Remy Ma has ended Nicki Minaj's seven year winning streak for best female hip hop artist at the BET Awards.
Ma's win Sunday was the final award handed out in the show that ran late at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles and easily one of the most anticipated of the night.
Ma, who returned from jail in 2014, thanked God and named two correctional facilities in her speech and told others that they can come back.
"It's hard but you can do it," Ma said. "You can make mistakes and come back."
In March, Ma released the diss track "Shether," which was hostile toward Minaj and earned praised from critics and rap fans. Minaj never officially responded to the song.
Ma ended by quoting from one of her songs with Fat Joe and walked away with the award high in her hands.
At the tender age of 24, Chance the Rapper has accepted the humanitarian award during the BET Awards on Sunday for his work in his hometown of Chicago, winning over fans for both his musical talents and his philanthropic efforts.
One of his biggest fans, former First Lady Michelle Obama, delivered a taped message for the rapper, saying he was an "outstanding role model" who shined his big light on young people in the community.
Chance acknowledged that the honor felt early in his young career, but said, "My God doesn't make mistakes."
The rapper said he didn't prepare a speech. When the crowd cheered at one point, he urged them on, telling them to "Please, gas me up!" The cheers grew louder, and he shifted his remarks from his own feelings about the award to other topics.
His wide-ranging speech called out several institutions, including the federal government, the Chicago public school system and the judicial system. But he ended by saying he was a good man, and he wanted to be better.
Bruno Mars won the BET Award for best male R&B pop artist — his first award from a network that he credits with catapulting him to stardom.
Mars said Sunday that BET aired the first award he won — a Soul Train honor for his single with B.o.B. "Nothin' on You." He thanked several executives for showing him what he called "nothing but love and support of my career."
Mars beat out Chris Brown, The Weeknd, Trey Songz and Usher for the award.
It was a big night at the awards ceremony for Mars — he kicked off the show with a high energy yet playful performance of his song "Perm."
Mars opened the 2017 BET Award dancing and playing in synchronization with his band the Hooligans to a performance of "Perm."
The pop star paused his performance Sunday to fake-chastise the crowd for not being excited enough and playing around on Instagram during his performance at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles.
Host and comedian Leslie Jones, sporting a knee brace and pacing the stage while toweling herself off like an NBA player, brought her high energy, breathless delivery to the opening monologue. She said she injured herself playing basketball but said she wasn't going to hide the brace, declaring, "That's when you know that you're getting old, 'cause you just don't care."
The hip-hop trio Migos won the night's first honor — the best group award.
