Lauryn Hill was celebrated with a star-studded tribute at the 2026 BET Awards before becoming the inaugural recipient of the Living Legend Icon Award. The honor recognized her decades of influence across hip-hop, R&B, soul and reggae, cementing her place among the genre’s most transformative artists.

The recognition marked one of the night’s biggest highlights, but the celebration extended far beyond the award presentation itself. BET assembled an ambitious musical tribute that revisited the defining moments of Hill’s career before she took the stage to address the audience.

So, how did the ceremony celebrate Lauryn Hill’s remarkable legacy, and what message did the music icon share after accepting the historic honor?

A lineup of music’s biggest stars celebrated Lauryn Hill’s legacy

The tribute brought together an all-star lineup featuring The War and Treaty, SZA, Doechii, Tems, Tierra Whack, Selah Marley, Doja Cat, Nas, YG Marley, Lizzo, Rapsody, Zion Marley, Alexia Jayy, Queen Latifah and Common. Ice Cube opened the tribute by praising Lauryn Hill as “one of the greatest voices in Black music history” before introducing a musical journey through her career. The celebration honored Lauryn Hill’s remarkable career by revisiting defining moments from her time with the Fugees, her groundbreaking solo work and even her early acting career in Sister Act 2.

The musical journey began with The War and Treaty revisiting Sister Act 2 through ‘Joyful, Joyful,’ before SZA and Doechii teamed up for ‘Ready or Not.’ Tems and Tierra Whack followed with ‘Fu-Gee-La,’ while Selah Marley performed the title track from The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill. Doja Cat then took the stage for ‘Superstar’ before reuniting with Nas for ‘If I Ruled the World.’

The celebration continued as YG Marley honored his mother with ‘Turn Your Lights Down Low,’ Lizzo and Rapsody performed ‘Doo Wap (That Thing),’ Zion Marley revisited ‘To Zion,’ Alexia Jayy delivered a rendition of ‘Killing Me Softly,’ and Queen Latifah joined Common to close the tribute with ‘Lost Ones.’ The all-star celebration, however, was only the beginning of Hill’s biggest moment of the night.

The all-star celebration, however, was only the beginning of Hill’s biggest moment of the night.

Lauryn Hill accepts BET’s inaugural Living Legend Icon Award

Following the tribute, Lauryn Hill surprised the audience by taking the stage to perform ‘Ex-Factor’ before accepting the inaugural Living Legend Icon Award. During her speech, she reflected on using music to uplift others and encouraged artists to embrace difficult conversations in pursuit of meaningful change.

“I do this because I love y’all…I had wonderful parents who loved on me, poured into me and protected me. Once I realized that not everybody got to have that experience, I felt like it was my duty… to share as much love… as I possibly could…I fight for y’all… I’m rooting for everybody to be the best version of themselves that they possibly can because God made you that way.” She said in her acceptance speech.

Hill concluded by thanking her family, celebrating her children’s achievements and urging communities to support one another. She then closed the BET Awards with a stirring performance of ‘Everything Is Everything,’ bringing an emotional end to a night dedicated to honoring a career that has shaped generations of artists and continues to influence music today.

Which performance from Lauryn Hill’s BET Awards tribute was your favorite? Let us know in the comments!