BET AWARDS HONOR MICHAEL JACKSON
The show opened with a clip of Jackson's appearance on the 2003 BET Awards, where he performed with James Brown, before the Bobby Brown-led New Edition tackled a medley of Jackson 5 hits, including “
Host Jamie Foxx then took the stage in Thriller-era red leather jacket and sequined glove for a performance of “Beat It.”
"No need to be sad," he told the audience. "We want to celebrate this black man. He belongs to us and we shared him with everyone else." He also didn’t hesitate to poke fun at Jackson's nose and the change in his skin color over the years. "Michael was all kinds of black. He was Wesley Snipes and Chico DeBarge at the same time."
Foxx then Moonwalked his way off-stage as the audience roared.
Foxx and Ne-Yo also concluded the evening with a moving version of “I’ll Be There.”
The other highlight of the night was Janet’s emotional appearance at the close, where she told the crowd, which included her dad Joe seated next to Reverend Al Sharpton in the front row: "To you, Michael is an icon. To us, Michael is family. And he will forever live in all of our hearts. On behalf of my family and myself, thank you for all of your love, thank you for all of your support. We miss him so much!"
Here’s a complete list of winners:
Best Male R&B Artist: Ne-Yo
Best Female R&B Artist: Beyonce
Best Group: Day26
Best Gospel Artist: Mary Mary
Best Female Hip-Hop Artist: M.I.A.
Best Male Hip-Hop Artist: Lil Wayne
Best New Artist: Keri Hilson
Best Collaboration: Jamie Foxx f/T-Pain, “Blame It”
Video Director of the Year: Benny Boom
Video of the Year: Beyonce, “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)”
Best Actress: Taraji P. Henson
Best Actor: Will Smith
Best Female Athlete: Serena Williams
Best Male Athlete: LeBron James
Viewer’s Choice: T.I. f/Rihanna, “Live Your Life”
BET J Award: Jazmine Sullivan
Humaniatarians of the Year: Alicia Keys, Wyclef Jean
Lifetime Achievement Award: O’Jays
