It was a family affair at the BET Awards on Sunday night as Mary J. Blige was honored for the kick-ass woman she is.
The singing actress has been around since 1989 and has 9 Grammy Awards and 3 Golden Globes to her name. Throw in two Oscar nominations, and you can see why Blige is the worthy recipient of this year’s BET Lifetime Achievement Award.
Fellow musician Rihanna presented the award to the “I’m Goin’ Down” singer.
“Mary J. Blige: you have set the bar for relatable, timeless, classic music. You opened multiple doors for female artists in this industry. And on behalf of all the women [who] came after you — like myself — thank you for being you so we can feel comfortable being ourselves,” the “We Found Love” singer said in her introduction.
“Thank you for pouring your soul into every track and giving us a song for every feeling. Thank you for showing us that love is all that we need. But we didn’t know how much we actually needed you.”
In her speech, Blige said, “People always ask, how do I sustain and stay relevant in this industry? It’s because, although I am a leader, a queen, and a living legend… I’m a servant as well, and I’m here to serve. Being a servant is not always glamorous or popular, but it’s the job and the assignment that I was given. It’s because in order to be an authority, I had to learn how to come under authority because when the glory is placed on me I give it back to God immediately.”
And that’s the 411.
