BMI has announced that Nas will receive the BMI Icon Award at the 2026 BMI R&B/Hip-Hop Awards, recognising the Queensbridge rapper's decades-long influence on the genre. The honour places him alongside past recipients such as Lil Wayne, Al Green, James Brown, Babyface, Snoop Dogg and Janet Jackson, reflecting his standing as one of hip-hop's most celebrated lyricists and storytellers.

The ceremony will be held in Los Angeles on 26 August, where BMI will also present awards for songwriter, song, producer and publisher of the year, honouring those behind the 35 most-performed R&B and hip-hop songs of the past year. Nas, who won his first Grammy in 2021, has notched 27 Billboard Hot 100 entries and five number-one solo albums on the Billboard 200, and recently reunited on stage with Jay-Z during his three-night run at Yankee Stadium.