Tributes and surprises mark BET Awards ceremony
The BET Awards celebrated music, culture and entertainment on June 28 with a night of tributes, surprise appearances and historic moments, as Lauryn Hill received the Living Legend Icon Award and Janet Jackson made an emotional appearance to honor Teyana Taylor.
Hill accepted the Living Legend Icon Award after a 20-minute tribute featuring performances by SZA, Doechii, Lizzo, Queen Latifah, Common and her children, Selah Marley and Zion Marley. The eight-time Grammy winner then surprised the audience with performances of her 1998 hit “Ex-Factor” and “Everything Is Everything.”
“I fight for y’all,” Hill told the audience. “And fighting for y’all is me fighting for myself, it’s me fighting for my children, it’s me fighting for my community.”
The award recognizes artists whose work has remained culturally influential across generations. Hill first rose to fame with the Fugees before releasing her acclaimed solo album “The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill.”
