Lauryn Hill honored with BET Living Legend Icon Award

musicJun 29, 2026451,225

At the 2026 BET Awards at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, Lauryn Hill accepted the show's Living Legend Icon Award and performed onstage, singing “Ex-Factor.” The ceremony staged a star-studded tribute featuring Queen Latifah, Common, Nas, SZA, Lizzo, Doechii, Tems, Tierra Whack, Doja Cat and others; Selah Marley opened the tribute and Hill’s children Selah and Zion participated as part of the homage. Druski hosted the broadcast with MC Lyte also onstage. Hill delivered a short onstage message that included “Let’s celebrate each other. Let’s honor each other. Let’s respect each other,” and viewers noted the performance and tribute highlighted the enduring influence of The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill nearly 30 years after its release. The show combined the award presentation, the multi-artist tribute and Hill’s impromptu performance into a prominent acknowledgement of her career and legacy.

Phil Lewis

@phillewis.bsky.social

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

68845d ago

Jenn Kauffman16

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

Martin McDonald6

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

NevaUfear*4

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!

Jadeabliss - 🪷 “No one let go of anyone’s hand.”🪷3

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

njmaineiac.bsky.social3

The Pride of Essex County! She sou ds great!

“The Well Read Bonnet” 🖕🏽🤷🏽‍♀️3

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

Quoting this

HERmone Biles 🐐17

Me adding my own background vocals:

✫ ☭ Communegro ☭ ✫8

Can’t help but move when she starts singing

meron thee reader 📚7

one of my favorite songs of all time

Editor In-King Bald5

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

Kristin Myrtle4

Maybe all this time she has been protecting herself and her voice and her energy I am grateful for every crumb she has given us along the way ❤️

Cognitive Cunt4

So damn glad I didn't miss this!!

Patrick W. Reed3

the most iconic Ms. Hill thing she could have done would have been showing up half an hour late to her own tribute, but the *second* most iconic thing was to show up looking incredible and still having the best voice in the game.

Black Lives Matter3

Didnt watch the awards but I saw a skeet that said “she actually made it on time?!” And I knew exactly who they were talkin about lmao

Kevin D. Grüssing 🪷🪷 (Pronounced Grew-sing)3

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!

Shawntay Dalon2

This woman music helped a depressed teen Shawntay find hope, Love & solace. I will forever appreciate her humanity.

Cozy Blackbiird

@thatsoleelee.blacksky.app

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

7145d 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

4845d 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.

3245d 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 🇦🇬🇻🇨4

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

Strictly 4 My Navigators

@lizzslockeroom.bsky.social

That was an incredible tribute to Lauryn Hill! Kudos to all who helped put it together & the performers.... reminded me of how tributes used to be done... #BETAwards

2945d 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.

2445d ago

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

2345d 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… 😭

2245d 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

2245d ago

HuffPost

@huffpost.com

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

2645d 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 🥹

2045d ago

Stereogum

@stereogum.com

Lauryn Hill receives BET Awards tribute from Doechii, SZA, Tems, Tierra Whack, Doja Cat, and more

2144d 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

1645d 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

1445d 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

1445d 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

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