Doja Cat, Latto Among Biggest Surprises At 2026 BET Awards

While many of the winners at the 2026 BET Awards came as little surprise, the ceremony still delivered several unexpected moments that got fans talking.

Doja Cat and Latto emerged as the night’s biggest shutouts after failing to convert any of their four nominations into wins.

Several other high-profile nominees also left empty-handed. A$AP Rocky, Bruno Mars, Bryson Tiller, Chris Brown, Jill Scott, Metro Boomin, Tasha Cobbs Leonard, Tems and YK Niece each went home without an award despite receiving three nominations apiece.

One of the evening’s biggest upsets came in the Video of the Year category, where Kehlani’s Folded defeated a strong field that included Doechii’s Grammy-winning Anxiety and Teyana Taylor’s Escape Room (Short Film). Kehlani’s victory was particularly notable as the song had already earned two Grammy Awards earlier this year.

Another surprise saw Mariah the Scientist claim the Viewers’ Choice Award with Burning Blue, edging out tracks from Cardi B, Kendrick Lamar, Clipse, Kehlani and Olivia Dean. The honour marked her only win despite receiving five nominations.