From Hollywood to Home: Black Voices in Entertainment
- The Icon of the Year award honors culturally defining artists whose creative contributions positively shape the entertainment landscape.
- Connie Orlando, EVP, specials, music programming & music strategy, praised Taylor's fearlessness and culture-shaping leadership.
- Harlem native Taylor began as a dancer and choreographer, earning early cosigns from Beyoncé, Jay-Z, and Pharrell Williams.
- She released debut album VII (2014) and the 2025 LP Escape Room, which received a Grammy nomination for Best Rap Album.
- Taylor earned an Academy Award nod for Perfidia in the Paul Thomas Anderson film One Battle After Another and won BET Video Director awards.
Teyana Taylor has been named the 2026 Icon of the Year by BET. On Tuesday (June 9), the network announced that Taylor is the recipient of the honor, which she will receive during the 2026 BET Awards, airing on June 28.
The Icon of the Year award honors culturally defining artists whose creative contributions have positively shaped the entertainment landscape.
According to a press release, the network describes honorees as figures “whose impact isn’t measured in years but in the undeniable weight they carry in every room, every conversation, and every corner of the culture they touch.”
Connie Orlando, EVP, specials, music programming & music strategy at BET, celebrated Taylor being chosen for the 2026 Icon of the Year Award, citing the fearlessness and assertiveness in her creative approach.
“Teyana Taylor is the embodiment of what it means to be an icon in this moment,” Orlando said in a statement. “She doesn’t ask for a seat at the table; she builds the table, designs the rooms, and sets the tone for everyone who walks in. Her fingerprints are all over culture, and it is an honor to celebrate everything she represents on Culture’s Biggest Night.”
A native of Harlem, New York, Taylor’s career began in the mid-aughts, as the renowned dancer and choreographer racked up early cosigns from Beyoncé, Jay-Z, Pharrell Williams, and more.
In 2014, Taylor released her debut album VII. She has since released three additional studio albums, including her 2025 LP Escape Room, which received a Grammy nomination for Best Rap Album earlier this year.
An accomplished actress, Taylor also received an Academy Award nod for her role as Perfidia Beverly Hills in the 2025 Paul Thomas Anderson film One Battle After Another. The 35-year-old previously won BET Awards for Video Director of the Year twice, first in 2020 and more recently in 2023.
Hosted by Druski, the BET Awards 2026 will broadcast live on Sunday, June 28 at 8 p.m. ET/PT, from the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles.
This article originally appeared on Rolling Stone.
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