Teyana Taylor sobbed as Janet Jackson presented her with the Icon of the Year Award at the 2026 BETAwards.
And the fact that the “Control” singer was set to present Taylor the honor was kept a secret, even to the Golden Globe-winning actress herself.
“Oh my God. Bitch, I’m gagging,” Taylor said as she took the stage to accept the esteem. “They did not tell me Janet was coming, bitch, and it’s so crazy because when Kehlani said, ‘Janet is here,’ I said, bitch, is that the surprise? I wasn’t sure!”
Taylor began by thanking Jackson, whom she called her “biggest inspiration.”
“I love you so much. Thank you, thank you, thank you for always seeing me. Thank you for every text, every hug, every talk. You are my biggest inspiration,” Taylor said of Jackson. “Everybody who knows me know how I feel about you, the fact that you even took up the time to be here to celebrate with me, this is crazy. I love you so much. Like, you don’t even understand.”
The Golden Globe winner reflected on her tenure in the industry in her speech, noting that she “wondered if I was supposed to feel uncomfortable saying that title out loud,” in reference to her Icon of the Year Award.
“But no, I worked my ass off 20 years for this,” Taylor said. “So I’m not accepting what I’ve earned with arrogance; I’m accepting what I’ve earned with gratitude. And this year alone, I continue to give the world the artist, actress, director, choreographer, creative director, stylist, designer, writer, producer and chef!”
“I graduated in September, y’all,” she said in reference to her viral venture as a culinary schoolstudent.
She continued, “Most of my career has been spent building my own dream while helping somebody else build theirs because I believe there’s room for all of us to win, even if that means pouring from my own cup into someone else’s so they can overflow, not because I had to, but because that’s just who I am. That’s pretty damn iconic if you ask me. Because this business can be very wicked.
“It teaches us to compete. But I’ve never believed that my success had to cause someone else’s theirs. If I know something, I should teach it. If I open the door, I should hold it. If I have a platform, I should make room for another voice,” she said. “Thank you, because I believe greatness isn’t measured by how many people stand beneath you. It’s measured by how many people stand beside you because you’re willing to reach back. That’s the only legacy I care about.”
Taylor also thanked her mother and father, and her two daughters. “To my greatest masterpiece, my babies, Junie and Rue. If one day people remember me as an icon, I pray the two of you, always remember me simply as home,” Taylor said. “Mommy loves you so, so much. I love you, and you better be watching me and off them goddamn phones, per usual.”
Before the One Battle After Another actress gave her acceptance speech, she was seen crying in the audience when Jackson took the Peacock Theater stage. The five-time Grammy Award winner commended Taylor’s accomplishments while introducing her and thanking her for their friendship.
“It seems like only yesterday a rose from Harlem grew out of the concrete. and blossomed into our Icon of the Year. I’ve enjoyed watching you, as you know, over the years. Watching you defy expectations, rewrite the rules and lead with an unstoppable work ethic,” Jackson said. “You possess an unflinching perfectionism, a devotion woven into everything you touch. Your focus and vision summon into being what most would call impossible. You carry a calling from above, and the world is made more luminous with the art that you have given it. This year, it belongs to you.”
Janet Jackson hugs Teyana Taylor at the BET Awards 2026 held at Peacock Theater on June 28, 2026, in Los Angeles.
Gilbert Flores/Variety via Getty Images
After two decades in the industry, Taylor had quite a monumental year, earning her first Oscar nomination and Golden Globe tied to her turn in Paul Thomas Anderson’s Academy Award-winning film One Battle After Another. Aside from being presented with the Icon of the Year Award at the 2026 BETAwards, Taylor also won the Fashion Vanguard Award, best actress and video director of the year.
Jackson commended Taylor’s accomplishments, referencing her “Grammy nomination for your latest album, Escape Room. A host of nominations for your layered performance in the Oscar-winning film, One Battle After Another. You stood toe to toe with some of major heavyweights, thespians in our industry, and you picked up a coveted Golden Globe for best supporting actress. All of that while raising two beautiful girls, your greatest accomplishment.”
Taylor reflected on her busy year in a cover interview with The Hollywood Reporter.
“You can see my patience being in this game since I was 15, doing a little bit of everything,” she said. “This moment hits a lot harder than it would’ve if everything had gone my way when I wanted it to.”
The 2026 BET Awards aired live on Sunday, June 28, at 8 p.m. from the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles on BET and other Paramount networks.
See the full 2026 BET Awards winners list here, and check out all of the arrival looks here.