars, Bryson Tiller, GIVĒON, Leon Thomas, October London, and Usher, choosing a leader may be the toughest choice of all. Each of these gentlemen have their own case, but Chris may have the biggest footprint and the most obvious fan base in the field. Then again, Usher is Usher. 

Prediction: Chris Brown

Video of the Year

Kendrick Lamar and SZA’s “luther” has the edge. Doechii’s “Anxiety,” Teyana Taylor’s “Escape Room (Short Film),” and Mariah the Scientist’s “Burning Blue” are all strong visual entries.  However, “luther” has the best awards-season résumé and the broadest audience recognition.

Prediction: “luther”

Best New Artist
Olivia Dean, Monaleo, Destin Conrad, RAYE, kwn, JayDon, Belly Gang Kushington, Miles Minnick, and Trap Dickey all have a clear chance, but Dean has the strongest combination of buzz, visibility, and broad audience appeal.
Prediction: Olivia Dean

Best Actress
What a category! Between Teyana Taylor, Angela Bassett, Ayo Edebiri, Chase Infiniti, Coco Jones, Cynthia Erivo, Keke Palmer, Quinta Brunson, and Regina Hall, a winner isn’t the clearest choice. This category is obviously stacked with heavy hitters, but Teyana is already having a golden year for her acting. What’s one more trophy?
Prediction: Teyana Taylor

Best Actor
Colman Domingo, Aaron Pierre, Aldis Hodge, Anthony Mackie, Damson Idris, Delroy Lindo, Denzel Washington, Michael B. Jordan, and Sterling K. Brown — whoa! Can they all win? With the astronomical success of “Michael,” Domingo just may be the one. He keeps landing in the strongest prestige conversations across entertainment.
Prediction: Colman Domingo

Best Movie
The category includes “Sinners,” “Highest 2 Lowest,” “Him,” “Number One on the Call Sheet,” “One Battle After Another,” “Relationship Goals,” “Ruth & Boaz,” and “Wicked: For Good.” But being in a category competing against “Sinners” ain’t easy.
Prediction: “Sinners”

Pulse Award

This is a new category that is built to honor a creator or series that moved Black culture forward online. The nominees include “85 South Show,” “Baby,” “This Is Keke Palmer,” Charlamagne Tha God, Don Lemon, Druski, “It Is What It Is,” “Joe and Jada,” “On the Radar,” and “R&B Money Podcast.” With one of the nominees as the host, Druski winning could make for a major moment on stage.
Prediction: Druski