It was a night of musical tribute and celebration at the 2026 BET Awards, where Ms. Lauryn Hill was celebrated with the first-ever Living Legend Icon Award. The ceremony honored her significant contributions to music with an enthralling performance that included three of her children alongside renowned artists such as Queen Latifah, Common, Doechii, and Lizzo.
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The homage began with an electrifying performance by Tanya Trotter of The War and Treaty, who captivated the audience with a gospel piece from the film Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit. This film marked an early moment in Hill’s career, long before her rise to fame with The Fugees.
As the night unfolded, it was Hill’s children who continued the tribute. Her daughter, Selah Marley, delivered a heartfelt rendition of “The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill.” YG Marley followed, infusing passion into “Turn Your Lights Down Low,” while Zion Marley offered a stirring, reggae-inspired performance of “To Zion,” a deeply personal song from Hill’s iconic 1998 album, written to celebrate his birth.
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While accepting the award, Hill reflected on the love that has shaped both her life and her music.
“I do this because I love y’all,” she said. “I do this because I want you to have everything that I experienced, right? I had wonderful parents who loved on me, poured into me and protected me. And once I realized that not everybody got to have that experience, I felt like it was my duty, my responsibility to share as much love, and to pour into as much people as I possibly could. And music was a way for me to do that.”
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Hill also spoke about the importance of representing her community.
“I have always cared about the expression of and the representation of the dignity of our people,” she said. “Sometimes we’re put in positions to say things that aren’t always comfortable. We understand that people will understand later.”
“Everybody may not know it, but I fight for y’all,” Hill continued. “And fighting for y’all is me fighting for myself. It’s me fighting for my children, it’s me fighting for my parents, it’s me fighting for my grandparents. It’s me fighting for my community.”
Before concluding her speech, Hill also recognized two of her other children, John and Sara Marley, who were in the audience. She noted that John was celebrating his 23rd birthday, while Sara is preparing to attend the University of Miami. Hill shares five children with former partner Rohan Marley and son Micah Hill from another relationship.