Kirk Franklin closed the 2025 BET Awards by performing a medley of hits featuring Tamar Braxton, Muni Long, Jamal Roberts and Salt from Salt-N-Pepa after he received an Ultimate Icon Award.

“I never felt the love of a mother or a father,” he said during his acceptance speech when talking about being adopted. “The only time I felt love was when I sat behind the piano and wrote songs to Jesus. People loved my songs and the more I wrote, the more people listened. Thank you to all of you that still listen. Thank you to every group, singer, musician that’s been the microphone to my pain.”

He then went on to say that even though he makes gospel music that the masses have come to enjoy, that still doesn’t make him more than human. “I am not perfect,” he told the crowd. “I fail, I sin, I am not a perfect Christian, I’m not a perfect husband, and we all know I’m not a perfect father. I’m not even a perfect artist because I can’t even sing, which makes this award even more amazing, because what I really do don’t make sense and if you’re listening to this that’s when you know it’s God when it don’t make sense.”