Marking her first appearance at the annual award-giving show in four years, the 'Work' hitmaker is there to present the Lifetime Achievement Award to Mary J. Blige.
- June 24, 2019
AceShowbiz - This year's BET Awards was extra special because fans finally got to see Rihanna attending the annual ceremony after more than three years. The "Don't Stop the Music" singer, who skipped the red carpet portion of the show on Sunday, June 23, was there to present the Lifetime Achievement Award to Mary J. Blige.
Prior to hitting the stage to honor the veteran singer, Rih took the time to meet with fellow celebrities at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles, including Lil Nas X. She and the "Old Town Road" hitmaker even snapped some pictures together, and the latter didn't miss the chance to share it with his social media followers. "Star struck," so he captioned a picture of them posing together backstage.
Contrary to his red carpet look, Nas donned a bright yellow cowboy suit and a black cowboy hat, wearing nothing underneath. On the other hand, Rih looked stunning in a black leather jacket and matching black pants as she debuted red new hair at the event. Accessorizing her look that night were simple studs and a statement cross necklace.
Besides Nas, Rih also took pictures with his "Old Town Road" collaborator Billy Ray Cyrus and YK Osiris.
Later, when presenting the Lifetime Achievement Award to Mary, Rih spoke nothing but nice things about the "Family Affair" singer, calling her the "undeniable Queen of Hip-Hop and R&B" and said that Mary "is not just a singer, but a quintessential artist." Mary also made sure to talk about the "Work" hitmaker during her acceptance speech, telling her, "I don't think you know how much you inspire me."
The last time Rih attended BET Awards was back in 2015, when she teased the music video for "B***h Better Have Money". She was also nominated for Female R&B/Pop Artist at the time, but ultimately lost to Beyonce Knowles.
