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Lauryn Hill, 51, Tells BET Awards Crowd: ‘I Fight for Y’all’

Accepting BET’s Living Legend Icon Award, the Grammy-winning singer brought the night back to motherhood, family and purpose

Donna Freydkin,

AARP

Published June 29, 2026

lauryn hill performing onstage in an elaborate costume and statement jewelry

Kevin Winter/Getty Images

Lauryn Hill performs at the 2026 BET Awards on June 28, 2026. She was honored with the Living Legend Icon Award.

Key takeaways

Lauryn Hill, 51, accepted BET’s Living Legend Icon Award after a tribute built from songs from The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill and across her career with the Fugees.
Hill used the moment to talk less about fame than responsibility to her children, her parents and the community she says her music was meant to serve.
Her speech echoed what many adults 50 and older say they want in later life: purpose, accomplishment and continued growth.

Lauryn Hill accepted BET’s Living Legend Icon Award on Sunday night and turned a career honor into something more pointed.

“I fight for y’all,” Hill, 51, said from the stage at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. “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.”

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The singer received the honor after a 20-minute tribute built around the music that made her one of the most influential artists of her era: Her work with the Fugees, the hip-hop trio that first brought her fame in the 1990s, and songs from The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, her landmark 1998 solo debut.

Hill was not there only to receive the award; after accepting it, she performed “Ex-Factor” and helped close the show with “Everything Is Everything,” both from The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill.

That album — the only solo one she ever released — still carries Grammy history. It won album of the year in 1999, and Hill became the first woman to win five or more Grammys in one night. She has won eight Grammys overall and received 19 nominations.

But Hill did not spend her time reciting milestones. She talked about the people who shaped her before the world knew her name.

Hill began with her parents, saying they “loved on me, poured into me and protected me.” Then, she said, she realized not everyone had been given that kind of care.

“I felt like it was my duty, my responsibility to share as much love and to pour into [as many] people as I possibly could,” Hill said. “And music was a way for me to do that.”

Her children were part of the night, too. Hill has six, five of them with Rohan Marley (son of reggae legend Bob Marley): Zion Marley, 28; Selah Marley, 27; Joshua “YG” Marley, 24; John Nesta Marley, 23; Sara Marley, 18; and Micah Hill, 14. Zion, Selah and Joshua appeared during the tribute, with Selah and Zion performing as Hill smiled, sang along and applauded.

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Then Hill made the point herself: “I’m an artist here, but you know what? I’m a mother,” she said.

She marked family milestones in real time. Her son John was celebrating his 23rd birthday, she said, and her daughter Sara had just graduated from high school and was headed to the University of Miami.

Hill returned to the album that still follows her everywhere.

“When I made The Miseducation, I was inspired by you,” she said. “I was inspired by the beauty. I was inspired by our potential. I knew it was possible. I dreamed it. I saw it. And I had to manifest it through song.”

Again and again, the speech came back to usefulness.

“Somebody out there needs your gift,” Hill said. “So don’t sell your gift short.”

That message aligns with what many AARP readers say they want from this stage of life. In a 2025 AARP survey of adults 50 and older, 79 percent said having a clear sense of purpose is very important. Nearly as many said the same about feeling a sense of accomplishment in daily life, while 70 percent pointed to doing things that help others and 62 percent cited opportunities for personal growth.

The survey also found that 77 percent of adults 50 and older are interested in learning how to create and maintain a sense of purpose in their lives. Hill’s answer Sunday night was rooted in family, work and respect.

“Let’s celebrate each other,” Hill said. “Let’s honor each other. Let’s respect each other. If nobody else shows us respect, let’s respect each other.”

The key takeaways were created with the assistance of generative AI. An AARP editor reviewed and refined the content for accuracy and clarity.

Donna Freydkin has spent 10-plus years interviewing celebrities for major publications, and has written for a variety of outlets such as USA Today, Allure, Yahoo! and CNN covering topics such as films, family and favorite meals.

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