Tems, Burna Boy, Wizkid and Tyla all lost at the 2026 BET Awards, as African nominees walked away without a single win.
Sunday night at the Peacock Theatre in Los Angeles should have felt like a homecoming for African music. Tems, Burna Boy, Wizkid, and Tyla all had their names on nomination lists at the 2026 BET Awards. By the time the last trophy was handed out, every single one of them was still empty-handed.
Comedian Druski hosted the show for the first time, and the night belonged to Clipse and Teyana Taylor, who each walked away with three wins. Cardi B, the most-nominated act of the evening with six nods, also picked up a win of her own. For Africa’s contingent, though, the story was different.
Tems carried the heaviest load of expectation. She had three nominations, Best Female R&B/Pop Artist, BET Her for “First,” and Viewers’ Choice for “Raindance” with Dave, and performed on stage during the show. She lost all three categories.
Burna Boy was in the running for Best Collaboration through his feature on Gunna’s “wgft.” Wizkid shared a Best Group nomination with Asake. Tyla’s “Chanel” competed for Video of the Year. None of them crossed the finish line.
It wasn’t for lack of visibility. African artists appeared across some of the night’s most competitive categories, going up against heavyweights like Kendrick Lamar, SZA, Doechii, and Kehlani. They just didn’t come out on top in any of them.
Clipse took Album of the Year for “Let God Sort Em Out” and also claimed Best Collaboration with Kendrick Lamar for “Chains & Whips.” Kendrick Lamar himself won Best Male Hip-Hop Artist, while Cardi B took Best Female Hip-Hop Artist. Kehlani, Leon Thomas, Olivia Dean, and Doechii were among the other big winners of the night, and Teyana Taylor added a directing award to her haul.
This wasn’t a case of Africa being shut out of the room. It was Africa being in the room, competing hard, and still not closing anything out. For fans who’ve watched Afrobeats and its stars dominate global charts and headline arenas, a night with zero wins feels like a gap between the music’s reach and its recognition on this particular stage.
