The pioneering industry executive was also feted by Monami Entertainment & BMAC during BET Week.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - JUNE 28: (L-R) Sylvia Rhone accepts the Ultimate Icon Award onstage from Kelly Rowland during the BET Awards 2026 at Peacock Theater on June 28, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Paras Griffin/Getty Images for BET)
Getty Images for BET
Trailblazing record industry executive Sylvia Rhone received the Ultimate Icon Award at the 2026 BET Awards. The special award — honoring a groundbreaking career that includes her recent six-year tenure as chairman/CEO of Epic Records — was presented by Kelly Rowland.
Rowland recalled first meeting Rhone as one of the six members of Girls Tyme, the precursor to the Grammy-winning group Destiny’s Child. “Let me tell y’all, there we were standing before the same woman that worked with Metallica and signed Erykah Badu and Missy Elliott, just to name a few,” said Rowland. “I was nervous as hell; Sylvia has a particular aura that engulfs any room she walks in. Her vision, her drive and her commitment to create quality artists for the masses to enjoy is something only a true icon can do.”
