BET has dropped the nominations for its 2026 ceremony and Nigerian music is, once again, all over the list. Tems, Wizkid, Burna Boy, and Asake have all secured nominations for this year’s show, which holds on Sunday, 28 June 2026 at the Peacock Theatre in Los Angeles, hosted by comedian Druski.

Tems leads the Nigerian contingent with three nominations, making her the most nominated African act this year. She is up for Best Female R&B/Pop Artist alongside SZA, Olivia Dean, Mariah the Scientist, Kehlani, Jill Scott, Ella Mai, Coco Jones, and Ari Lennox. She also picks up a BET Her Award nomination for her song “First,” and a Viewers’ Choice nomination for “Raindance,” her collaboration with British rapper Dave.

Wizkid and Asake earned a joint nomination in the Best Group category for their collaborative project and string of chart-topping releases together, including tracks from their joint Real EP. Burna Boy rounds out the Nigerian music nominations with a Best Collaboration nod for “WGFT,” his feature on Gunna’s hit single from the 2025 album “The Last Wun.” Beyond music, stars of Nigerian heritage also feature prominently in the acting categories — Ayo Edebiri and Cynthia Erivo are both nominated for Best Actress, while Damson Idris received a Best Actor nomination.

South African star Tyla earned two nominations: Video of the Year and Viewers’ Choice for her track “Chanel.” Leading the overall nominations is Cardi B with six nods, followed by Kendrick Lamar and Mariah the Scientist with five each. This year also introduces two new categories — the Fashion Vanguard Award and the Pulse Award. The 2026 BET Awards air live on 28 June at 8pm ET/PT on BET, with simulcast across BET HER, MTV, VH1, Comedy Central, and several other Paramount networks.

See the full nominees list below for the music category

The post Tems Leads Nigerian Artists in BET Awards 2026 Nominations Alongside Wizkid, Burna Boy & Asake appeared first on BellaNaija - Showcasing Africa to the world. Read today!.

BET has dropped the nominations for its 2026 ceremony and Nigerian music is, once again, all over the list. Tems, Wizkid, Burna Boy, and Asake have all secured nominations for this year’s show, which holds on Sunday, 28 June 2026 at the Peacock Theatre in Los Angeles, hosted by comedian Druski.

Tems leads the Nigerian contingent with three nominations, making her the most nominated African act this year. She is up for Best Female R&B/Pop Artist alongside SZA, Olivia Dean, Mariah the Scientist, Kehlani, Jill Scott, Ella Mai, Coco Jones, and Ari Lennox. She also picks up a BET Her Award nomination for her song “First,” and a Viewers’ Choice nomination for “Raindance,” her collaboration with British rapper Dave.

Wizkid and Asake earned a joint nomination in the Best Group category for their collaborative project and string of chart-topping releases together, including tracks from their joint Real EP. Burna Boy rounds out the Nigerian music nominations with a Best Collaboration nod for “WGFT,” his feature on Gunna’s hit single from the 2025 album “The Last Wun.” Beyond music, stars of Nigerian heritage also feature prominently in the acting categories — Ayo Edebiri and Cynthia Erivo are both nominated for Best Actress, while Damson Idris received a Best Actor nomination.

South African star Tyla earned two nominations: Video of the Year and Viewers’ Choice for her track “Chanel.” Leading the overall nominations is Cardi B with six nods, followed by Kendrick Lamar and Mariah the Scientist with five each. This year also introduces two new categories — the Fashion Vanguard Award and the Pulse Award. The 2026 BET Awards air live on 28 June at 8pm ET/PT on BET, with simulcast across BET HER, MTV, VH1, Comedy Central, and several other Paramount networks.

See the full nominees list below for the music category

The post Tems Leads Nigerian Artists in BET Awards 2026 Nominations Alongside Wizkid, Burna Boy & Asake appeared first on BellaNaija - Showcasing Africa to the world. Read today!.

La série documentaire "En haut de l'affiche" rend hommage à la résilience face aux obstacles et au succès des stars afro-américaines à Hollywood. 

The post Apple TV+ célèbre l’excellence noire à Hollywood dans une série documentaire appeared first on blacknews.fr.

Ayra Starr has won her first BET award after clinching the highly coveted Best International Act Award. The Afrobeats star beat out strong competition, which included Mavin Records labelmate Rema, last year's winner Tyla, Ghanaian maverick Black Sherif, and Uncle Waffles, among others.

The win was well celebrated by multiple sections of the homebound and international audience, as Ayra Starr has often been nominated for top international awards, including the BET and Grammys, but had previously come second to other artists. This feels like a deserved win, especially considering the quietly purposeful year Starr has been having. A few weeks ago, she performed at a New Balance event, and her two singles, the Valentine anthem "All The Love" and the Wizkid-featured "Gimme Dat," have been doing very well on the charts.

As expected, Ayra's BET nod has opened up a flurry of conversations. One of those is Jay-Z's Roc Nation congratulating Ayra Starr via their X account. This move has sparked speculation about whether the label has signed the Nigerian star or has some ongoing business in the background.

It is known that since the 2010s, Mavin CEO Don Jazzy has maintained a connection with his Roc Nation counterpart, with Jay-Z reportedly sending members of his team, including the rapper Jay Electronica, to scout for Nigerian talent. This visit also resulted in a song.

A more pressing commentary on Ayra's BET win is that her award was presented to her backstage despite her presence at the event, which was held at the Peacock Theatre in Los Angeles. People have noted how Wizkid once criticized international award shows for their reluctance to appreciate African acts on the same stages as their international colleagues, an act the Afrobeats veteran labeled as "rubbish."

Ayra Starr has also insisted on being properly recognized for her work, criticizing Nigeria's premier music awards, the Headies, in 2023 for awarding her Best Female Act after the event had concluded. "We didn't deserve such nonchalance!" she wrote in a post on X afterward. It remains to be seen how she will respond to BET's action, but such actions should have no place in the music industry, especially in a globalized scene that owes its success to the efforts of players from around the world.

Beyond Ayra's win, Africa had further reason to celebrate as the Amapiano women DJ duo TxC snagged the coveted Best New International Act, joining their respected South African forebears like Black Coffee and Sho Madjozi who have won the BET in previous years.

Cynthia Erivo, the British actor of Nigerian descent, was also awarded Best Actress, cementing her place as one of the faces of contemporary Black cinema. Erivo has had a phenomenal year, earning critical acclaim and multiple prestigious nominations for her powerhouse performance as Elphaba in the blockbuster musical "Wicked," including Academy Award, Golden Globe, BAFTA, SAG, and Critics' Choice nominations for Best Actress.

OkayAfrica was on the ground, capturing the energy and excitement of African talent on the red carpet. We spoke with several of the continent's brightest stars.

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British Sudanese sensation Elmiene gave us an exclusive moment before his beautiful performance on the BET stage.

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The duo TxC was excited to be there and wished that everyone could experience the energizing atmosphere. “It is crazy! Being here, seeing everybody, the atmosphere … everything that is happening right now. I feel like everybody should experience this,” one of them tells OkayAfrica.

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Ghana's Black Sherif shared with us the exact moment he learned about his nomination.

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Buju Banton, a towering figure in reggae, also took time to connect.

La série documentaire "En haut de l'affiche" rend hommage à la résilience face aux obstacles et au succès des stars afro-américaines à Hollywood. 

The post Apple TV+ célèbre l’excellence noire à Hollywood dans une série documentaire appeared first on blacknews.fr.