Event organizers are offering an explanation as to why viewers couldn’t hear all of Usher’s speech at the 2024 BET Awards.
“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 BET spokesperson said in a statement to Us Weekly on Monday, July 1. “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.”
According to the cable network, fans can now watch his full uninterrupted speech across BET platforms including YouTube.
On Sunday, June 30, L.A. Reid, Terry Lewis, Babyface and Jimmy Jam came together at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles to present Usher, 45, with the Lifetime Achievement Award.
While accepting his trophy in Ralph Lauren and denim jeans, the “Yeah!” singer said he didn’t write anything down beforehand. Instead, he just wanted to speak from the heart and express the “appreciation I have for each and every person who had anything to do with this moment tonight as well as the 30-plus year career that I celebrate.”
“Getting here has definitely not been easy, but it has been worth it,” he said. “Is it too early for me to receive it? Because I’m still running and gunning and I still love this s–t like I did at 8 years old.”
In this year alone, Usher released his ninth studio album, Coming Home, and performed at the Super Bowl halftime show in February. Next month, he will kick off his latest tour titled Usher: Past, Present, Future.
Before ending his speech, which lasted more than 13 minutes, the artist shared a special message to his eldest sons Usher “Cinco” Raymond V, 16, and Nayvid Ely Raymond, 15, whom he shares with ex-wife Tameka Foster and who were sitting in the front row. (Usher also shares daughter Sovereign Bo, 3, and son Sire Castrello, 2, with his wife, Jenn Goicoechea.)
“It is 100 percent all about my children and making certain that you understand that your dreams can come true if you truly committed, if you are committed to it, if you’re dedicated to something and you find passion and you stay committed to it, this could potentially be you,” he said before sharing a dad joke. “This could be your moment. Not on this stage, because I’m the only one that’s gonna have this one.”
