Kirk Franklin was honored with the Ultimate Icon Award at the 2025 BET Awards on Monday night, using his acceptance speech to focus on his faith, his family and the unlikely path that brought him to the stage.
Franklin began by thanking “Gertrude, the 64-year-old woman who chose to adopt a four-year-old little boy nobody wanted.”
“I’d never felt the love of a mother or a father,” Franklin said. “The only time I felt love was when I sat behind the piano and wrote songs to Jesus. People love my songs and the more I wrote, the more people listened.”
He went on to thank his family by name, including his wife, Tammy, and their children, as well as major influences in his life like former pastor Tony Evans.
Franklin also addressed his own shortcomings.
“I am not perfect.” he said. “I fail. I sin. I’m 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.
“What I really do don’t make sense,” he continued. “And if you’re listening to this, that’s when you know it’s God—when it don’t make sense. When you got that job you were least qualified for—don’t make sense. You’re the first in your family to break generational curses, but you’re the same one the family talks about—don’t make sense. When you try to explain how favor ain’t fair to people that have been doing it longer than you, but you get the results quicker—don’t make sense.”
But Franklin’s night didn’t end with the Ultimate Icon Award. He also received a win for Best Gospel/Inspirational Song for his collaboration with rapper GloRilla on her song “Rain Down on Me.” Later in the evening, Franklin closed out the show with a high-energy performance that brought the audience to its feet, showcasing the same passion and authenticity he spoke about in his speech.
