Wizkid, Burna Boy, Tems and Asake Miss Out as BET Awards 2026 Ends Without Nigerian Winners
Nigerian music stars Wizkid, Burna Boy, Tems and Asake ended the 2026 BET Awards without winning any of the categories in which they were nominated.
The annual ceremony, held at the Peacock Theatre in Los Angeles and hosted by comedian Druski, celebrated achievements in music, film, television and sports, with several American stars emerging as the biggest winners of the night.
Despite the strong presence of Nigerian artists on the nomination list, none of the Afrobeats stars secured an award, highlighting the intense competition at one of the entertainment industry’s biggest events.
Tems received three nominations, making her one of the most nominated African artists at the ceremony. She earned nominations for Best Female R&B/Pop Artist, BET Her Award for her song First, and the Viewers’ Choice Award for her collaboration with British rapper Dave on Raindance.
However, Kehlani won the Best Female R&B/Pop Artist category, while Doechii and SZA claimed the BET Her Award with Girl, Get Up. Mariah the Scientist won the Viewers’ Choice Award for Burning Blue.
Although she left without a trophy, Tems impressed audiences with a live performance during the event.
Wizkid and Asake were nominated in the Best Group category but lost to rap duo Clipse, who enjoyed a successful evening by winning multiple awards.
Burna Boy also suffered disappointment after his collaboration with Gunna on WGFT failed to win the Best Collaboration category.
South African singer Tyla, who received nominations for Video of the Year and the Viewers’ Choice Award, also failed to secure a win.
The film and television categories were equally disappointing for talents of African heritage.
Actresses Ayo Edebiri and Cynthia Erivo lost the Best Actress category to Teyana Taylor, while British-Nigerian actor Damson Idris missed out on the Best Actor award, which went to Michael B. Jordan.
The 2026 edition marked a complete shutout for African nominees, with no artist from the continent winning an award during the ceremony.
Last year, Ayra Starr was the only Nigerian artist to secure a BET Award after winning the Best International Act category.
Teyana Taylor emerged as one of the biggest winners of the night, taking home Best Actress, Video Director of the Year, and the Fashion Vanguard Award. She also received the prestigious Icon of the Year honour.
Rap duo Clipse matched her success by winning Album of the Year, Best Group, and Best Collaboration.
Kendrick Lamar won Best Male Hip-Hop Artist, while Kehlani secured two awards, including Video of the Year and Best Female R&B/Pop Artist.
Other winners included Cardi B, Leon Thomas, Olivia Dean, and the movie Sinners, which won Best Movie.
Despite the disappointing outcome for Nigerian artists, their nominations once again demonstrated the growing international influence of Afrobeats and the continued recognition of African music on the global stage.