Cardi is the easiest person on this list to picture turning the carpet into a spectacle. She leads this year’s BET nominations with six nods, and her fierce fashion runs have included a custom Roberto Cavalli Couture gown at the 2025 Grammys, a green Burberry suit at the 2025 Met Gala, and full goth-glam drama at SummerSlam. If she arrives in full Cardi mode, the carpet is going to stop moving for a minute, but the cameras will surely keep flashing.

Teyana is already having one of the strongest fashion years out of everyone in attendance, which makes her impossible to ignore. She is set to receive BET’s Icon of the Year Award, and her recent red-carpet streak includes a custom Schiaparelli look at the Golden Globes and a sheer Chanel gown at the Oscars, both of which landed with major style impact. She understands how to make a carpet feel editorial without losing personality, and that is exactly the energy BET needs on Sunday.  

Doechii has become one of the most fun fashion watches in the culture because she does not dress like she is trying to blend in. She is one of this year’s top nominees, and her recent style moments have included a bold plum Roberto Cavalli look at the 2026 Grammys and a memorable BET Awards red carpet appearance in 2025. She brings risk, silhouette play, and a little bit of theater every time she steps out, which makes her one of the likeliest people to give the carpet a viral moment. 

Kelly Rowland has one of those red-carpet styles that reads polished, grown, and unmistakably expensive. She is also on the presenter list for Sunday, and recent looks have included platinum blonde hair with a black latex dress and other glam appearances where she consistently dazzles in couture that show she is always very much in her fashion era. Kelly never misses on a carpet because she knows how to balance edge with elegance, and the pictures don’t lie.

Queen Latifah is one of those stars whose red-carpet presence always feels bigger than the outfit. She has the kind of style that reads regal, confident, and completely in control, which makes her a natural BET Awards watch every time she shows up. With BET honoring her this year and the fashion stakes already high, her arrival should feel less like the royalty she’s named for. Honorable mention: that hair!

Chlöe’s style works because it always feels like confidence first, outfit second. She is set to present, and in the last year, she has leaned into sculptural fashion, including a black Gaurav Gupta look at the 2025 NAACP Image Awards and a dramatic black-and-white gown at the American Black Film Festival this spring. That mix of polish and attitude makes her exactly the kind of arrival people will be waiting for.