Beyoncé is set to receive the Humanitarian Award at the 2020 BET Awards this weekend, for her years of philanthropy work.
The “Black Parade” hitmaker will be honored with the special accolade at this year’s BET Awards — which will take place on Sunday (06.28.20) — to mark her ongoing contributions to philanthropy.
Beyoncé will be primarily honored for her BeyGOOD initiative, through which she has raised money for multiple causes including supporting young women in colleges, and launching a multi-year partnership with UNICEF to create BeyGood4Burundi, which aims to bring safe water and sanitation to the small, landlocked East African country of Burundi.
In 2018, the singer also created the Homecoming Scholars Award Program, following her historic performance at Coachella, which benefited students at eight HBCU colleges and universities.
This year, Beyoncé created the #IDIDMYPART mobile testing initiative to encourage residents in Houston in Black and brown communities to get tested for coronavirus, and following the Black Lives Matter protests, she also announced the creation of BeyGOOD’s Black Business Fund, administered by the National Urban League, to support Black-owned small businesses.
Meanwhile, the 2020 BET Awards will honor Nicolas Johnson, Timbaland, Swizz Beatz, and D-Nice as the 2020 Shine A Light Honorees, which recognizes exceptional resilience, ingenuity and creativity in the face of adversity.
Assa Traoré — a French anti-racist activist — has been selected as the 2020 BET International Global Good recipient, which recognizes global celebrities and public figures who use their platform for social responsibility and goodness while demonstrating a commitment to the welfare of the global Black community.
There will also be a tribute to the late NBA legend Kobe Bryant — who passed away this year after a helicopter he was traveling in crashed, killing eight other people including his 13-year-old daughter Gianna — and Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Little Richard.
