By: Bedaura Haseen

The 20th BET Awards were held virtually on June 28, 2020, due to the coronavirus pandemic. The BET Awards honored the Queen Bey, Beyoncé Knowles Carter, with the annual Humanitarian Award.

Michelle Obama even popped in to honor Bey and recognize her achievements. "No matter how big the stages get, I know my girl isn't satisfied unless she's sharing all that shine she has with the next generation," Mrs. Obama remarked. Obama also added, "You inspire all of us."

In her acceptance speech, she praised those who are protesting against racial discrimination and police brutality. “Your voices are being heard, and you're proving to our ancestors that their struggles were not in vain,” Knowles said. She continued to urges fans to vote in the 2020 election. "Continue to fight for each other and lift each other up, because there are people banking on us staying at home during the local elections and primaries happening in states across the country. We have to vote like our life depends on it, because it does,” she added.

Beyonce’s efforts to help the minority groups across the country through her foundation BEYGood were highlighted during the ceremony. In April of this year, her foundation BeyGOOD teamed up with Start Small, a campaign started by Jack Dorsey (CEO of Twitter), to donate $6 million dollars to help African-American frontline workers. On Mother’s Day weekend, Knowles started a hashtag #IDIDMYPART with her mom, Tina Knowles Lawson, to help provide and advocate for accessible coronavirus testing in her hometown of Houston. Earlier this month, Knowles wrote an open letter to Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron, demanding he bring charges against the officers who murdered Breonna Taylor. 

Beyoncé is the most awarded artist at the BET Awards and has 24 Grammy Awards.