Comedian and social superstar Druski will make history when he takes the stage as host of the 2026 BET Awards. At 31, Druski will become the youngest ever host of the BET Awards, narrowly eclipsing Kevin Hart, who was also 31 (but closer to 32 than Druski is now) when he first hosted in 2011.

 The 2026 BET Awards will air live on BET from the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles on Sunday, June 28, at 8 p.m. ET/PT.

“It’s an honor to be the youngest host EVER for the BET Awards,” Druski said in a statement. “I grew up watching the BET Awards and, to know the comedic legends that hosted before me set the bar so high, I’m just grateful to be a part of the history. BUT I’m still bringing my brand of comedy to the stage, so expect a little chaos, a lot of laughs and some of your favorite Druski characters to pop out along the way.”

Druski has redefined comedy for the digital era, building a massive following through viral sketches, sold-out tours and collaborations with such wide-ranging performers as Hart, Drake, Snoop Dogg, Tom Brady and Timothée Chalamet. Last year, Druski assumed the role of Justin Bieber’s therapist on three sketches on the pop star’s Swag, which reached No. 2 on the Billboard 200 and received Grammy nods for album of the year and best pop vocal album.

Druski made history in December 2025 as the first comedian to cover Billboard‘s No. 1’s issue. In the cover story, Billboard staff writer Kyle Denis observed: “That crossover moment on the now Grammy-nominated album cemented Druski as the defining comedian of his generation, someone who transcends mediums as easily as he does demographics … From Dunkin’ Super Bowl commercials to Bieber album cameos, Druski defined 2025 like no other star — and pop culture’s biggest names are taking notice.”

One of pop culture’s biggest names who did just that was Hart, who said in the cover story, “When will teachers and professors start to use creators like Druski as case studies in media, communication and film classes? He is paving the way for so many future stars, and he’s captured the voice of his generation. Druski has learned how to use data and metrics to keep his audience engaged and entertained the same way comedians before him learned how to move on from a joke that may not hit.”

Druski hosted Billboard’s 2025 No. 1s Livestream on Dec. 9, where he welcomed special guests to help reveal the biggest chart-toppers of 2025.

In a Billboard News video last year, Carl Lamarre, Billboard‘s senior director R&B, R&B/hip-hop, noted: “I think with Druski, he’s been able to tap into different areas pretty seamlessly, especially in the new era where you don’t see a lot of comedians going on tour and integrating music acts. But it’s not even just hip-hop. He can touch any genre with ease, like he just teamed up with Fuerza [Regida] to do some merch for Coulda Been Records. So he’s been able to tap into every genre, every market, seamlessly and that’s what makes him the star that he is.”

Since 2020, Druski has appeared in several music videos, including Lil Yachty and DaBaby “Oprah’s Bank Account” (featuring Drake); Drake’s “Laugh Now Cry Later” (featuring Lil Durk); Jack Harlow’s “Tyler Herro” and “Churchill Downs” (the latter featuring Drake); Chlöe and Latto’s “For the Night”; Rod Wave’s “Passport Junkie”; and Fuerza Regida’s “GodFather.”         

Druski was also named to Forbes‘ Under 30 List, Rolling Stone‘s Most Influential Creator List and The Hollywood Reporter’s Creator A-List.

“As one of the most exciting and influential comedic voices of his generation, Druski brings a unique ability to connect with audiences through humor that feels both fresh and deeply rooted in culture,” said Connie Orlando, EVP, specials, music programming & music strategy at BET, in a statement. “As we prepare for this year’s BET Awards, we’re thrilled to have him bring his signature energy and perspective to the stage, helping set the tone for a night that celebrates the achievements and cultural impact of our community.”

Orlando serves as executive producer for the 2026 BET Awards. Jesse Collins Entertainment is the production company for the show, with Collins, Dionne Harmon and Jeannae Rouzan-Clay also serving as executive producers.

The 2026 BET Awards will air live on Sunday, June 28, at 8 p.m. ET/PT on BET and will be simulcast on BET HER, CMT, LOGO, MTV, MTV2, Nickelodeon, Paramount, POP, VH1, Comedy Central and TV Land.

Culture’s Biggest Week returns with BET Experience 2026 (BETX), three days of immersive, fan-focused events, June 25-27, ahead of the 2026 BET Awards.

Of 68 prior editions of Billboard’s monthly Top Tours chart, only 14, or less than 21%, were led by solo women. Of the 23 unique acts who topped that list, just four, or 17%, were solo women. Luckily those percentages see a small but mighty uptick with the reveal of the March 2026 rankings as Lady Gaga ascends to the summit, while Cardi B takes the runner-up slot.

According to figures reported to Billboard Boxscore, Gaga’s The Mayhem Ball earned $45.6 million and sold 154,000 tickets across 12 shows in March, making it the month’s highest-grossing trek.

