Cardi B leads the 2026 BET Awards nominations. BET announced the nominees on Tuesday (May 19), setting the stage for another major celebration of Black excellence across music, entertainment, sports, and culture.
This year’s leading nominee is female rap star Cardi B, who earned six nominations, the most of any artist. Her standout nods include Album of the Year for her chart-topping sophomore project Am I The Drama?, Best Female Hip Hop Artist, Best Collaboration for “Errtime Remix” featuring Jeezy and Latto, Video Director of the Year alongside Patience Foster, and the Viewer’s Choice Award.
The Bronx native has won six BET Awards throughout her career, including back-to-back Best Female Hip Hop Artist wins in 2018 and 2019, Album of the year for her multiplatinum debut Invasion of Privacy, Video of the Year and Best Collaboration for “WAP” with Megan Thee Stallion in 2021.
Several other artists also secured multiple nominations across major categories. Kendrick Lamar and Mariah the Scientist follow closely behind with five nominations each, while Doechii, Doja Cat, Clipse, Teyana Taylor, Olivia Dean, and Latto each received four nods. A$AP Rocky, Bruno Mars, Bryson Tiller, Chris Brown, Jill Scott, Kehlani, Metro Boomin, SZA, Tasha Cobbs Leonard, T.I., and YK Niece all earned three nominations apiece, reflecting the broad range of talent represented this year.
