Cardi B, Kendrick Lamar and Mariah the Scientist emerged as the leading contenders for the 2026 BET Awards after nominations for this year’s ceremony were unveiled, with Cardi securing six nods while Lamar and Mariah followed closely behind with five nominations each.

Cardi B’s strong showing includes nominations for the newly introduced Fashion Vanguard Award, Best Female Hip-Hop Artist, Album of the Year for Am I the Drama?, Viewers’ Choice for “Outside,” Best Collaboration for “Errtime Remix” featuring Jeezy and Latto, and Video Director of the Year alongside Patientce Foster.

Kendrick Lamar earned five nominations, including Best Male Hip-Hop Artist and Video of the Year for “luther” with SZA. He also picked up two Best Collaboration nominations for “Chains & Whips” with Clipse and “Good Flirts” with Baby Keem and Momo Boyd, while “Chains & Whips” also landed in the Viewers’ Choice category.

Mariah the Scientist matched Lamar with five nominations, receiving recognition for Best Female R&B/Pop Artist, Album of the Year for Hearts Sold Separately, and Video of the Year for “Burning Blue.” Her collaboration with Kali Uchis on “Is It a Crime” also received a nomination, while “Burning Blue” secured a spot in the Viewers’ Choice category.

Doechii, Doja Cat, Clipse, Teyana Taylor, Olivia Dean and Latto each earned four nominations, while A$AP Rocky, Bruno Mars, Bryson Tiller, Chris Brown, Jill Scott, Kehlani, Metro Boomin, SZA, Tasha Cobbs Leonard, T.I. and YK Niece received three nominations apiece.

This year’s nominations also introduced two new categories — the Fashion Vanguard Award and the Pulse Award. BET said the Pulse Award recognises “a creator, campaign, or content series that most powerfully moved Black culture forward in digital spaces by sparking conversation, building community, and defining the moment online.”

“All of our nominees represent the very best of Black culture across music, film, sports, and beyond, and with the introduction of the Fashion Vanguard Award and the Pulse Award, we’re proud to honour even more of the ways our culture continues to show up and evolve,” said Connie Orlando, EVP, Specials, Music Programming & Music Strategy at BET.

The 2026 BET Awards will air live on Sunday, June 28, at 8 PM ET/PT on BET.