Caribbean Roots Actress Teyana Taylor Named Icon Of The Year At BET Awards

By NAN ET REPORTER | NewsAmericasNow.com

News Americas, LOS ANGELES, CA, Mon. June 29, 2026: Actress and singer Teyana Taylor made history again Sunday night. The Harlem-born actress and entertainer – whose father Tito Smith is Trinidadian, connecting her directly to the Caribbean diaspora that has shaped New York City for generations – was named Icon of the Year at the 2026 BET Awards at Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, presented by the legendary Janet Jackson.

But the Icon of the Year honor was only the beginning of Taylor’s extraordinary night. She also won three competitive awards – Best Actress, Video Director of the Year, and the newly introduced Fashion Vanguard Award – making her the dominant figure of the evening.

“I worked my a** off 20 years for this,” Taylor said in accepting her awards, as quoted in coverage of the ceremony. “So I’m not accepting what I’ve earned with arrogance; I’m accepting what I’ve earned with gratitude.”

The Caribbean Thread In A Harlem Story

(L-R) Teyana Taylor accepts the Icon of the Year award from Janet Jackson onstage during the BET Awards 2026 at Peacock Theater on June 28, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Johnny Nunez/Getty Images for BET)

Born in Harlem to a Trinidadian father and an African American mother, Taylor has long embodied a layered cultural identity that mainstream entertainment coverage has rarely foregrounded – but that the Caribbean diaspora has always recognized. Her father, Tito Smith, is Trinidadian – connecting Taylor directly to the Caribbean and to the generations of Caribbean immigrants who built communities across New York City and shaped Black American culture from the ground up.

While Taylor was raised by her mother, Nikki Taylor, in Harlem, that Caribbean lineage has always been part of her personal narrative. In an industry where Caribbean identity is often flattened or overlooked, her sweep at the 2026 BET Awards stands as a powerful reminder that Caribbean influence extends far beyond music genres like reggae, soca, and dancehall – it is woven deeply into Black American cultural achievement across film, fashion, and performance.

A Historic Golden Globe Earlier This Year

Sunday’s BET Awards sweep came as the culmination of what has already been a landmark year for Taylor. When she accepted the Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress on January 11, 2026, Taylor joined a very short and historic list – becoming only the second Black actor of Caribbean heritage to win a Golden Globe, following the late Bahamian-born film legend Sidney Poitier.

She also joined an elite group of just 17 Black actors overall to have won a Golden Globe in the award’s history. Taylor has also received an Oscar nomination for her performance in One Battle After Another and a Grammy nomination for Best R&B Album for Escape Room – making 2026 the most decorated year of her already extraordinary two-decade career.

The BET Awards Night

Taylor made an unforgettable entrance on the BET Awards red carpet in a dramatic strapless burgundy gown by Paris designer Stéphane Rolland. The voluminous design featured layers of fabric cascading into a full skirt with shimmering embellishment across the bodice. She completed the regal look with a coordinating headpiece and flowing train.

The 2026 BET Awards – hosted for the first time by comedian Druski at Peacock Theater – also honored singer Lauryn Hill with the Living Legend Icon Award and music executive Sylvia Rhone with the Ultimate Icon Award.

For Taylor – who has spent two decades building one of the most versatile careers in entertainment, spanning music, film, fashion, and directing – Sunday night in Los Angeles was a full-circle moment. And for the Caribbean diaspora watching from Trinidad, from New York, from Toronto, and from London – it was a reminder that their children carry their heritage with them all the way to the top.