Last night (June 26) L.A.'s Shrine Auditorium hosted some of the biggest names in entertainment, including prize-winning singers Beyoncé and Jennifer Hudson, who each picked up two awards.
Hosted by funny woman Mo'Nique, who joined in on several of the night's peformances, the 2007 BET Awards opened with a surprise Dreamgirls duet of "And I'm Tellin' You I'm Not Going," by Oscar award-winning actress Jennifer Hudson and one of the original Broadway "Dreamgirls," cast member Jennifer Holliday.
The night only got better for Hudson, who picked up BET awards for Best New Artist and Best Actress. Fellow Dreamgirls castmate Beyoncé Knowles, who performed at the show alongside sister Solange Knowles and Destiny's Child members Michelle Williams and Kelly Rowland, also received two awards - one for Best Female R&B artist and the other for "Irreplaceable" which garnered Video of the Year accolades.
BET viewers selected "Amusement Park" as thier choice for 50 Cent's performance at the awards, however the G-Unit rapper had several snafu's on stage, including skipping his entire first verse which some speculate was due to technical difficulties. As he closed the number, 50 mumbled, "Vitamin Water...it doesn't matter any more," referring to the recent sale of Vitamin Water's parent company Glaceau to Coca Cola, which may help put him on track to earn $100 million in 2007. [Watch a video of the performance here]
Other artists who grabbed the mic last night included Best Hip-Hop Artist winner T.I. - who apologized for his recent scuffle with Ludacris' manager Chaka Zulu - Ciara, Diddy, Keyshia Cole, Robin Thicke, Eve, Kelly Rowland and Ne-Yo. The evening highlights also included a star-studded tribute to late singer Gerald Levert, performed by his father Eddie Levert, Gladys Knight and Yolanda Adams, as well as a James Brown tribute given by Public Enemy.
Yet the top honors of last night's show were given to Diana Ross and Don Cheadle. Diana Ross received BET's Lifetime Achievement Award, accompanied by inspired performances from Chaka Khan, Erykah Badu and Stevie Wonder. Actor Don Cheadle was also honored with a Humanitarian Award for raising awareness about the dire conditions in the Darfur region of Sudan.
A full list of 2007 BET Award winners is listed below:
Best Female Artist R&B
Beyoncé
Best Male R&B Artist
Ne-Yo
Best Group
Gnarls Barkley
Best Gospel Artist
Kirk Franklin
Best Hip-Hop Artist
T.I.
Best New Artist
Jennifer Hudson
Best Collaboration
Ludacris f/ Mary J. Blige "Runaway Love
Video of the Year
Beyoncé "Irreplaceable"
Best Actor
Forest Whitaker
Best Actress
Jennifer Hudson
Male Athlete of the Year
Lebron James
Female Athlete of the Year
Serena Williams
BET J Cool Like That
Gerald Levert
Viewers Choice Award
Birdman & Lil Wayne "Stuntin' Like My Daddy"
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