The Apex Times
Above the Noise
Culture Wire
CultureScott Eastwood says he confronted Shia LaBeouf with a threat during a tense on-set clashThe Apex TimesCultureSophie Thatcher, Breakout Star of Showtime’s ‘Yellowjackets,’ Heads to a Danish Sci-Fi Art Film After Unusual New RolesThe Apex TimesCultureHoward Stern wins dismissal effort in former executive assistant’s bid to void non-disclosure agreementThe Apex TimesCultureBuffalo Traffic Jam Debut Album ‘Pictures of You’ Arrives as Duo Frames Songs as an ‘Audible Photo Catalog’The Apex TimesCultureDave Bautista in talks to play Kratos in Amazon and Sony’s “God of War” series, replacing Ryan HurstThe Apex TimesCultureSony Pictures hires Jill Blankenship to write medieval action film ‘Castle,’ developed from Chris Bremner’s Unknown Quantity ideaThe Apex TimesCultureBillboard looks at Oscars Best Original Song history and whether Taylor Swift’s ‘Toy Story 5’ track could join Hot 100 No. 1 winnersThe Apex TimesCultureMichelle Pfeiffer Says She Wants Fewer Lead Roles After Her Latest Ensemble ExperienceThe Apex TimesCultureDavid Rivkin, Grammy-Winning Producer Who Helped Prince Early Career, Dies at 78The Apex TimesCultureHistorian Micki McElya revisits 1968 Atlantic City and the Miss America pageant’s clash with a changing AmericaThe Apex TimesCulturePhil Collins says hospital brush with death led doctors to tell his children goodbye was being preparedThe Apex TimesCultureBillboard: Apple Music’s Stephen Campbell expands dance coverage with new ‘Club Live’ offeringThe Apex TimesCultureScott Eastwood says he confronted Shia LaBeouf with a threat during a tense on-set clashThe Apex TimesCultureSophie Thatcher, Breakout Star of Showtime’s ‘Yellowjackets,’ Heads to a Danish Sci-Fi Art Film After Unusual New RolesThe Apex TimesCultureHoward Stern wins dismissal effort in former executive assistant’s bid to void non-disclosure agreementThe Apex TimesCultureBuffalo Traffic Jam Debut Album ‘Pictures of You’ Arrives as Duo Frames Songs as an ‘Audible Photo Catalog’The Apex TimesCultureDave Bautista in talks to play Kratos in Amazon and Sony’s “God of War” series, replacing Ryan HurstThe Apex TimesCultureSony Pictures hires Jill Blankenship to write medieval action film ‘Castle,’ developed from Chris Bremner’s Unknown Quantity ideaThe Apex TimesCultureBillboard looks at Oscars Best Original Song history and whether Taylor Swift’s ‘Toy Story 5’ track could join Hot 100 No. 1 winnersThe Apex TimesCultureMichelle Pfeiffer Says She Wants Fewer Lead Roles After Her Latest Ensemble ExperienceThe Apex TimesCultureDavid Rivkin, Grammy-Winning Producer Who Helped Prince Early Career, Dies at 78The Apex TimesCultureHistorian Micki McElya revisits 1968 Atlantic City and the Miss America pageant’s clash with a changing AmericaThe Apex TimesCulturePhil Collins says hospital brush with death led doctors to tell his children goodbye was being preparedThe Apex TimesCultureBillboard: Apple Music’s Stephen Campbell expands dance coverage with new ‘Club Live’ offeringThe Apex TimesCultureScott Eastwood says he confronted Shia LaBeouf with a threat during a tense on-set clashThe Apex TimesCultureSophie Thatcher, Breakout Star of Showtime’s ‘Yellowjackets,’ Heads to a Danish Sci-Fi Art Film After Unusual New RolesThe Apex TimesCultureHoward Stern wins dismissal effort in former executive assistant’s bid to void non-disclosure agreementThe Apex TimesCultureBuffalo Traffic Jam Debut Album ‘Pictures of You’ Arrives as Duo Frames Songs as an ‘Audible Photo Catalog’The Apex TimesCultureDave Bautista in talks to play Kratos in Amazon and Sony’s “God of War” series, replacing Ryan HurstThe Apex TimesCultureSony Pictures hires Jill Blankenship to write medieval action film ‘Castle,’ developed from Chris Bremner’s Unknown Quantity ideaThe Apex TimesCultureBillboard looks at Oscars Best Original Song history and whether Taylor Swift’s ‘Toy Story 5’ track could join Hot 100 No. 1 winnersThe Apex TimesCultureMichelle Pfeiffer Says She Wants Fewer Lead Roles After Her Latest Ensemble ExperienceThe Apex TimesCultureDavid Rivkin, Grammy-Winning Producer Who Helped Prince Early Career, Dies at 78The Apex TimesCultureHistorian Micki McElya revisits 1968 Atlantic City and the Miss America pageant’s clash with a changing AmericaThe Apex TimesCulturePhil Collins says hospital brush with death led doctors to tell his children goodbye was being preparedThe Apex TimesCultureBillboard: Apple Music’s Stephen Campbell expands dance coverage with new ‘Club Live’ offeringThe Apex TimesCultureScott Eastwood says he confronted Shia LaBeouf with a threat during a tense on-set clashThe Apex TimesCultureSophie Thatcher, Breakout Star of Showtime’s ‘Yellowjackets,’ Heads to a Danish Sci-Fi Art Film After Unusual New RolesThe Apex TimesCultureHoward Stern wins dismissal effort in former executive assistant’s bid to void non-disclosure agreementThe Apex TimesCultureBuffalo Traffic Jam Debut Album ‘Pictures of You’ Arrives as Duo Frames Songs as an ‘Audible Photo Catalog’The Apex TimesCultureDave Bautista in talks to play Kratos in Amazon and Sony’s “God of War” series, replacing Ryan HurstThe Apex TimesCultureSony Pictures hires Jill Blankenship to write medieval action film ‘Castle,’ developed from Chris Bremner’s Unknown Quantity ideaThe Apex TimesCultureBillboard looks at Oscars Best Original Song history and whether Taylor Swift’s ‘Toy Story 5’ track could join Hot 100 No. 1 winnersThe Apex TimesCultureMichelle Pfeiffer Says She Wants Fewer Lead Roles After Her Latest Ensemble ExperienceThe Apex TimesCultureDavid Rivkin, Grammy-Winning Producer Who Helped Prince Early Career, Dies at 78The Apex TimesCultureHistorian Micki McElya revisits 1968 Atlantic City and the Miss America pageant’s clash with a changing AmericaThe Apex TimesCulturePhil Collins says hospital brush with death led doctors to tell his children goodbye was being preparedThe Apex TimesCultureBillboard: Apple Music’s Stephen Campbell expands dance coverage with new ‘Club Live’ offeringThe Apex Times
Back to front
Teyana Taylor Breaks Down in Tears as Janet Jackson Presents Her BET Icon of the Year Award
The Apex Times

