Lauryn Hill honored with BET Living Legend Icon Award

musicJun 29, 202638802

At the 2026 BET Awards at the Peacock Theater, Lauryn Hill accepted the Living Legend Icon Award and performed “Ex-Factor” as part of a star-studded tribute. Performers including Queen Latifah, Common, Nas, SZA, Lizzo, Doechii and Tanya Trotter (Blount) hit the stage to honor Hill, with Nas paired on stage alongside Doja Cat during the segment. Hill brought her children Selah and Zion into the tribute, and Ice Cube served as an introduction to her appearance. In her acceptance remarks Hill said, “Somebody out there needs your gift. So don’t sell your gift short,” and framed her work as about “the expression and the representation of the dignity of our people.” The ceremony, hosted by Druski with MC Lyte also on the bill, treated Hill’s single iconic album and wider influence as the focal point of the evening.

Phil Lewis

@phillewis.bsky.social

Lauryn Hill performs “Ex-Factor” during the Lauryn Hill tribute at the #BETAwards:

3802h ago

Jenn Kauffman12

This song is so gorgeously heart wrenching; my heart breaks every time I hear it.

Martin McDonald5

Could listen to that on a loop, and may very well do so!

NevaUfear*3

Watched via Spill app. There's nothing better than being with my people celebrating our people's excellence. Attributes. Even our troubles are easier to overcome together!

njmaineiac.bsky.social2

The Pride of Essex County! She sou ds great!

“The Well Read Bonnet” 🖕🏽🤷🏽‍♀️2

Ppl like to sing along, it’s hard to sing along when you change the whole flow of the song.

Jadeabliss - 🪷 “No one let go of anyone’s hand.”🪷1

My heart. This song, this album, was church and sanctuary for a good while. Legend. 👑

Quoting this

HERmone Biles 🐐15

Me adding my own background vocals:

✫ ☭ Communegro ☭ ✫7

Can’t help but move when she starts singing

meron thee reader 📚6

one of my favorite songs of all time

Editor In-King Bald4

This woman created a PERFECT ALBUM, & just said I don’t have to do another thing & she’s right

Cognitive Cunt3

So damn glad I didn't miss this!!

Kevin D. Grüssing 🪷🪷 (Pronounced Grew-sing)2

That's the thing with Ms. Lauryn. All the stuff about lateness...but when she gets on a stage she shows she's still very much got it. And while wish we'd got 1 more album from her...if your sole album won Album of the Year despite the FUBAR-ness of the Recording Academy? Yeah, I'd live off that!

dano celebrau jr 🧦🧦🧦2

BET AWARDS? AGORA TEM PREMIAÇÃO DE BET?

Carats LeVert2

Ari Lennox looks so happy. Everyone in the room looks so happy.

Cozy Blackbiird

@thatsoleelee.blacksky.app

Lauryn Hill gives one of the best live shows of anyone in my lifetime #BETAwards

602h ago

Rob Milton

@therobmilton.com

- Whitney would’ve gone up for her Jersey girl! #BETAwards

422h ago

HERmone Biles 🐐

@meekayelah.blacksky.app

As much as I would’ve wanted Lauryn Hill to give us another album… Miseducation was a GOOD one to disappear on, idk

332h ago

HERmone Biles 🐐5

Been feeding us for almost THIRTY years.

Balloon-knot enthusiast 🇭🇹🇭🇹1

Truthfully, cuz she probably would’ve spent the rest of her career chasing the success of her first album

DFAntastic

@phillytradesman.bsky.social

I was a kid but I don’t think there’s an album release I remember as much as The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, that shit was immediately everywhere & every track was perfect. Complete cultural shift.

292h ago

DFAntastic5

Something streaming really took away from us was the sense of experiencing an album collectively, over time.

Bell2

It hit across every single demographic there was

Annalise Maxine Shaw Keating, Openly Black Attorney at Law1

And the music videos were amazing

Quoting this

B 🇦🇬🇻🇨3

It was my first CD and I wore that album OUT!

Strictly 4 My Navigators

@lizzslockeroom.bsky.social

I also loved that the tribute started with Tanya Trotter (Blount) 💙🙌🏾 #BETAwards #SisterAct2

242h ago

LikeLotionForAsh1

And her voice with age sounds even better! Amazing.

Somebody’s Auntie 🤷🏾‍♀️

@hausofbawdy.blacksky.app

If I was Lauryn Hill and had an iconic debut album I would live off of it for the rest of my life too. lol

182h ago

Quoting this

Holy Macc 🇱🇸2

I’d rather sell one product 100 million times than sell 100 million products once!

¢αρт. нσя¢нαтα ¢αηησηѕ тнєє ρℓυg ρяιη¢єѕѕ ✨

@thiqkkmamii.bsky.social

I remember this girl on tiktok or IG listening to Lauryn Hill for the first time and saying she couldn’t wait to listen to other albums and the way I cried for her and was like oh sweet baby… 😭

172h ago

lifeofjenius

@jeniusj.blacksky.app

"Let's celebrate each other Let's honor each other Let's respect each other If nobody else shows us respect, let's respect each other If nobody else loves us, let's love on each other" -Lauryn Hill

172h ago

Janet Snackson

@njbesleeping.bsky.social

#BETAwards Can we also appreciate the fact that Ms. Lauryn Hill’s children were involved in the tribute? I think that’s a lovely touch 🥹

152h ago

trust me, i’m a therapist

@gimmieurtots.blacksky.app

the miseducation of lauryn hill is almost 30 years old. and lauryn has done so much more but she ate that ONE THING and we live for it 30 damn years later. and THAT is iconic

152h ago

HuffPost

@huffpost.com

Queen Latifah, Common, Nas, SZA, Lizzo, Doechii and more hit the stage to pay homage to the legendary artist.

192h ago

The Governor of Chaos 🇳🇬🇨🇩

@theigbobear.blacksky.app

This is why I’ll stand on the hill that the Miseducation of Lauryn Hill is a top 5 rap album of all time idc what these blog sites and white people say. That album was a culture changer.

142h ago

ᴛʜᴇᴇ ᴅᴏʟʟ 🎀

@jessijeannie.bsky.social

bringing her daughter out for the tribute as a surprise was so beautiful to see. I love when award shows allow the artist’s children to honor their parents #laurynhilltribute #BETAwards

122h ago

Dr. Lawren is Openly Ya Ya

@lwpedsmd.blacksky.app

Queen Latifah rapping Lauryn Hill is my highlight of the year y’all WHAT #BETAwards

112h ago

2 sources

huffpost.comLauryn Hill Gets A Star-Studded Tribute As She’s Honored With BET’s Living Legend Icon Award binnews.com2026 BET Awards Live Recap: Winners, Performances & More | BIN: Black Information Network

Lauryn Hill honored with BET Living Legend Icon Awardmusic

Lauryn Hill honored with BET Living Legend Icon Award

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