The BET Awards started small: a single ceremony at the Paris Las Vegas on June 19, 2001, hosted by Steve Harvey and Cedric the Entertainer, with Whitney Houston receiving the first-ever Lifetime Achievement Award. The show moved to the Kodak Theatre in 2002, the Shrine Auditorium in 2006, and has called the Peacock Theater home since 2013 — each venue shift could be seen as a tangible representation of the show's growth in the industry.

Even the trophy itself carries intention. Sculptor Carlos "Mare139" Rodriguez designed it around the words aspire, ascend, and achieve. Outkast took home the first one ever handed out in 2001.

What set the show apart early was its willingness to let the stage hold more than musical performances. In 2002, BET created the Humanitarian Award, starting with Muhammad Ali, building a space for activism alongside artistry. And that recognition has continued: Jamie Foxx wore a Trayvon Martin T-shirt accepting Best Actor in 2013. Jesse Williams turned his 2016 Humanitarian Award speech into one of the decade's most quoted statements on race in America. Doechii addressed ICE raids happening outside the venue during her 2025 acceptance speech. All of these artists used their voices to boldly address the world’s ills directly affecting them and the audience watching. 

The show has also memorialized as much as it's celebrated — tributing Michael Jackson days after his 2009 death and dedicating its entire 2016 broadcast to Prince, with The Roots, Erykah Badu, and Stevie Wonder among those who performed. 

Beyoncé now holds the most wins (36) and nominations (102) in the show's history, and she's positioned to extend that lead again at the 2026 ceremony. She's not the only one chasing a number: Kendrick Lamar has won Best Male Hip Hop Artist eight times, and another win this year would set a new record in that category alone. Although the odds are ever in Queen Bey's favor, nominees are still chosen by a roughly 500-person voting academy of industry and media insiders.

The 2026 ceremony marks 25 years since the birth of the BET Awards. From iconic moments that take our breath away to the comedic choices that knee-slapping was made for, the BET Awards remains what it set out to be: live, unscripted, and unmistakably Black. The moments write themselves into the Black time capsule, and this year’s show will certainly be adding to that capsule.