Best Hair Moments at the 2026 BET Awards

Sunday night’s BET Awards red carpet was a whirlwind of sculptural hairstyles, with stars from Queen Latifah to Doechee rocking braided buns in a variety of sizes and silhouettes. A trendier look graced the A-list and artist attendees in avant-garde clothing, adding texture to the mix. Other guests made subtle changes by swapping their signature styles for straight extensions and sunset coloring.

Ahead, WWD takes a closer look at the standout hair moments from the 2026 awards show.

queen latifah

Queen Latifah topped her look with a puffy Cillian Kerner coat that gave her hair textured volume. Created by celebrity hair architect Iasia Meriwether, the style featured a sleek base and a hanging bun wrapped in spiral braids of all sizes. Thin braids wrapped around the bottom of the bun, and thicker braids covered the top, forming a cylindrical shape that protruded from the crown of the head.

Teyana Taylor

Teyana Taylor once again moved away from her curly pixie cut, styling her look with straight extensions instead. The sleek edges, installed by Edith Donaldson, accentuated the drama of a Stephane Laurent Spring 2026 Haute Couture maroon dress, which was later complemented by the royal blue halter-neck dress she wore to accept the Icon of the Year award presented by Janet Jackson.

kiki palmer

Kiki Palmer sported a low-back studded Gucci dress with sunset-hued box braids that ended just above the edge of the dress. Her long hair, styled by industry artist Jamika Wilson, was in line with her current go-to aesthetic. In fact, Palmer was first spotted wearing orange and pink hair extensions at last week’s Cannes Lions International Festival, where she spoke alongside Oprah Winfrey.

Doechii

Doechii never stops surprising her fans with her ever-evolving hair portfolio. Her latest look arrived wrapped like a present on Sunday night. Here, half of her cherry cola braids and coiled ends are separated and tied into a wide bowtie-shaped bun at the back of her head. Meanwhile, her front piece lay flat on the side of her face, and debris fell in front of her chest. This look is the work of Mathieu Jean-Pierre, whose client list also includes Lizzo.

kelly rowland

Kelly Rowland styled her wild curls with the help of Ty Simon and let her natural texture shine with a gold-dusted halter neck dress. The brushed curls gradually lightened as they moved away from the roots, turning from dark brown to a burnt caramel hue at the ends. Her bushy hair was parted on the left side of her head, a piece of it tickling the top of her forehead.