<\/p>\n
The YoungStars category is one of the clearest snapshots of where Black youth stardom is headed. <\/p>\n
BET\u2019s 2026 nominees<\/u><\/a> include child creators, teen interviewers, young actors, and a new crop of musicians whose audiences are already showing up for them on TV, YouTube, Instagram, and streaming platforms.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n What makes this category feel especially strong is that it is not built on one kind of fame. Some of these nominees are coming up through family-friendly digital content, some are moving through film and television, and some are already making noise in music before they are even old enough to vote.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Talented Black kids and teens are not waiting for permission to matter in entertainment. They are building the audience and BET is putting them on the stage while it is still early. Meet the YoungStars we\u2019ve got our eyes on.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n The Chicago-born actress has been acting since she was six, and her BET nomination adds another marker to a r\u00e9sum\u00e9 that already includes TV work and commercials. She is already getting real industry attention.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n Gracie\u2019s Corner has become one of the biggest Black kids\u2019 media success stories on YouTube, built around education, representation, and music that kids actually want to watch. Graceyn voices Gracie herself, which makes this nomination feel like a win for both young talent and family-made IP.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n The 10-year-old daughter of T.I. and Tiny already has a public performer\u2019s confidence, and her official page says it all with \u201c#HeiressDoesItAll.\u201d She has appeared on BET stages before, and this nomination keeps her in the conversation as one of the youngest faces in the family-legacy lane.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n The Bushwick-based interviewer has built a real audience by asking celebrities the kinds of questions only she can get away with asking. The 15-year-old reporter and her platform show how young media voices are already shaping celebrity culture.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n Lela<\/u><\/a> is an L.A.-based actress with credits that include \u201cAbbott Elementary,\u201d \u201cKidding,\u201d and \u201cErin & Aaron.\u201d She is already part of a serious TV ecosystem and the YoungStars nod gives her a bigger spotlight.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n North West is no longer just a nepo baby. She is actively stepping into music, with a debut EP, \u201cN0rth4evr,\u201d that she reportedly produced in full. At 12, she is one of the youngest names on the ballot and one of the clearest examples of Gen Z fame turning into actual creative output.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n Known for \u201cCreed III,\u201d \u201cSouth of Heaven,\u201d and \u201cCandy Cane Lane,\u201d Thaddeus already has the kind of screen credits that make him feel like a real next-wave acting name. His Instagram<\/u><\/a> also shows he is building his own entertainment lane beyond just acting.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n Savannah McConneaughey, better known as VanVan, became a viral rap sensation as a little kid, and BET already knows her well from her performance with Heiress Harris in 2024. She\u2019s a proud three-time BET award nominee, which makes this latest YoungStars nod feel like a continuation of a very real rise.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n\n
Daria Johns<\/h3>\n
Heiress Harris<\/h3>\n
Jazzy\u2019s World TV<\/h3>\n
Lela Hoffmeister<\/h3>\n
North West<\/h3>\n
Thaddeus J. Mixson<\/h3>\n
VanVan<\/h3>\n