Lauryn Hill Tribute at BET Awards 2026 Is the Most Joyful Thing

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Just how joyful, joyful were the feelings in the room when Lauryn Hill was honored at the 2026 BET Awards?

Queen Latifah, Common, Doechii, Doja Cat, SZA, Lizzo and more teamed up for a special medley—which started with a moving take on the spirited climax of Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit, which signaled in 1993 that Hill was a luminous talent to watch before she broke out as a premiere hip-hop artist with The Fugees—ahead of the 51-year-old being presented with the Living Legend Icon Award at the June 28 ceremony that took place at Los Angeles' Peacock Theater.

And just when you thought the tribute couldn't get any more buoyant and emotional, her sons Zion Marley—as in her ode "To Zion" off of her groundbreaking 1998 solo album The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill—and YG Marley, as well as daughter Selah, joined the celebration onstage. (Zion is the eldest of the five children Hill shares with ex Rohan Marley.)

Hill continued, "But also, I have always cared about the expression of and the representation of the dignity of our people."

Noting that sometimes artists are put in places to say things that "aren't always comfortable," she added, "we understand that people will understand later."

See all the stars who came out to experience this and so much more at the 2026 BET Awards: