Los Angeles - R&B newcomer John Legend joined established stars Alicia Keys and the soon-to-disband Destiny's Child as winners at the BET Awards.
Legend was named best new artist, a trophy the man who discovered him, Kanye West, won at last year's awards.
Destiny's Child was named best group and Usher took the male R&B artist trophy at Tuesday night's ceremony.
Soul diva Alicia Keys hoisted her award for female R&B artist toward the audience and declared: "This is for all my people who are really trying to dream big dreams."
"Let's do it," she said. "Let's think big. Let's think beyond what these people are trying to hold us down to. Doctors, lawyers, engineers, musicians."
She also said backstage she was working on an MTV Unplugged live album to be released in October.
The show kicked off with a surprise reunion of The Fugees, who haven't recorded an album together since 1996's The Score.
"If you want another Fugee album, let me see your hands in the air right now," Wyclef Jean said after climbing into the crowd. The group performed Ready Or Not and put a reggae twist on Fu-Gee-La.
Lauryn Hill, who had largely dropped out of public view since her 2002 live album, sounded weak at first, saying at one point, "We got a little overzealous in rehearsal."
Her voice returned in time for a rendition of Killing Me Softly With His Song.
Hosts Mr and Mrs Smith - that's Will and Jada Pinkett - laid down the rules for the night's show at Hollywood's Kodak Theatre. They arrived on-stage in a horse-drawn carriage with spinning custom rims; Smith said they wanted to make the BET Awards on par with shows like "the Emmys, the Oscars, the Grammys, the Tonys".
"The white ones," Pinkett Smith added.
The first rule, according to Smith: "You don't need to come up here with all 15 people that you came with." "There is a three homeboy limit tonight, period," his wife added.
Also, "No bright suits and no gold goblets," Jada Pinkett Smith said. "This is not the pimp of the year awards." And finally, "Do not thank God if you can't show or perform your work in church."
Destiny's Child, Missy Elliott, The Game and Mary J. Blige were among the first performers. The Game carried his young son on stage and changed the lyrics to his song, Hate It Or Love It, saying, "Got BET on the grill of my low-rider."
The women of Destiny's Child wore slinky brown dresses in their performance and pulled Nelly, Terence Howard and NBA legend Earvin "Magic" Johnson onstage for a trio of lap dances.
Jamie Foxx won the award for best actor, and though he wasn't on stage he had recorded an audio message to presenter Tom Cruise, saying: "I'm jumping up and down on the couch right now in my room."
Legend competes with West's Jesus Walks in the video category, with a nomination for Ordinary People. The melodic song features Legend accompanying himself on piano with no additional instrumentation. He also was nominated for male R&B artist.
Other nominees in the video category - the night's final award - were Amerie for her catchy 1 Thing, Jay-Z's black-and-white 99
Problems and Snoop Dogg and Pharrell's much-mimicked Drop It Like It's Hot.
Denzel Washington and wife Pauletta were being honoured with a humanitarian award and Gladys Knight was getting a lifetime achievement honour.
Winners of the fifth annual awards show were decided by a panel of executives from entertainment companies, record labels and the media, except the viewers' choice award in which fans voted online for their favourite video. - Sapa-AP