Teyana Taylor to Receive Icon of the Year Award at 2026 BET Awards
June 9, 2026
Teyana Taylor‘s epic year is about to get even more mega after BET announced on Tuesday morning (June 9) that the Oscar-nominated One Battle After Another actress/singer will receive the Icon of the Year Award at this year’s BET Awards.
The Hyundai-sponsored honor will be handed out during the show’s live broadcast on June 28 from the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles (beginning at 8 p.m ET), with comedian Druski hosting the proceedings. According to a release, the award, “celebrates the artist who is defining this moment. This distinction belongs to the creative force whose work, presence, and vision are setting the tone right now – someone whose impact isn’t measured in years but in the undeniable weight they carry in every room, every conversation, and every corner of the culture they touch.”
Taylor is a perfect fit, given her eclectic résumé, highlighted by four full-length studio albums — including 2025’s Escape Room — as well as work as a director, producer, choreographer and fashion icon. She’s also emerged as an acting powerhouse over the past decade, rising from bit parts in films such as 2011 Madea’s Big Happy Family to starring roles in the 2023 single mother drama A Thousand and One and this year’s Ben Affleck-Matt Damon drama The Rip. Her mesmerizing role as rock-jawed rebel Perfidia Beverly Hills in director Paul Thomas Anderson’s acclaimed 2025 action thriller One Battle After Another earned Taylor a best supporting actress Golden Globe earlier this year, as well as an Oscar nomination.
“Teyana Taylor is the embodiment of what it means to be an icon in this moment,” Connie Orlando, EVP, specials, music programming & music strategy at BET said in a statement. “She doesn’t ask for a seat at the table; she builds the table, designs the rooms, and sets the tone for everyone who walks in. Her fingerprints are all over culture, and it is an honor to celebrate everything she represents on Culture’s Biggest Night.”
Additional honorees, performers and presenters at the 2026 BET Awards will be announced soon.
Shakira & Burna Boy to Perform ‘Dai Dai’ at 2026 World Cup Opening Ceremony in Mexico
June 9, 2026
Shakira and Burna Boy will perform “Dai Dai,” the official song of the 2026 World Cup, live for the first time during the tournament’s opening ceremony on June 11 at the Estadio Ciudad de México (Estadio Azteca), FIFA .
The Colombian superstar and the Nigerian icon will headline the show, which will begin 90 minutes before the kickoff of the opening match. The musical segment will also feature major stars including Alejandro Fernández, Maná, J Balvin, Belinda, Danny Ocean, Lila Downs, Los Ángeles Azules and Tyla, who are part of the FIFA 2026 World Cup’s official album.
“‘Dai Dai’ will resonate throughout a tournament that will connect billions of people through the world’s most beloved sport,” FIFA said in a statement issued jointly with Sony Music. “Dai Dai” is also the official song of the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund, with a goal to raise $100 million by the end of the tournament to provide children worldwide with access to quality education and sports opportunities.
The “Hips Don’t Lie” singer is also one of the co-headliners alongside global stars Madonna and BTS for the halftime show of the FIFA World Cup Final on July 19 at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.
This marks the fourth time Shakira has contributed songs to the World Cup. In Germany 2006, she performed “Hips Don’t Lie – Bamboo,” a version of her megahit “Hips Don’t Lie”; in South Africa 2010, she brought the rhythm with her iconic “Waka Waka (This Time for Africa),” the tournament’s official song; and in Brazil 2014, she performed “La La La” at the closing ceremony in Maracanã Stadium.
As the host of the tournament’s opening ceremony, Mexico will kick off a trilogy of inaugural events that will continue in Canada and the United States, with additional artists to be announced.
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