BET apologizes to Usher for 'audio malfunction' during awards acceptance speech
(KTLA) – Usher received a major honor during Sunday night's BET Awards at the Peacock Theater in Downtown Los Angeles.
The "Yeah!" singer received the Lifetime Achievement Award on the heels of a major year for the artist. He was honored with a tribute medley featuring Keke Palmer, Coco Jones, Summer Walker, Teyana Taylor, Childish Gambino, Victoria Monét, Marsha Ambrosius, Chlöe Bailey and Latto.
When it came time to accept the award, many watching from home noticed Usher's speech was heavily censored by the network.
On Monday, BET revealed the muting of Usher's speech was due to a technical issue.
"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. Due to an audio malfunction during the LIVE telecast, portions of his speech were inadvertently muted," BET announced in a statement. "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."
During his lengthy speech, he touched on his 30-year career and thanked those who helped him along the way. He also got a little personal when spoke about forgiving his absent father and trying to be a better co-parent with his ex-wife Tameka Foster.
“We gotta be willing to forgive. We gotta 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 at what I made with it,” he said onstage. “Look at what I was able to usher in. That’s what’s real and that’s what makes us human.”
Usher made the remarks while standing onstage alongside Babyface, L.A. Reid, Jimmy Jam, Terry Lewis, Jermaine Dupri and others.
In addition to the Lifetime Achievement Award, the "OMG" singer took home the award for Best R&B Male Artist.
This past year has been a banner year for Usher. Following his successful residency in Las Vegas, he headlined the 2024 Super Bowl halftime show and is set to embark on a nationwide tour in August.
The encore showing of the BET Awards will air on BET at 5:00 p.m. PST.
Fans can watch Usher's unfiltered speech on YouTube here.