Lauryn Hill to Receive BET’s Inaugural Living Legend Icon Award

Few artists have left a mark on music quite like Lauryn Hill, and this month, BET will honor that legacy in a historic way.

BET has announced that Lauryn Hill will receive the first-ever Living Legend Icon Award at the 2026 BET Awards, making her the inaugural recipient of a new honor created to recognize artists whose influence has remained woven into the culture across generations. The award will be presented during the live broadcast on June 28 at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles.

The recognition feels fitting for an artist whose impact extends far beyond album sales and chart success. Hill first rose to prominence as a member of the Fugees before redefining music with her groundbreaking solo debut, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill. Released in 1998, the album remains one of the most celebrated projects in music history and continues to influence artists across hip-hop, R&B, soul, and beyond.

In announcing the honor, BET described Hill as an artist who never followed culture but helped shape it. That influence remains evident today, nearly three decades after her solo debut changed the landscape of popular music.

The award also arrives during a period of renewed recognition for Hill. In recent years, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill topped Apple Music’s list of the 100 greatest albums of all time, while Hill has continued to tour and perform for audiences around the world.

With the creation of the Living Legend Icon Award, BET appears to be celebrating more than a career, it is recognizing an artist whose influence continues to echo throughout music, culture, and generations of performers who followed in her footsteps.