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Kirk Franklin is thankful for those who lift him up.
The gospel superstar, along with Mariah Carey, Jamie Foxx and Snoop Dogg, are being honored with the Ultimate Icon Award at the 2025 BET Awards on Monday, June 9.
The award celebrates “decades of groundbreaking contributions to music, entertainment, advocacy, and community impact.” Franklin, 55, and his fellow honorees’ talents range throughout the entertainment industries from music and business to film and television.
Previous recipients of the BET Ultimate Icon Award include Janet Jackson in 2015, Deborah L. Lee in 2018 and Tyler Perry in 2019.
Franklin was introduced by T.I., who said, “There was a time when gospel and hip-hop were miles apart,” but the gospel musician changed the game. “Kirk’s excellence and innovation was on display when he chose to open up the 2022 BET Awards with his song ‘We Win,’ featuring Lil Baby.”
“It’s my honor to be here tonight to introduce the man whose musical genius combined the hood with hymnals,” he said.
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Franklin began his speech by thanking Gertrude, a “64-year-old woman who chose to adopt a 4-year-old boy nobody wanted.” “I never felt the love of a mother or a father. 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 would listen. Thank you to all of you who still listen.” Franklin thanked “every group, singer, musician,” who listened to his music, along with his wife, Tammy Franklin.
“You sit here with me while your father, one of my heroes, is fighting for his life. Thank you. I will never be able to repay you for giving me a legacy. You gave me Caziah, my young leader. Carrington, my best friend. Kennedy, twin. And you partnered with the mother of my oldest, Kerrion, whom I love with all my soul.”
Franklin also thanked Rodney Hill for saving “my life and my career.” “Thank you my soul family for covering me,” he continued.
He also mentioned that despite receiving the award, he is not a perfect person. “I am not perfect. 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, not even a perfect artist because I can’t even sing, which makes this award even more amazing.”
The 20-time Grammy winner and Reigning King of Urban Gospel emerged in the 1990s. He is best known for songs “Imagine Me,” “I Smile,” “Lean on Me” and “Wanna Be Happy?” He released his debut album in 1993, Kirk Franklin and the Family and began to change gospel music with his vision.
He won the Best Gospel Artist, which was renamed Dr. Bobby Jones Best Gospel/Inspirational Award in 2017, eight times throughout his career. He holds the record for most wins in this category.
Franklin, who is from Fort Worth, Texas, received the Dr. Bobby Jones Best Gospel/Inspirational Award for the eighth time in 2025 for collaborating on “Rain Down on Me” with GloRilla and Maverick City Music.
Most recently at the 2024 BET Awards, he, Chandler Moore and the Sunday Service choir joined Will Smith onstage to debut his new song “You Can Make It.”
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The BET Awards are airing live on Monday, June 9 from Los Angeles’ Peacock Theater on BET.
