Though Beyonce, Ne-Yo and Lil Wayne were victorious at the BET Awards on Sunday night, Michael Jackson was the evening's big winner.
Beyonce went two for four, winning Best Female R&B Artist and Video of the Year for "Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)." Ne-Yo nabbed the award for Best Male R&B Artist, beating out host and fellow performer Jamie Foxx. Foxx, however, got some recognition for "Blame It," the autotune-heavy duet with T-Pain that won "Best Collaboration." Foxx and T-Pain later performed the song and welcomed Snoop Dogg onto the stage to contribute.
Lil Wayne prevailed over T.I. and Kanye West in the competitive "Best Male Hip-Hop Artist" category, but T.I. got some recognition for his collaboration with Rhianna. Their video for "Live Your Life" won the Viewer's Choice award. Among the other winners were M.I.A. (Best Female Hip-Hop Artist), Will Smith (Best Actor), Taraji P. Henson (Best Actress), LeBron James (Male Athlete of the Year) and Serena Williams (Female Athlete of the Year). For a complete list of the winners, click here.
As promised, the BET Awards honored Jackson in a big way. Host Jamie Foxx took the stage in a red leather jacket, blue t-shirt and black pants, a la "Beat It," and proceeded to replicate the dance as best he could. Though Foxx did an honorable job and even attempted the moonwalk, his slight sloppiness was a testament to Jackson's consistent on-stage precision, one of the many things he was known for.
Foxx wasn't the only artist to step it up for Jackson. Foxx sang "I'll Be There" with Ne-Yo later in the ceremony. Ne-Yo also sang "The Lady in My Life," a lesser-known Jackson song off "Thriller." Ciara, New Edition and Keri Hilson, who won Best New Artist, were among the other artists who honored Jackson in their performances. Jackson's sister Janet also spoke on behalf of the family to express her grief and thank supporters for their thoughts. Her father, Joe, was also in attendance at the Shrine Auditorium, where the ceremony was held. It was a shrine indeed, and Jackson was the object of everyone's worship.
