Photo: Bennett Raglin/Getty Images for BET
They say don’t meet your heroes, but it seems like it turned out pretty well for Teyana Taylor. At the BET Awards on Sunday night, Janet Jackson was the surprise presenter for Taylor’s Icon of the Year award, leaving the One Battle After Another star genuinely shocked.
As if seeing Jackson weren’t overwhelming enough, Taylor then had to listen to her favorite artist say a lot of really nice stuff about her. Understandably, Taylor cried the whole time.
Janet Jackson arrives at the #BETAwards to present the Icon of the Year Award to Teyana Taylor pic.twitter.com/PbRaBD5f9i
— Deadline (@DEADLINE) June 29, 2026
“I’ve enjoyed watching you, as you know, over the years,” Jackson told Taylor. “You defy expectations, rewrite the rules, and lead with an unstoppable work ethic. Your gifts are from God, they’re God-given. And as long as you remain close to God, your light will forever shine bright.”
When Taylor got onstage to accept her award, she obviously had to address the Jackson in the room first. “Oh my God. Bitch, I’m gagging,” Taylor said. “They did not tell me Janet was coming, bitch, and it’s so crazy because when Kehlani said, ‘Janet is here,’ I said, ‘Bitch, is that the surprise?’ I wasn’t sure!”
“I love you so much. Thank you, thank you, thank you for always seeing me,” Taylor continued. “Thank you for every text, every hug, every talk. You are my biggest inspiration. Everybody who knows me know how I feel about you, the fact that you even took up the time to be here to celebrate with me, this is crazy. I love you so much.”
Taylor may not have won an Oscar this year, but I get the feeling that this makes up for the loss. “Like, you don’t even understand, there would be no me without you,” Taylor got to tell her idol. It doesn’t really get much better than that.
Stay in touch.
The latest in style, self, culture, and power in your inbox.
Vox Media, LLC Terms and Privacy Notice
Related