Nigerian music stars Tems, Wizkid, Burna Boy and Asake failed to secure victories at the 2026 BET Awards despite earning nominations in major categories, ending the night without a single award. The awards ceremony, held on Sunday night at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles and hosted by comedian Druski, celebrated outstanding achievements in music, film, sports and entertainment. While Nigerian fans had high hopes for the country’s nominees, the coveted trophies went to other international artistes.
Tems emerged as Nigeria’s most nominated artiste, receiving three nominations. She was shortlisted for Best Female R&B/Pop Artist, BET Her Award for her song First, and the Viewers’ Choice Award for Raindance, her collaboration with British rapper Dave. However, she lost the Best Female R&B/Pop Artist award to Kehlani, while Doechii and SZA won the BET Her Award for girl, get up., and Olivia Dean claimed the Viewers’ Choice Award with Man I Need.
Wizkid and Asake also made history as the first contemporary African artistes to earn a nomination in the Best Group category for their collaborative project, REAL Vol. 1. However, the award went to American hip-hop duo Clipse. Burna Boy was nominated in the Best Collaboration category for his feature on Gunna’s WGFT, but the award was won by Clipse and Kendrick Lamar for Chains & Whips. Despite the disappointment, the nominations once again highlighted the growing global influence of Afrobeats, with Nigerian artistes maintaining a strong presence among the world’s leading musicians.
Nigerian nominees and their outcomes
- Tems
- Best Female R&B/Pop Artist – Lost to Kehlani
- BET Her Award (First) – Lost to Doechii & SZA (girl, get up.)
- Viewers’ Choice Award (Raindance with Dave) – Lost to Olivia Dean (Man I Need)
- Wizkid & Asake
- Best Group – Lost to Clipse
- Burna Boy
- Best Collaboration (WGFT with Gunna) – Lost to Clipse & Kendrick Lamar (Chains & Whips)
Major winners at the 2026 BET Awards
- Album of the Year: Cardi B – Am I the Drama?
- Best Female R&B/Pop Artist: Kehlani
- Best Male R&B/Pop Artist: Leon Thomas
- Best Group: Clipse
- Best Collaboration: Clipse featuring Kendrick Lamar – Chains & Whips
- BET Her Award: Doechii featuring SZA – girl, get up.
- Viewers’ Choice Award: Olivia Dean – Man I Need
- Best Actress: Teyana Taylor
- Icon of the Year: Teyana Taylor
- Living Legend Icon Award: Lauryn Hill
Although the Nigerian contingent left the ceremony empty-handed, their multiple nominations reaffirmed Afrobeats’ growing impact on the international music industry. In recent years, Nigerian artistes have consistently earned recognition at the BET Awards, with stars such as Wizkid, Burna Boy, Tems, Davido and Ayra Starr helping to expand the global reach of African music.
