Rihanna wins top R and B award: BET Awards

BET Awards 2013, awards winners list R & B, BET Awards winners list, Rihanna wins top award from R & B, Teenage Olympian Gabrielle Douglas, rapper Kendrick Lamar, actor Jamie Foxx, Nicki Minaj, Celebs in prizes BET 2013

Teenage Olympian Gabrielle Douglas, rapper Kendrick Lamar, actor Jamie Foxx, as well as singers Rihanna and Nicki Minaj were among the top gainers in the annual BET awards last night.



Rihanna took home the award for Best Female R & B Pop Artist, while Michael won the award for Best Pop R & B male.



Foxx, star of "Django Unchained" was named Best Actor.



Foxx paid tribute to the "gods" that act he had known during his lifetime, as Sidney Poitier and Harry Belafonte and "Django Unchained" director Quentin Tarantino.



The BET Awards celebrate black musicians, actors and athletes. The program is televised on the cable television network BET, Black Entertainment Television, part of Viacom Inc.



Lamar, who earned eight nominations, won the awards for best new artist and best male hip-hop artist to 3-1/2 hour show at the Nokia Theater in Hollywood, which was hosted by actor and comedian Chris Tucker.



Speaking to "all my little friends and homegirls back in town," Lamar said that he also came from a world of food stamps, welfare and public assistance housing.



"You are watching me on TV now. This is living proof that you can do anything you put your mind to," said Lamar.



Douglas, 17 and an Olympic gold medal in gymnastics, took home the award two young stars Sportsman of the Year honor. "I'm really surprised this time," Douglas said after winning his second award of the night.



Drake "started at the bottom" won Video of the Year, one of the top awards of the night. He also won the Viewers Choice Award.



Best Female Hip-Hop Artist went to Nicki Minaj for the fourth consecutive year. She said that every time you win "is a lesson in humility."



Kerry Washington TV show "scandals" won Best Actress.



Veteran R & B singer and former Gap Band vocalist Charlie Wilson received the Lifetime Achievement Award by Justin Timberlake, who starred with Snoop Dogg and Pharrell Williams in honor of Wilson's career.



The BET Award for Best Film went to the romantic comedy "Think Like a Man".



Rap duo Macklemore & Ryan Lewis were named Best Group, Best Collaboration, while went to A $ ap Rocky, with Drake, 2 Chainz and Lamar, for "problems".



Mary Mary won for Best Gospel Artist, while Emeli Sande was named Best International Artist. Best International UK Africa won by Ice Prince.



The show featured performances from a number of high performance, including Robin Thicke, Stevie Wonder, Mariah Carey, Michael, Ciara and Janelle Monae, who closed the awards joined by Erykah Badu.



Don Cheadle spent the night at the Nelson Mandela sick.



"We want to take a moment and send our prayers and thoughts of a man who literally changed the world," he said. "Tonight we would like to offer prayers and support and hope to the extraordinary Nelson Mandela and his family.