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Actor Jamie Foxx was awarded the Ultimate Icon Award at the 2025 Black Entertainment Television (BET) Awards on Monday, June 9, 2025. The ceremony was held live at Los Angeles' Peacock Theater on Monday. After he was given the award, Foxx delivered an emotional speech, recalling being given another chance at life after he suffered a stroke in April 2023.
Jamie Foxx suffered a near-fatal stroke due to bleeding in his brain in April 2023. However, the people around him were quick to react and he got proper medical attention, leading to a quick recovery. He has since recovered completely and returned to full-time filming in 2024.
In his acceptance speech, Foxx recalled asking for another chance at life when he was in the hospital.
"I said whatever reason you put this on me, I promise I'mma do right. I'mma do right in front of y'all, because I know a lot of times, when we get on we forget about where we come from."
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Stevie Wonder presented Foxx with the Ultimate Icon Award and also spoke about the actor and his talent. Other artists, like Ludacris and Jennifer Hudson, performed songs in tribute to him.
Jamie Foxx's emotional acceptance speech at the 2025 BET Awards
After Stevie Wonder and other artists' tribute, Jamie Foxx took to the stage and accepted the Ultimate Icon award at the 2025 BET Awards. He started his emotional speech by saying that he couldn't "even begin to express the love" he felt from everyone in the audience."
"Man, we used to take this thing for granted — that God is good. All the time," he said.
He then reflected on the stroke he suffered in 2023 and got teary-eyed as he said that he teared up while watching the "In Memoriam" portion of the show. He noted that he kept thinking had he not recovered from the stroke, he could have been one of the people on the list.
"But I don't know why I went through what I went through, but I know my second chance I'm not going turn down. I'm not going to turn down," the actor said.
In tribute to Jamie Foxx, Kenneth Edmonds and Ludacris performed Unpredictable. Meanwhile, Tank and Jennifer Hudson performed Ray Charles' Night Time Is the Right Time (To Be with the One You Love). Hudson also performed Kanye West's Gold Digger, which features Foxx.
Doug E. Fresh, Teddy Riley, and T-Pain then concluded with Foxx's 2008 hit Blame It.
Jamie Foxx shares thoughts on the current political climate and his Netflix special
Foxx released his Netflix special, What Had Happened Was..., on December 10, 2024. During his acceptance speech at the 2025 BET Awards, he said that the special was for the Black community.
"When I did my special, it was for the Black people. Black people was the ones that said, 'Man, we got you.' Not to say that white people can't pray either — I know that sounds weird, but y'all know what I'm saying," the actor stated.
He added that the community "held me down," before stating that he didn't want to "make this whole speech about that," as he said that one doesn't go through something like that "and not testify."
The actor also mentioned the importance of the award considering the current political climate. Calling the Icon Award the "most important award," he explained it was so because "it comes from us."
Foxx then went on to express gratitude to his team and his family, particularly his daughters, who were in the audience.
