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Shallow Nation

June 25th, 2008 at 7:44 am

Photos: 2008 BET Awards Winners

The 2008 BET Awards took place at the Shrine Auditorium on June 24, 2008 in Los Angeles, California. Soul legend Al Green received the2008 BET Lifetime Achievement Award.

Well-deserved honors were also handed out to prolific producer Quincy Jones and Motown icon Al Green, whose most recent album, Lay It Down, earned the renowned soul singer his first Top 10 slot on the Billboard 200 since 1973.

BET Awards 2008 - Al Green with John Legend

John Legend and Al Green

“The Al Green sound is Saturday night and Sunday morning—and it is forever,” John Legend said in feting this year’s recipient of the BET Lifetime Achievement Award.

“I’m so honored and humbled by the academy of BET Awards—what y’all laughin’ at?” Green began, acknowledging that he wasn’t exactly sure who decides on the winners, either.

“I want to thank all the people that stood by me when I put out the wrong record, when I put out the right record and all of you who’ve been so faithful. I’ve been doing this 30 years. You’ve been so faithful, I should at least let you see my eyes.”

And with that, he whipped off his sunglasses, to much applause, and said, “Thank you so much, bye-bye!” before easing into his biggest hit, “Let’s Stay Together.”

BET Awards 2008 - Quincy Jones

Quincy Jones

Jones, one of the founders of the Institute for Black American Music, received the Humanitarian Award for his philanthropic efforts over the years, including his continued work with his Listen Up Foundation, which has teamed with the Nelson Mandela Foundation to build more than 100 homes in South Africa.

“It is a brilliant honor for me to be here tonight,” the dapper 75-year-old said.” I just want to say that I understand what it feels like to be on the bottom—I come from the south side of Chicago, so don’t nobody tell me about ghet-to.”

“Somehow that never leaves you…Always ask why, because you cannot separate your life” from others. And, quoting Tolstoy, he continued, “Nobody has to starve while I eat.”

And to the youngsters in the crowd: “When it rains, get wet. Live your life, baby, and live it real…They say you can’t get an A if you’re afraid of getting an F…I promise I hope to always live up to this honor…”

The evening was further highlighted by performances from Rihanna; Best Gospel Artist Marvin Sapp; Keys, who led a ’90s revival with appearances by TLC’s T-Boz and Chilli, En Vogue and SWV; Ne-Yo; Keyshia Cole; Young Jeezy; Nelly, Ciara and Jermaine Dupri; and hip-hop’s current savior, the million-record-selling Lil Wayne.

Source: Kanye Feels the T-Pain at BET Awards

The complete list of 2008 BET Awards winners:

Female R&B artist: Alicia Keys
Male R&B artist: Chris Brown
Group: UGK
Gospel artist: Marvin Sapp
Female hip-hop artist: Missy Elliott
Male hip-hop artist: Kanye West
New artist: The-Dream
Collaboration: Kanye West f/T-Pain, “Good Life”
Video director: Erykah Badu and Mr. Roboto
Video of the Year: UGK f/Outkast, “International Player’s Anthem (I Choose You)”
Actress: Halle Berry
Actor: Denzel Washington
Female athlete: Candace Parker
Male athlete: Kobe Bryant
BET J Award: Raheem DeVaughn
Viewers’ choice: Lil Wayne, “Lollipop”
Lifetime Achievement Award: Al Green
Humanitarian Award: Quincy Jones