I’m accepting what I’ve earned with gratitude,” Taylor said.
Taylor emphasized collaboration over competition.
“Most of my career has been spent building my own dream while helping somebody else build theirs, because I believe there's room for all of us to win,” she said.
She added, “If I know something, I should teach it. If I open a door, I should hold it.
>>> MVV Maastricht Signs Defender Dylan Timber on Free Transfer
If I have a platform, I should make room for another voice.”
Taylor concluded by thanking her family, calling her children her “greatest masterpiece,” and her broader community.
“It truly takes a village, and I'm beyond blessed with the one that God has given me. Thank you so much, BET, for this honor,” she said.
Sylvia Rhone Receives Ultimate Icon Award
Music executive Sylvia Rhone received the BET Ultimate Icon Award, presented by Kelly Rowland.
Rhone is the first Black woman to lead a major record company owned by a Fortune 500 firm.
“Tonight’s honor bears my name, but it really belongs to all of us who create culture,” Rhone said.
She addressed the impact of artificial intelligence on musicians, stating, “We make the algorithm. The algorithm doesn’t make us.”
Rhone demanded proper protections and compensation for creative workers. “We must honor the musician.
We must compensate the creator,” she said.
She urged the industry to empower the next generation to write “the songs that will change the world.”
