LOS ANGELES (AP) — Druski will host the 2026 BET Awards, becoming the youngest emcee in the show’s history.
BET announced Thursday that the 31-year-old comedian and digital creator will lead the ceremony, which airs live June 28 from the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles.
Druski surpasses Kevin Hart, who previously held the distinction as the BET Award's youngest host when he emceed in 2011.
“I grew up watching the BET Awards,” Druski said in a statement. “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.”
Best known for his viral sketches and improvisational style, Druski has built a massive following across social media, translating that momentum into sold-out tours and high-profile collaborations with artists including Drake and Snoop Dogg, as well as appearances alongside figures like Tom Brady and Timothée Chalamet.
Druski has been named to Forbes’ Under 30 list and Rolling Stone’s Most Influential Creator list, and in 2025 became the first comedian to cover Billboard’s No. 1s issue.
Now in its 25th year, the BET Awards has long served as a major stage celebrating Black achievement across music, film, television and sports, and is known for its performances, tributes and culturally defining moments.
“As one of the most exciting 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, BET’s executive vice president of specials, music programming and music strategy.
The show will be produced by Jesse Collins Entertainment, with Jesse Collins,Dionne Harmon and Jeannae Rouzan-Clay serving as executive producers.
FILE - Druski walks on stage at the ESPY Awards at the Dolby Theatre, in Los Angeles, Wednesday, July 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill, File)
CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — The first direct commercial flight between the United States and Venezuela departed a bit early Thursday on its way to the capital of the South American country, seven years after the U.S. Homeland Security Department ordered an indefinite suspension, citing security concerns.
The resumption of a nonstop commercial flight between the two countries comes months after the U.S. capture of then President Nicolás Maduro in a stunning nighttime raid on his residence in Caracas in early January.
It also comes a month after the U.S. formally reopened its embassy in Caracas following the restoration of full diplomatic relations with Venezuela.
“I'm very excited to go and see the family and I'm looking forward to see the country,” said passenger Lennart Ochoa of Miami shortly before boarding. He said that he was “ready to go" and got his ticket as soon as they were available. “Just to go and see the family on a direct flight from Miami to Caracas is priceless.”
American Airlines staff handed passengers small Venezuelan flags. Balloons with its colors — yellow, blue and red — adorned the gate door leading to the plane.
Flight AA3599 operated by Envoy Air, a subsidiary of American Airlines, departed Miami at 10:11 a.m. EDT (1411 GMT), five minutes ahead of its scheduled time, according to Miami International Airport flight departure information. The flight is due to arrive around three hours later in the Venezuelan capital, returning to Florida later in the afternoon.
Earlier, the airline said that a second daily flight between Miami and Caracas will start on May 21.
In late January, U.S. President Donald Trump said that he informed Venezuela’s acting President Delcy Rodríguez that he would open up all commercial airspace over the country, allowing Americans to visit.
“American citizens will be very shortly able to go to Venezuela, and they’ll be safe there,” Trump said at the time.
The flights mark the resumption of nonstop travel between the U.S. and Venezuela for the first time since diplomatic ties were severed in 2019. For the past seven years, passengers have relied on international airlines and indirect routes through neighboring Latin American countries.
In January, when the airline announced the resumption of flights, it said it would give customers the opportunity to reunite with families and pursue new business opportunities.
American Airlines was the last U.S. airline flying to Venezuela. It suspended flights in 2019 between Miami and Caracas, as well as flights to the oil hub city of Maracaibo. Delta and United Airlines pulled out in 2017 amid a political crisis that forced millions to flee the country.
“Parents will be able to connect with children, grandparents with grandchildren, and entire families with a home that shaped and raised them,” Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava said at a news conference before boarding started. “Miami-Dade is home to the largest Venezuelan community in the United States.”
Follow AP’s coverage of Latin America and the Caribbean at https://apnews.com/hub/latin-america
Passengers line up to check in for a U.S.-bound commercial flight at Simon Bolivar International Airport in Maiquetia, Venezuela, Thursday, April 30, 2026, as direct air service between the United States and Venezuela resumes after seven years. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos)
American Airlines Flight AA3599, the first direct commercial flight between the United States and Venezuela in seven years, gets a water cannon salute as it taxis away from the gate, Thursday, April 30, 2026, at Miami International Airport in Miami. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
A National Guard officer checks passengers ID's prior to check in for a U.S.-bound commercial flight at Simon Bolivar International Airport in Maiquetia, Venezuela, Thursday, April 30, 2026, as direct air service between the United States and Venezuela resumes after seven years. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos)
A passenger boards American Airlines Flight AA3599, the first direct commercial flight between the United States and Venezuela in seven years, Thursday, April 30, 2026, at Miami International Airport in Miami. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
Capt. Ric Wilson waves a Venezuelan flag and the first officer waves a U.S. flag as they prepare to fly American Airlines Flight AA3599, the first direct commercial flight between the United States and Venezuela in seven years, Thursday, April 30, 2026, at Miami International Airport in Miami. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
A worker cleans the check-in area ahead of the arrival of a U.S. commercial flight at Simon Bolivar International Airport in Maiquetia, Venezuela, Thursday, April 30, 2026, as direct air service between the United States and Venezuela resumes after seven years. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillo)
Venezuela's acting President Delcy Rodriguez speaks at Miraflores Palace during a meeting with Colombian President Gustavo Petro in Caracas, Venezuela, Friday, April 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos)
