The 2026 Billboard Women in Music Awards were held Wednesday night at the Hollywood Palladium in Los Angeles, with many celebrities and artists in attendance to celebrate women in the industry. Multihyphenate Teyana Taylor was among the honorees but faced a technical mishap during her acceptance speech for the Visionary Award.
Legendary singer Dionne Warwick was on stage and presented Taylor, 35, with the honor alongside her son as they waited for the “Made It” artist’s acceptance speech to appear on the teleprompter. Taylor asked several times, “Can I get the teleprompter?” as she tried to laugh off the awkward moment, but the teleprompter later displayed, “Teyana Taylor, we have no script for you. Everyone exit stage right,” which she read aloud, according to The Jasmine Brand and INYIM Media.
“They messed up my mic, my ears…” Taylor said, seemingly referring to earlier technical issues with her microphone and in-ear monitor, per INYIM Media. She then added, “First my ears, now this. Come on…”
Taylor then said, “Everybody exit right,” before walking off the stage.
Warwick and her son remained on stage, and he said, “I don’t know. See you all later,” before they both exited as the awkward moment lingered.
Host Keke Palmer returned to the stage and joked about the technical issue, stating that they had “messed up my girl Teyana’s prompter.” Despite the hiccup, she insisted that the ceremony was going smoothly, per INYIM Media.
After several minutes, Palmer brought Warwick back on stage, and the “Walk On By” singer also called Taylor back, stating she had something to say. The Harlem native returned, accepting the Visionary Award and delivering a speech from the teleprompter this time.
When Warwick first appeared on stage, she spoke highly of Taylor, who is poised to portray her in the highly anticipated biopic about the music legend, INYIM Media reported.
Billboard released a statement about the incident and commended Taylor for how she handled it.
“Tonight at Billboard Women in Music there was a glitch with the teleprompter, resulting in Teyana Taylor not being able to give her speech during her well-deserved moment. Before the show ended, Dionne Warwick returned to the stage and invited Taylor to share her heartfelt speech with the audience and celebrate her Visionary Award.”
Billboard representatives shared, “We want to Thank Teyana for her professionalism and patience in the face of an unexpected technical issue. Her voice, artistry and impact remain extraordinary, and we were honored to celebrate her as this year’s Visionary Award recipient,” the outlet said.
The ceremony highlighted notable women who are making significant strides in the music industry. In addition to Warwick, other presenters included Ciara, Brandi Carlile, Eva Longoria, Kim Petras, Lainey Wilson, Coco Jones, Tyla, Bella Poarch and Victoria Monét, among others.
Aside from Taylor, other award recipients included Kehlani, Impact Award; Tate McRae, Hitmaker Award; Laufey, Innovator Award; Zara Larsson, Breakthrough Award; Thalía, Icon Award; Ella Langley, Powerhouse Award; Mariah the Scientist, Rising Star Award; and KPop Demon Hunters trio EJAE, AUDREY NUNA and REI AMI, who received the Women of the Year Award, according to a news release.
