Wizkid, Asake, Tems and Burna Boy Make History at 2026 BET Awards: Full List of Nigerian Nominations

 Nigerian music has once again proven its global dominance, as four of the country's biggest stars — Wizkid, Asake, Tems, and Burna Boy — have all secured nominations for the prestigious 2026 BET Awards. The announcement has set Nigerian social media ablaze with pride, as Afrobeats continues its unstoppable rise on the world stage.

A Historic Nomination for Wizkid and Asake

The nominations were officially announced ahead of the ceremony scheduled to be held in Los Angeles on June 28 (ESPN) . One of the biggest highlights for Nigerian music this year is the historic nomination earned by Wizkid and Asake in the Best Group category for their collaborative project, REAL Vol. 1, making them the first contemporary African artistes ever recognized in that category (ESPN) .

This is a massive milestone. In the Best Group category, Wizkid and Asake will compete against major American and British acts including Clipse, FLO, Nas & DJ Premier, French Montana & Max B, and Metro Boomin & DJ Spinz (ESPN) . For two Nigerian artists to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with some of America's most respected hip-hop and R&B acts is a testament to how far Afrobeats has traveled.

Tems Shines With Three Nominations

Tems has emerged as Nigeria's most decorated nominee this year. She earned three nods: Best Female R&B/Pop Artist, the BET Her Award for her song "First," and a Viewers' Choice nomination for "Raindance," her collaboration with British rapper Dave (Daily Nigerian) .

This continues Tems' remarkable streak of international recognition. The Grammy-winning singer has built a reputation as one of Africa's most versatile voices, and these nominations only cement her status as one of the genre's leading global ambassadors.

Burna Boy's Continued International Reign

Burna Boy was nominated in the Best Collaboration category for "WGFT," his feature on Gunna's track (Daily Nigerian) . While this might seem like a smaller nomination compared to his past wins, it reflects just how often Burna Boy's name appears across major American productions and collaborations — proof of his standing as one of the most sought-after global artists in music today.

Nigeria's Long History at the BET Awards

This isn't new territory for Nigerian talent. Wizkid remains one of Africa's most celebrated winners at the award, while Burna Boy has also recorded major wins in international categories. Other Nigerian stars who have won or received recognition include Davido, Tems, 2Baba, D'banj, and Ice Prince (Legit.ng) . In 2025, Ayra Starr won the Best International Act category (Legit.ng) , continuing the streak of Nigerian excellence at the awards.

Nigerians in Film and Television Too

The recognition for Nigerian talent didn't stop at music. Ayo Edebiri and Cynthia Erivo were nominated for Best Actress, while Damson Idris earned a nomination for Best Actor (Legit.ng) , further proving that Nigerian and Nigerian-descent talent is thriving across every corner of global entertainment — from the recording studio to the big screen.

Who's Leading the Overall Nominations

While Nigerian stars shone brightly, American rapper Cardi B leads this year's nominations with six nods, while Kendrick Lamar and Mariah the Scientist secured five nominations each (Daily Nigerian) . The organisers also introduced two brand new categories this year — the Fashion Vanguard Award and the Pulse Award — expanding recognition to fashion, digital media, and pop culture (Sahara Reporters) .

What This Means for Afrobeats

Every year, Afrobeats continues to claim more space on the world's biggest entertainment stages. The recognition marks another major milestone for Afrobeats, which has continued to expand its global commercial and cultural influence over the past decade (ESPN) . From Grammy wins to BET nominations, Nigerian artists are no longer just participants in global music — they are shaping it.

Final Thoughts 


The 2026 BET Awards will be hosted by comedian Druski and broadcast live across BET platforms and affiliated networks (Daily Nigerian) on June 28 in Los Angeles. For Nigerians, this is more than just an award show — it's another chapter in the ongoing story of how far homegrown talent has traveled, and a reminder that Naija no dey carry last when it comes to global entertainment.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Tems Shares Stage with Stevie Wonder and John Legend at Obama Presidential Center Grand Opening

Image
 Nigerian Grammy-winning star Tems has once again proven that Afrobeats has a permanent seat at the world's biggest cultural tables. This week, she performed alongside music legends Stevie Wonder, John Legend, Bruce Springsteen, and U2's Bono at the historic opening of the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago. A Star-Studded Celebration The Obama Presidential Center's grand opening for the $850 million museum in Chicago featured an extraordinary lineup of performers (Al Jazeera) . Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama delivered speeches urging Americans to embrace hope, while three other former presidents — Joe Biden, George W. Bush and Bill Clinton — attended the historic event (Al Jazeera) . The 19-acre museum campus on Chicago's South Side features a replica of the Oval Office, a public library, a playground, an athletic center and a vegetable garden (Al Jazeera) , marking it as one of the most ambitious presidential libraries ever built. Tems Takes Ce...
Read more

Oyebanji Makes History: How He Won Ekiti's 2026 Governorship Election

Image
 Ekiti State just witnessed something it has never seen before. In the early hours of Sunday, June 21, 2026, INEC officially declared Governor Biodun Oyebanji of the APC the winner of the state's governorship election — making him the first governor in Ekiti's history to be re-elected back to back since the state was created in 1996. The Numbers The contest had 14 candidates on the ballot, but it quickly became a three-horse race. By the time INEC finished collation, Oyebanji had polled 319,224 votes, comfortably ahead of Wole Oluyede of the PDP and Dare Bejide of the ADC. The PDP managed just over 40,000 votes, while the ADC trailed with under 13,000. What makes this result even more remarkable is the spread. Oyebanji didn't just win narrowly — he secured the highest number of valid votes across all 16 local government areas in the state. From the capital Ado-Ekiti to rural councils, the APC dominated almost every voting bloc, even managing a win in PDP candidate Oluyede...
Read more

Xenophobia in South Africa: Why Thousands of Nigerians Are Returning Home Amid Rising Tensions

Image
 A serious diplomatic crisis is unfolding between Nigeria and South Africa as reports of xenophobic attacks against Nigerian nationals continue to dominate headlines. Thousands of Nigerians living in South Africa are now choosing to leave the country, and the Nigerian government has begun a large-scale repatriation effort to bring its citizens home safely. What Is Happening Nigeria has threatened retaliatory measures against South Africa after Abuja began repatriating hundreds of Nigerians amid alleged xenophobic attacks by South African protesters (Punch) . The tension has been building for weeks, driven by a wave of anti-immigrant demonstrations across South Africa. The unrest stems from demonstrations organized by a group called March and March, which says it is campaigning for immigration reform and has called on undocumented migrants to leave South Africa by June 30 (Vanguard News) . Protesters have accused undocumented migrants of placing pressure on public services and bei...
Read more