The Weeknd has earned himself another unique award to add to his growing trophy case. The singer recently received the Quincy Jones Humanitarian Award which is an honor given through the Black Music Action Coalition. The Weeknd received the award during the Music In Action Awards in Los Angeles on Friday and organizers labeled the Canadian singer as someone who used their status to “call attention to racial and social injustice and raise awareness globally.”
In his acceptance speech for the award, The Weeknd was pushed to tears as he reflected on the first time he met the legendary Quincy Jones.
“I actually first met Quincy Jones in Vegas a long time ago,” The Weeknd said after watching a video from Jones himself. “He pulled up to one of my club shows, and when I got off stage, he was waiting on the side. I was so excited to meet him, and there were fans on the other side screaming and trying to get my attention, but I was so focused on him.”
It was here that Jones taught The Weeknd a lesson that he’d forever carry with him.
“[Quincy] said, ‘Go take pictures, sign autographs, and I’ll still be here waiting. They’re just more important,’” The Weeknd added. “And it stuck with me until this day. He was teaching me a lesson in that moment that nothing is more important than the people, and giving back is always better than receiving.”
To conclude his speech, The Weeknd labeled the honor as the “best award I’ve ever gotten in my life” as he wiped away tears.
You can watch his acceptance speech in the video above.
