Nigerian music stars Wizkid, Burna Boy, Asake and Tems have once again placed Nigeria in the global spotlight after earning nominations for the 2026 BET Awards.
The nominations, announced ahead of the award ceremony scheduled to hold on June 28 in Los Angeles, further reflect the growing international influence of Afrobeats and Nigerian music across major entertainment platforms.
One of the biggest highlights for Nigeria this year is the historic recognition secured by Wizkid and Asake in the Best Group category for their joint project, REAL Vol. 1.
Their nomination marks the first time contemporary African artistes have been recognised in the category. The duo will compete alongside international music acts including Clipse, FLO, Nas and DJ Premier, as well as Metro Boomin and DJ Spinz.
Tems emerged as one of the strongest Nigerian contenders after securing three nominations in major categories. The Grammy-winning singer earned a spot in the Best Female R&B/Pop Artist category and also received nominations for the BET Her Award with her song First and the Viewers’ Choice Award for Raindance, her collaboration with British rapper Dave.
Burna Boy also landed a nomination in the Best Collaboration category for his appearance on WGFT, a song by American rapper Gunna.
The 2026 BET Awards ceremony will be hosted by comedian Kevin Hart. American rapper Kendrick Lamar leads this year’s nominations with six nods, while Cardi B and SZA follow closely with five nominations each.
Some of the major nominations announced include:
For Album of the Year, nominated projects include AM I THE DRAMA? by Cardi B, DON’T TAP THE GLASS by Tyler, the Creator, everything is a lot. by Wale, HEARTS SOLD SEPARATELY by Mariah the Scientist, and The Fall-Off by J. Cole.
In the Best Female R&B/Pop Artist category, nominees include Ari Lennox, Coco Jones, Kehlani, SZA, and Tems.
The Best Collaboration category features Chains & Whips by Clipse and Kendrick Lamar, Go Girl by Summer Walker featuring Latto and Doja Cat, alongside WGFT by Gunna featuring Burna Boy.
For the BET Her Award, nominees include Already Good (Tasha Slide) by Tasha Cobbs Leonard, First by Tems, and Go Girl by Summer Walker featuring Latto and Doja Cat.
The Viewers’ Choice Award category also includes Burning Blue by Mariah the Scientist, Chanel by Tyla, Raindance by Dave and Tems, as well as Outside by Cardi B.
