Following a stunning performance of her song "Diamonds, Rihanna accepted the first-ever Icon Award at the American Music Awards tonight. It was presented to her by her mother, Monica Braithwaite, following a video commemoration from Jay Z and a video montage showing her career highlights. "I know the journey and your career has not always been an easy one," Braithwaite said. "But tonight I applaud and admire you for being so strong and so positive and so humble and so focused. . . I'm so blessed to be part of this historic moment."
The award presentation came about midway
through the show when Bill
Maher came out to emcee the proceedings. "She has become, I
think, the voice of our time," he opined. Then he introduced a montage of
her accomplishments, including a sound bite of Jay Z talking about how he knew
there was something special about her when he first met her. It also displayed
all her accomplishments, including being the "Best-Selling Digital Artist
of All Time," her social media numbers and quote from artist Damien Hirst
claiming she's strong and that she's making a generation of strong women.
Rihanna then performed her song
"Diamonds," off her most recent full-length,unapologetic
Wearing a long black dress with a frilling neckline that plunged down to her
navel and diamond-studded hair adornments and a neckpiece, she waved her arms
wildly, holding up a single finger as she sang, "I knew that we'd become
one right away." An orchestra, complete with conductor, accompanied her as
a rock band carried the beat – something she drummed along to – until she
shuffled her feet and arched her back walking back in Maher's direction.
Rihanna used the moment to recall her
youth. "Thank you so much," she said. Turning her direction to her
mother, she continued, "I'll start by saying just about 20 years ago is
when I really started making your life a living hell with my 'annoying little
husky man voice,' you'd call it. And I mean just disrupting the entire
neighborhood. . . I annoyed every one of my neighbors." She then
fast-forwarded a decade to the audition that landed her the record deal that
eventually led her to Jay
Z.
Following thank yous to a bevy of people
including Jay Z and producer Antonio "L.A." Reid, she ended her
speech by expressing her disbelief. "I can't believe that at 25 years old
I'm holding an Icon award,"
she said.
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