March marks Gaga’s first month at No. 1 on Top Tours, after getting closer and closer since the chart launched. She rounded out the inaugural chart at No. 30 in February 2019. Then, she grazed the top 10, at No. 10, four times between 2019-22. While on 2022’s The Chromatica Ball, she hit single digits, cracking the top five in August of that year. Since touring behind Mayhem, she’s been in the top 10 for ten of the last 12 months, spending the last six in the top five including back-to-back stints in the runner-up position in December and January.

Topping the list with some of the tour’s final shows (The Mayhem Ball wrapped on April 13), Gaga’s persistence paid off. She becomes one of only five solo women to crown the Top Tours chart, following P!nk (four times), Spice Girls (one), Beyoncé (seven), and Shakira (two). (The monthly ranking started in February 2019).

Among all acts, Gaga is the second in the last year to top the list for the first time. Among repeat offenders like Bad Bunny, Paul McCartney, and Ed Sheeran, only she and Chris Brown were new at No. 1.

Gaga follows Sheeran, who led the February chart. Perhaps surprisingly, it is extremely rare for pop artists to go back-to-back at No. 1. This is the first instance of such a double-header in almost seven years, since Spice Girls and P!nk were tops in June and July of 2019. P!nk and Sheeran had also done it in March and April of that year.

In another rarity, Gaga tops the chart in arenas, which has only happened in one third of the 69 monthly charts. It’s becoming increasingly rare – in the last 15 months, it’s only happened twice, with Gaga joining Paul McCartney, who was No. 1 in November 2025. Even in recent winter months, Bad Bunny and Sheeran have gone global, with winning stadium legs in South America and Australia, respectively.

Gaga’s March schedule mainly covered the east coast of the United States, starting in Atlanta and Miami and going north to Washington, D.C., New York, and Boston. As it was in August during The Mayhem Ball’s first leg, New York was the highest-grossing market with $9.1 million and 27,300 tickets sold on March 23-24. She returned one last time to close the tour out on April 13.

All told, The Mayhem Ball grossed $362.9 million and sold more than 1.6 million tickets. Including extra shows Gaga played in Mexico City and Singapore before the trek’s proper kickoff, she earned $419.5 million and sold just under two million tickets across 12 months of touring. It’s her biggest tour yet and ends as one of the 10 highest-grossing pop tours in Boxscore history, as well as one of the 10 highest-grossing tours by women.

Gaga’s month on top is rare in terms of her genre, her gender, and her venue choices but she pulls off another historic feat in great company. By blocking Nos. 1-2, Gaga and Cardi B are only the second pair of solo women to take the top two spots, and first to do so since 2023.

Beyoncé and P!nk, both chart-toppers in their own right, led the chart together in August 2023, with the former in the middle of the Renaissance World Tour, and the latter amid her own Summer Carnival. Those two treks remain the highest-grossing tours by women in Boxscore history, not accounting for Taylor Swift’s unreported The Eras Tour.

Cardi B’s Little Miss Drama Tour grossed $32.8 million and sold 210,000 tickets over 16 shows in February. The trek began in February and ended just days after The Mayhem Ball, ultimately grossing $70 million from 453,000 tickets sold across 35 dates. She is the fifth rapper, and first female rapper, to rank as high on the monthly listing.

Peso Pluma is No. 3 on Top Tour with $29.3 million and 218,000 tickets sold. Across 17 shows, he has the month’s best-selling tour, narrowly besting Cardi B by a margin of less than 4%. The Dinastía Tour, with Tito Double P, continues tonight at Madison Square Garden, and wraps on May 9 at Chicago’s United Center.

Another three artists crossed the $20 million threshold in March, representing different genres and continents. South Korea’s SEVENTEEN is No. 4 with $27.3 million from Asian stadiums. German composer Hans Zimmer is right behind with $26.1 million from 17 shows in European arenas. And California rock band Linkin Park is next with $21.9 million with seven shows in Australia and New Zealand.

The Top Boxscores chart further diversifies these global rankings, swept by Latin American festivals. Mexican promoter OCESA takes the top three spots, with Monterrey’s Tecate Pal Norte, Bogota’s Festival Estereo Picnic, and Mexico City’s Vive Latino Festival. They combined for almost $45 million, making up more than half of the company’s $76.1 monthly take.

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More and more, K-pop concerts are becoming a hot topic.

As the genre becomes more popular in the States and across the globe, artists have begun expanding their horizons, taking their tours beyond Asia to stop in North America and beyond. That’s not even including the K-pop acts headlining music festivals or conventions that are going down this year.

On the docket for 2026, we’re already seeing big names embarking on massive world tours and even Las Vegas residencies a la BLACKPINK’s Lisa. BTS, ENHYPEN, IVE and aespa are just a few big names headed out on tour, with more artists announcing tours all the time. To keep you in the know, we’ve compiled a list of K-pop concerts happening in 2026 so far and where you can buy tickets. As always, keep in mind that the official spot to grab tickets to all of these events will be via Ticketmaster. That being said, we’ve also included links to resale and third-party sites. Keep reading to learn more.

