Advertisement
Cardi B dominates BET Awards 2026 nominations with 6 major nods
20th May, 2026 01:00 PM
Rapper Cardi B has emerged as the top nominee for the BET Awards 2026 after receiving six nominations across major categories.
The nominations were officially announced by BET on Tuesday, May 19, 2026, placing the rapper ahead of several top music stars in this year’s competition.
Cardi B’s nominations include ‘Best Female Hip Hop Artist’, ‘Album of the Year’ for “AM I THE DRAMA?”, and ‘Viewers’ Choice’ for “Outside”. She also earned recognition in the ‘Best Collaboration’ category for “Errtime Remix” featuring Jeezy and Latto. In addition, she received nominations for ‘Video Director of the Year’ alongside Patientce Foster and the newly introduced ‘Fashion Vanguard Award’.
Kendrick Lamar and Mariah the Scientist followed closely behind with five nominations each. Kendrick Lamar secured nominations including ‘Best Male Hip Hop Artist’, ‘Video of the Year’ for “luther” with SZA, and ‘Viewers’ Choice’ for “Chains & Whips” with Clipse.
Mariah the Scientist received recognition in categories such as ‘Best Female R&B/Pop Artist’, ‘Album of the Year’ for “HEARTS SOLD SEPARATELY”, and ‘Video of the Year’ for “Burning Blue”. Her collaboration with Kali Uchis on “Is It a Crime” also earned a nomination.
New categories introduced
BET also announced two new award categories for the 2026 edition. The first is the ‘Fashion Vanguard Award’, which will honour public figures who have made a strong impact on fashion and cultural storytelling through music, sports, film, and entertainment.
Nominees in the category include A$AP Rocky, Bad Bunny, Beyoncé, Doechii, Zendaya, Rihanna and Cardi B.
The second new category is the ‘Pulse Award’, which aims to celebrate creators, campaigns and digital content that have shaped conversations online and influenced Black culture through social media, podcasts and streaming platforms.
Artists including Doja Cat, Latto, Teyana Taylor, and Olivia Dean each earned four nominations this year.
BET stated that the nominees were selected by the BET Voting Academy, a group made up of professionals from entertainment, media, sports journalism, digital marketing, public relations and the creative arts industry.
The BET Awards 2026 nominations have once again placed some of the biggest names in music and entertainment at the centre of global attention. With new award categories, major competition and Cardi B leading the race, this year’s ceremony is expected to celebrate creativity, influence and Black excellence across different industries.
