Cardi B is heading into the 2026 BET Awards with the most nominations this year, leading the pack with six nods as the awards show prepares for its live broadcast on Sunday, June 28 at 8 PM ET/PT on BET.
The rapper’s nominations cover several major categories, including Best Female Hip-Hop Artist, Album of the Year for Am I the Drama?, Best Collaboration for “Errtime Remix” featuring Jeezy and Latto, and Viewers’ Choice for “Outside.” She is also nominated for Video Director of the Year alongside Patientce Foster and in the newly introduced Fashion Vanguard category.
Kendrick Lamar and Mariah the Scientist follow closely behind with five nominations each. Kendrick is nominated for Best Male Hip-Hop Artist, Video of the Year for “Luther” with SZA, Viewers’ Choice for “Chains & Whips” with Clipse, and two Best Collaboration nods for “Chains & Whips” and “Good Flirts” with Baby Keem and Momo Boyd.
Mariah the Scientist’s strong showing includes Best Female R&B/Pop Artist, Album of the Year for Hearts Sold Separately, Video of the Year and Viewers’ Choice for “Burning Blue,” and Best Collaboration for “Is It a Crime” with Kali Uchis.
The nominations also gave major recognition to Doechii, Doja Cat, Clipse, Teyana Taylor, Olivia Dean, and Latto, who each earned four nominations. A$AP Rocky, Bruno Mars, Bryson Tiller, Chris Brown, Jill Scott, Kehlani, Metro Boomin, SZA, Tasha Cobbs Leonard, T.I., and YK Niece each picked up three.
This year’s ceremony will also introduce two new categories: Fashion Vanguard and The Pulse Award. Fashion Vanguard includes names like A$AP Rocky, Bad Bunny, Beyoncé, Cardi B, Colman Domingo, Doechii, Rihanna, Teyana Taylor, and Zendaya. The Pulse Award will honor digital creators, campaigns, and content series that helped shape Black culture online, with nominees including 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.
Connie Orlando, BET’s EVP of Specials, Music Programming and Music Strategy, said the nominees reflect “the very best of Black culture across music, film, sports, and beyond.” She added that the new Fashion Vanguard and Pulse categories allow BET to recognize more of the ways culture continues to evolve.
The major music categories are packed this year. Album of the Year includes Cardi B’s Am I the Drama?, Tyler, the Creator’s Don’t Tap the Glass, Wale’s everything is a lot., Mariah the Scientist’s Hearts Sold Separately, Clipse’s Let God Sort Em Out, Leon Thomas’ MUTT Deluxe: HEEL, J. Cole’s The Fall-Off, and Bruno Mars’ The Romantic.
Elsewhere, Drake, J. Cole, Kendrick Lamar, A$AP Rocky, Baby Keem, BigXthaPlug, DaBaby, Don Toliver, and T.I. are all up for Best Male Hip-Hop Artist. Best Female Hip-Hop Artist includes Cardi B, Coi Leray, Doechii, Doja Cat, GloRilla, Latto, Megan Thee Stallion, Monaleo, and YK Niece.
With Cardi leading the nominations and Kendrick and Mariah right behind her, this year’s BET Awards already have several storylines to watch. Between legacy names, newer stars, and the addition of digital culture-focused categories, the 2026 ceremony looks set to reflect how wide Black entertainment’s influence has become.