WASHINGTON - A star-studded audience at the BET Awards on Sunday were left stunned, when Janet Jackson paid a tearful tribute to her late brother Michael.

After a ceremony dedicated to the King of Pop, who suddenly passed away on Thursday, the crowd fell silent as Janet went on to the stage and fought back tears as she paid a tribute to Jacko.

“My entire family wanted to be here tonight, but it was just too painful, so they elected me to be here to speak with you,” Contactmusic quoted her as saying.

“To you Michael was an icon. To us, Michael is family and he will forever live in all of our hearts. On behalf of my family and myself, thank you for all of your love, and for all your support. We miss him so much,” she added.

Jackson’s father Joseph was also present at the event, and he briefly spoke with reporters on the red carpet.

“I wish the world had recognised him when he was living. Right now, he’s bigger than ever. But I wish he was here to see all this, to hear all this,” he said.

The event was a wholesome tribute to Jackson, and it kicked off with full a reunion of New Edition, including Bobby Brown, to perform a medley of Jackson Five songs.

Ne-Yo and Ciara also paid homage to the pop superstar during the night by performing his songs.

The ceremony was hosted by Jamie Foxx, who honoured Jackson throughout the night by appearing in a number of Jacko-inspired outfits.

Foxx even Moonwalked the length of the stage, enthralling the celeb-packed crowd at Hollywood’s Shrine Auditorium.

He closed the event with an emotional duet of Jackson track ‘I’ll Be There’, with R and B star Ne-Yo. (ANI)