2026 BET Awards to Feature Four Queer Artists Performing in the Same Night for the First Time Ever

The BET Awards has always been for the culture. This year, the culture includes us.

The BET Awards has always been the epicenter of culture — the one night where Black excellence, musical influence and the full spectrum of what our community represents converge under one roof. From the jaw-dropping performances to the moments that make the internet lose its mind, no other awards show hits quite the same. This year is no different.

The 2026 edition promises an all-star lineup designed to leave a mark. But among the heavy hitters on this year’s stage, four performers demand a closer look — artists who are not only making waves and breaking boundaries in the industry, but doing so as openly queer voices in one of the most-watched celebrations of Black culture in the world. According to BET, this year marks the first time in BET Awards history that four queer artists will perform in a single night.

Here are the performers taking the stage:

Doechii has been on a relentless run. The Tampa-bred rapper and Grammy winner for Best Rap Album became only the third woman in history to take home that award, and she arrived at the 2026 BET Awards with four nominations and an undeniable moment on her hands.

Durand Bernarr The openly queer R&B singer-songwriter and Grammy winner for Best Progressive R&B Album for his project “Bloom” has spent over a decade building one of the most distinctive voices in independent soul music — earning stamps of approval from Erykah Badu, Anderson .Paak and Earth, Wind & Fire along the way, according to his official biography. His BET Awards performance marks a long-overdue moment of visibility for a talent who has always been unapologetically himself.

Kehlani The openly lesbian R&B powerhouse has built a career on emotional precision and an intimacy that translates. . With three nominations this cycle, Kehlani will for sure have us all signing to “come pick up your clothes.” 

kwn While not performing on the main stage, kwn is an honorable mention that deserves her flowers. The East London-bred, openly queer R&B singer is taking the BET Amplified stage. A self-proclaimed ‘girl who likes girls,’ kwn’s debut EP with all due respect is exactly what it sounds like — an ode to Black queer women and a love letter to R&B. She has been quietly building one of the most distinctive sounds in the genre, earning co-signs from Kehlani and Ty Dolla $ign along the way.

Queen Latifah is the blueprint. The hip-hop icon, actress, cultural force, BET Advisory Board Member and queen of the silk press has been a beloved figure in Black LGBTQ+ spaces for decades. In 2021, she publicly acknowledged her longtime partner, Eboni Nichols, during her BET Lifetime Achievement Award acceptance speech, closing with a “Happy Pride!” She returns to that same stage, not as a recipient, but as a performer.

These four aren’t the only ones who have made their mark on culture’s biggest stage. Other queer performers have been here before — giving iconic moments below. 

Lil Nas X delivered what may be the most talked-about performance in recent BET Awards history when he took the stage in 2021 with “Montero (Call Me By Your Name)” and closed the set by sharing a kiss with a male backup dancer — the first kiss between two Black men in the show’s 25-year history.

Victoria Monét, who is bisexual, gave one of the standout performances of the 2024 BET Awards, delivering a choreographed set of “On My Mama” and joining Teyana Taylor for a show-stopping Usher tribute that had audiences talking long after the broadcast ended.

Saucy Santana, the openly gay rapper who got his start as a makeup artist for City Girls, brought his signature energy to the 2022 pre-show, running through hits including “Walk,” “Material Girl” and “Booty,”

Be sure not to miss this moment — because moments like this don’t come around often. The 2026 BET Awards airs live Sunday, June 28, at 8 p.m. ET/PT (7 p.m. Central) on BET from the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. The show will also simulcast on BET Her, MTV, VH1, Comedy Central and several other Paramount network