Mariah Carey Gives Perfect Speech After Receiving Ultimate Icon Award at BET Awards: ‘Be a Diva’

The superstar accepted the honor from previous BET Lifetime Achievement winner Busta Rhymes.

Mariah Carey at the BET Awards / Paras Griffin/Getty Images/BET

It’s almost impossible to imagine there still being a “first” in Mariah Carey’s esteemed career, but BET just added a new impressive honor to the revered singer-songwriter’s lengthy list of industry accomplishments on Monday night.

Carey received the BET Ultimate Icon Award during the iconic brand’s 25th Anniversary show, with Kirk Franklin, Jamie Foxx and Snoop Dogg also being honored. While accepting the award, she gave a wonderful speech at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles.

“This means so much, especially coming from BET,” Carey’s speech started. “This is my first BET Award. I mean, if you’re gonna get one, might as well start with the Ultimate Icon Award.”

Busta Rhymes, who Carey admitted made her “a little emotional backstage,” presented her with the Ultimate Icon Award two years after his own accomplishment with BET, having earned the Lifetime Achievement Award in 2023. “You’re still one of my favorites,” Carey told the distinguished presenter.

After gushing about her fellow honorees, Carey shared a message of personal growth as her speech continued. “It took me a while, but I finally realized life is far too short to live for anyone else’s approval, which is something I always did,” she stated. “So I decided to own who I am—my extraness, my fabulousness, and yes, my success and my iconic-ness.”

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And BET agreed with Carey’s latter sentiment. “Her voice has been the soundtrack to so many moments, and her star keeps shining brighter every year,” the outlet shared on Instagram. “Creating moments that last a lifetime and leaving a little sparkle wherever she goes. A true visionary whose impact never goes unnoticed.”

To wrap up her time on the BET stage, the artist not only shouted out the audience in attendance, but she also left her supporters with a long-lasting message.

“I’m so grateful for you all to celebrate it with me tonight. Thank you so much,” Carey concluded. “I just want to encourage everyone out there to believe in yourself, love and respect yourself, be a diva, be a boss, be anything you want to be—but be iconic while you’re doing it.”

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And that’s not the last we’ve seen of the singing sensation this month. On Monday, Carey also shared news on Instagram that the music video for her June 6 single “Type Dangerous” is debuting on Friday.

“AN ULTIMATE ERA IS UPON US!!! 🔥,” one follower commented.

“Mariah is playing no games!” Another concurred.

“WE. ARE. READY. 🔥,” a third follower exclaimed.

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