Usher received the Best Male R&B Artist award at the 2024 BET Awards held on Sunday, June 30, and made good on his acceptance speech by giving a shout-out to all the fathers out there.
“Far too often, we get to this moment and we say to our mothers, ‘Look Ma, I made it.’ We don’t get a chance to say enough, ‘Dad, I did it,’” the veteran rapper said, to the agreement of everyone watching him on the stage, either live or online. Usher, the father of four, noted the importance of fatherhood in his heartfelt speech delivered from the Peacock Theatre podium in Los Angeles before dedicating the accolade to all the men who are at present acting as a motivation for “our future Black leaders — young men.”
Usher also traced his career trajectory leading up to the Lifetime Achievement Award he was honored with by BET this year
The Hey Daddy singer said he’s really happy to still be a part of the fight before sneaking in a joke, saying he sounds “old as f–k” but he’s not.
While his brief shout-out was centered around other fathers in the room or who were sitting in front of their TV sets, Usher previously opened up about growing up without a father figure and how it shaped his desire to be a hands-on dad for his kids. The rapper, 45, is father to Cinco, 16, and Nayvid, 15, with ex Tameka Foster, as well as Sovereign, 3, and Sire, 2, with wife Jennifer Goicoechea.
One should never abandon the responsibility of being there for their kids and being supportive of a child’s growth, Usher noted to Essence in 2008, just after welcoming his first child.
Usher’s BET Awards win caps a series of recent accolades for the rapper, including a Super Bowl performance
At the 2024 Super Bowl halftime show in February, Usher took the stage at Allegiant Stadium for a nostalgic 13-minute set that highlighted his R&B pop legacy. The Grammy winner performed Caught Up, Love in This Club, and U Got It Bad, featuring guest appearances from Alicia Keys, H.E.R., Will.i.am, Lil Jon, Jermaine Dupri, and Ludacris.
The 2024 BET Awards, hosted by Taraji P. Henson, aired live on BET channels on Sunday, June 30, starting at 8 p.m. ET.