K-Pop Concerts 2026 (Updated)

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Spotify has announced the launch of “Verified by Spotify,” a new verification badge designed to distinguish human artists and provide greater transparency for users. To qualify, artists must be in good standing with Spotify’s platform policies, have consistent listener activity and prove their identity as an artist on and off platform.

A press release announcing this badge points to “the AI era” and says, “It’s more important than ever to be able to trust the authenticity of the music you listen to.” As part of the new program, the company notes that now “more than 99% of the artists Spotify listeners actively search for will be verified,” which “prioritiz[es] artists with active fan interest, or who have made important contributions to music culture and history, rather than functional music creators whose content is primarily designed for passive or background listening.”

The badges are part of a string of recent Spotify roll outs, designed to provide users with more context, transparency and trust with artists on the platform. This includes the recent announcements about tools like “artist profile protection” (which guards profiles against accidental uploads by incorrect users or malicious AI deepfakes), AI credits (which allows users to disclose AI assistance in song making), SongDNA (which lets listeners explore the connections between creative collaborators), About the Song (which provides context and storytelling for songs) and more.

To distinguish verified profiles, Spotify will list a light green checkmark icon and text that reads “verified by Spotify.” This will slowly roll out over the coming weeks and be approved on an ongoing basis to ensure accuracy and consistency.

Additionally, profiles, regardless of Verified by Spotify status, will begin to list more information about an artists’ career milestones, release activity and touring activity to provide additional information — something which the press release compares to “nutrition facts” to offer “a quick, reliable snapshot.”

This feature comes at a time when streaming services have been receiving a rapidly growing number of AI songs. According to a recent report by French streaming service Deezer, 44% of daily uploads are now 100% AI-generated, which amounts to 75,000 new AI songs every day. Apple Music executive Oliver Schusser also recently discussed the topic on Billboard‘s On the Record podcast, revealing that about a third of monthly uploads for Apple Music are fully AI-generated. While Spotify has not revealed exactly what their daily count of AI music is, the company’s global head of policy, music business Sam Duboff was asked about whether he is seeing similar metrics to Deezer’s on the On the Record podcast and he replied: “We have no reason to disbelieve it’s a similar amount on any streaming service. That said, I think they shared the point that .5% of streams is all those songs were getting.” 

While all streaming services speaking out about the topic have similarly agreed that the volume of streams on AI songs remains incredibly low, the onslaught of new AI-generated material can pose other potential issues for platforms — like increasing issues with discoverability for human talent, impersonation, spam and storage issues. Spotify announced policies in September 2025 to target some of these harms, which largely stem from AI-generated material, strengthening their safeguards around impersonation, transparency and spam in particular.

Few, if any, pop stars throughout history have had a more incredible run than Janet Jackson at her peak. From 1986 to 2001, she released five full-length albums — each of which topped the Billboard 200, each of which generated at least one No. 1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100, each of which helped to define their era in pop, R&B and culture in general, and each of which proved enormously impactful on pop stardom, both in real time and for generations to come. And perhaps most impressively: Each of those album eras felt completely separate from the ones before or after, reframing Jackson’s artistry and shaping her legacy in a totally new way.

In honor of the pop icon, R&B legend and Rock and Roll Hall of Famer’s upcoming 60th birthday (May 16), we’re celebrating a first on the Greatest Pop Stars podcast: A full week of Vintage Pop Stardom flashbacks to each of these peak Janet Jackson album eras. We’ll start in 1986 on May 11 with her Control breakthrough, and go one a day through the rest of the week, hitting the heights of her bar-setting Rhythm Nation era in 1990, her game-changing Janet release in 1993, her boundary-pushing Velvet Rope rollout in 1998 and her legacy-confirming All for You drop in 2001.

And of course, along the way, we’ll answer all the most pressing questions about Ms. Janet during this all-time run: How did she end up making such an astronomical creative leap from her pre-Control material? What did she understand about crafting a full album era that even some of her megastar peers had to catch up to? How did she set the template for modern pop star evolution — and who have been some of her most obvious disciples? What challenges did she have to face in her career that her male and/or white pop peers might not have had to go through the same way? Which album is she most likely to be remembered for in 50 years? Which song? Which video? And why, 40 years after her breakthrough, does it still feel like her work doesn’t quite get the recognition or visibility it deserves?

Listen to a quick teaser explaining more about the series above, catch up on our Vintage Pop Stardom episodes here, and check back from May 11-15 both on Greatest Pop Stars and Billboard.com as we commemorate a pop star who music and culture would never do without!

And as we say in every one of these GPS podcast posts — if you have the time and money to spare, please consider donating to any of these causes in the fight for trans rights:

Transgender Law Center

Trans Lifeline

Destination Tomorrow

Gender-Affirming Care Fundraising on GoFundMe

Human Rights Campaign – In Your Area