Usher had a massive day at the 2024 BET Awards over the weekend (Sunady, June 30), taking the stage to accept his Lifetime Achievement Award. However, everything surrounding him at the ceremony faced some scrutiny, including audio issues during his speech and the performance tribute to him. Folks thought that the female-led and near-17-minute-long homage from Childish Gambino, Keke Palmer, Summer Walker, Coco Jones, Marsha Ambrosius, Chlöe, Tinashe, Teyana Taylor, Victoria Monét, and Latto could've included other male singers, while others thought that it accurately represented the Atlanta-based superstar's influence and the state of R&B today.
Regardless of any backlash, Usher sent some very appreciative social media messages to his fans, to BET, and to his tribute's performers, so it looks like he's just grateful for the ride. "Reflecting on the incredible evening and mannn let me just say how grateful I am to @bet @betawards for the lifetime achievement award [prayer hands emoji]," he posted to his Instagram Story recently. "But I want to take a moment and give a very, very special thank U to these tremendously talented entertainers that graced the stage during my tribute. y'all did the DAMN thing!!! It was so amazing to witness each of your talents through the eyes of my own journey... thank U [heart emoji]."
Usher Praises His BET Awards Tribute In One Of His Social Media Messages
"My tribute was amazing mannn..." Usher also added via Twitter about the BET Awards performance. "thank U to each and every one involved in the making of this moment [prayer hands emoji]." Meanwhile, here's what BET had to say to him as an apology for his speech's audio issues. "Celebrating global icon Usher on our stage with a star-studded tribute and having him accept his award with a heartfelt speech was an honor," a spokesperson relayed. "Due to an audio malfunction during the live telecast, portions of his speech were inadvertently muted. We extend our sincere apologies to Usher as we couldn’t be more grateful for his participation in culture’s biggest night. Fans can catch his full uninterrupted speech across BET platforms and tonight’s encore on BET."
"We’ve got to be willing to forgive," Usher said during the acceptance speech. "We’ve got to be willing to be open. I’m telling you, you’re standing before a man who had to forgive a man who never showed up, ever. And look what I made with it. Look what I was able to ‘usher’ in. But that’s what’s real. That’s what makes us human. That’s what makes us women and men."