Sylvia Rhone to Receive BET Ultimate Icon Award at 2026 BET Awards

Sylvia Rhone, the 74‑year‑old record executive who has spent five decades shaping the music industry, will be honored with the BET Ultimate Icon Award at the 26th BET Awards. The ceremony will take place Sunday, June 28, 2026, at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles and will be broadcast live on BET at 8 p.m. ET. Comedian Druski will host the event.

The BET Awards, established in 2001 to celebrate Black entertainers and other minorities, will present the Ultimate Icon Award to Rhone in recognition of her pioneering role as the first Black woman to chair a major record company imprint and the first Black woman to hold dual CEO and chair positions at a major label. According to a BET statement, the award honors “trailblazers whose work has transcended their field, figures whose names have become synonymous with excellence.” Past recipients include Beyoncé, Jamie Foxx, Kirk Franklin and Mariah Carey.

Rhone’s career began in 1974 as a secretary at Buddha Records, where she later became a promotions coordinator. She moved to Atlantic Records in 1985, rising to Senior Vice‑President of Black Music. In that role she worked with artists such as Brandy, MC Lyte, Yo Yo, and LeVert. In 1994 she became Chairman and CEO of Elektra Entertainment Group, an imprint of Warner Music Group. While at Elektra, the roster included Missy Elliott, Busta Rhymes, En Vogue, Metallica and Natalie Merchant.

In 2004 Rhone was appointed head of Universal Motown Records, later the Universal Motown Record Group. The label signed India Arie, Akon, Kid Cudi and Erykah Badu and served as the distribution partner for Cash Money Records. In 2014 she joined Epic Records as president; she was promoted to chair and CEO in 2019. During her tenure at Epic she helped launch the careers of Travis Scott, 21 Savage, Mariah the Scientist, Giveon, Future and Tyla. Rhone stepped down as Chairman and CEO of Epic in 2025 after six years in the role.

In a farewell memo to Epic staff released in 2025, Rhone reflected on her work with artists and on the broader cultural impact of the music she helped create. She described the process as a “deeply human connection” that “reflects our world, questions our assumptions, and uplifts our spirits.”

BET’s Executive Vice‑President and Head of Programming, Connie Orlando, said the award “celebrates Sylvia Rhone’s influence beyond the music business and into the culture itself.” Orlando added that Rhone’s leadership “shattered ceilings that had never been broken” and “redefined what leadership looks like for women and people of color in every boardroom that followed.”

The 26th BET Awards will feature performances and award presentations typical of the annual ceremony. In addition to the Ultimate Icon Award, the event will recognize achievements in music, film, television, sports and philanthropy. The awards will be streamed live on BET’s network and will be available for on‑demand viewing after the broadcast.

Rhone’s recognition at the BET Awards underscores her lasting influence on the music industry and on the next generation of leaders. Her career trajectory—from a secretary to a top executive—illustrates the possibilities that opened up for Black women in music business leadership over the past fifty years.

The BET Awards 2026 will be the 26th edition of the ceremony, held June 28, 2026, at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. The event will be broadcast live on BET and will feature Druski as host.

The Ultimate Icon Award will be presented to Sylvia Rhone during the televised ceremony, adding her name to a list of industry trailblazers whose work has had a lasting cultural impact.