“Our culture cannot be canceled” was the theme of the night at the BET 2020 Awards, which saw a powerful Public Enemy presentation followed by presenter Amanda Seales’ monologue addressing the current state of the country and several best performances from the Lil Wayne’s tribute to Kobe Bryant until Beyoncé’s humanitarian award speech, this year’s BET Awards provided viewers with many unforgettable moments.
The 20th anniversary of the award ceremony may have been virtual this year, but that did not stop the celebration that honored black creatives and culture. The show focused primarily on the protests currently taking place across the country sparked by the deaths of Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, Rayshard Brooks and many other black lives killed by the police.
Here are the top eight moments from the award show.
Performance “Fight The Power”
The show started with an emotional performance by 12-year-old Keedron Bryant, who sang his viral song “I Just Wanna Live”. His performance led the hip-hop group Public Enemy to perform his 1989 classic “Fight the Power”. The song received a powerful reboot from artists Nas and Black Thought from the Roots, who added bars that addressed the current protests and honored the lives lost to police brutality. Chuck D, Flavor Flav and Rapsody also joined in the compelling performance.
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Monologue by Amanda Seales
The “insecure” actress and comedian opened the virtual broadcast in response to the recent protests and called for racial justice.
“Now, people always say, ‘All Amanda does is talk about race.’ Well listen, I would love to talk about everyday things, but racism always beats me, “she began.
He then mentioned the names of Trayvon Martin and Botham Jean, who were killed by the police, noting that Breonna Taylor’s killers have yet to be arrested.
“We deserve a break,” he continued. “When I say, ‘We,’ I mean all the blacks we watch on our knees, the ‘I take responsibility’ videos and we say to ourselves, ‘Wow, what a fool.’ Because the United States is acting brand new on racism “
The presenter closed the show by reiterating that Breonna Taylor’s killers would be brought to justice.
Lil Wayne pays tribute to Kobe Bryant
Lil Wayne took the virtual stage to sing his 2009 song “Kobe Bryant”, named after the late LA Laker. The presentation included videos highlighting moments from the Olympic athlete’s career. It also included moments from Bryant’s daughter, Gianna, who died in the plane crash along with his father in January.
“I call him King Bryant,” Lil Wayne rapped. “Now let the crown be seen.”
Wayne Brady honors Little Richard
Dressed in a glittering gold suit, actor, comedian, and musician Wayne Brady gave a spirited performance in honor of the late Little Richard, who died of bone cancer last May. Brady sang some of Richard’s greatest hits, including “Lucille” and “Good Golly, Miss Molly.” The actor concluded the tribute with the singer’s most famous song, “Tutti Frutti”.
Michelle Obama presents Beyoncé with the Humanitarian Award
The former first lady delivered a passionate message to the iconic pop artist, thanking her for her activism and philanthropic work, followed by a few words from Beyoncé’s mother, Tina Knowles and Tyler Perry.
“You can see it in everything he does, from his music that gives voice to the joy and pain of blacks, to his activism that demands justice for the lives of blacks,” Obama said. “And no matter how big the stages are, I know my girl is not satisfied unless she shares all that sparkle she has with the next generation.”
In her own speech, Beyoncé thanked protesters across the country for supporting the Black Lives Matter Movement.
“Your voices are heard and you are showing our ancestors that your struggles were not in vain,” said the singer. “I encourage you to take action, to keep changing. We have to vote as if our lives depended on it, because it is so, “he added.
DaBaby and Roddy Ricch pay tribute to George Floyd in “Rockstar”
DaBaby opened his “Rockstar” set with a police officer kneeling on his neck, replicating the last moments of George Floyd’s life, which has sparked nationwide protests against police brutality. The performance continued with DaBaby surrounded by protesters in front of a burning police car while hitting a verse from the remix of the song “Black Lives Matter”. Roddy Ricch joined the verse standing on top of the car.
Megan Thee Stallion channels “Mad Max”
The latest hot girl was inspired by the movie “Mad Max” for her iconic performance in which she was dressed in an apocalyptic leather outfit from head to toe. She sang two of her hit songs, including “Girls in the Hood,” which she released last week, and the remix of “Savage.” The performance of the power was followed by the rapper who took home the first victory of the night for the best female hip-hop artist.
Blue Ivy wins her first BET award
Beyonce and Jay-z’s 8-year-old daughter won her first BET award for “Brown Skin Girl”, a song from Beyoncé’s album “The Lion King: The Gift” that also features Wizkid and Saint JHN. She won the award from other contestants, including “Underdog” by Alicia Keys; Ciara’s “Melanin” with Lupita Nyong’o, Ester Dean, City Girls & La La; “I choose” by Layton Greene; Lizzo’s “Tempo” with Missy Elliott; and Rapsody’s “Afeni” with PJ Morton.