THE APEX TIMES

Culture/The Apex Times/Jun 28, 9:45 PM EDT

Teyana Taylor Breaks Down in Tears as Janet Jackson Presents Her BET Icon of the Year Award

At the BET Awards ceremony, the Oscar-nominated actress and performer accepted the Icon of the Year honor moments after Janet Jackson handed it to her, describing a year of work across music, film, fashion and production.

2 min readEditor-approved Apex article

Teyana Taylor appeared visibly emotional as she accepted the BET Icon of the Year award at the BET Awards, following an onstage presentation by Janet Jackson. In remarks reported from the ceremony, Taylor said she was “gagging” in a line that included profanity, as she reflected on the moment and her year of accomplishments.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Taylor’s reaction included sobbing during the acceptance sequence. She then delivered an extended thank-you message, framing the recognition as grounded in her work and describing the range of creative roles she has taken on during the year.

In her speech, Taylor said, “I’m accepting what I’ve earned with gratitude.” She added that she was continuing to “give the world the artist, actress, director, choreographer, creative director, stylist, designer, writer, producer and chef,” describing a wide portfolio rather than a single project. The remarks were made while she was receiving the Icon of the Year honor tied to the BET ceremony.

Jackson’s role as presenter placed her at the center of the moment, with The Hollywood Reporter characterizing Jackson as presenting Taylor’s award. The same report noted Taylor’s professional stature, including that she is an Oscar nominee and a Golden Globe-winning actress, positioning her as a mainstream, multi-discipline figure in addition to her music and performance career.

The BET Icon of the Year distinction functioned as the night’s recognition for Taylor’s overall impact, with the ceremony’s spotlight focused on her acceptance remarks and public reaction. In addition to the formal presentation, the event highlighted the interplay between established pop icons and newer mainstream crossover visibility within Black entertainment media.

Taylor’s acceptance also underscored the awards show’s emphasis on both visibility and craft, with her speech listing roles that connect performance to creative control, styling and writing, as she characterized her output across categories. The report from the ceremony suggests the recognition was intended to capture her broad body of work in a single, public forum.

BET Awards coverage in major entertainment media has increasingly tied acceptance speeches to audience engagement and creator branding, and Taylor’s wide-ranging remarks were designed to be understood as a summary of her creative output. The next step for Taylor, based on the public recognition alone, is continuing promotion tied to her existing projects and any future releases she has in motion, as the awards announcement itself did not detail specific new titles.

Why It Matters

  • The Icon of the Year honor placed Taylor’s multi-discipline work at the center of a major Black entertainment awards platform, potentially increasing visibility across music, film and fashion audiences.
  • The pairing of Janet Jackson presenting Taylor reinforced intergenerational recognition within mainstream pop culture and entertainment media.
  • Taylor’s speech, focused on creative range and control, highlighted how awards moments can function as public summaries of an artist’s career strategy rather than a single project spotlight.
  • High-profile televised awards and acceptance moments can affect audience attention and media coverage cycles for creators who are active across multiple categories of production.

Sources

Key Facts

  • Teyana Taylor accepted the BET Icon of the Year award at the BET Awards.
  • Janet Jackson presented the Icon of the Year honor to Taylor during the ceremony.
  • Taylor was reported to have sobbed during the acceptance moment.
  • In her speech, Taylor said, “I’m accepting what I’ve earned with gratitude,” and described the range of roles she has taken on, including artist, actress, director, choreographer, creative director, stylist, designer, writer, producer and chef.
  • The Hollywood Reporter reported Taylor’s onstage line that included profanity, “B****, I’m gagging,” as part of her reaction to the award.
Teyana Taylor Breaks Down in Tears as Janet Jackson Presents Her BET Icon of the Year Award | The Apex Times