Black musicians, singers, athletes win BET Awards

Ciara performs onstage at the BET Awards at the Nokia Theatre on Sunday in Los Angeles.

Teenage Olympian Gabrielle Douglas, rapper Kendrick Lamar, actor Jamie Foxx, and singers Rihanna and Nicki Minaj were among the top winners at the annual BET Awards on Sunday.

The BET Awards celebrate black musicians, actors, and athletes. The program was aired on the cable TV network BET, Black Entertainment Television, part of Viacom Inc.

Lamar, who scored eight nominations, won the awards for best new artist and best male hip-hop artist at the 3½-hour show at Hollywood’s Nokia Theater, which was hosted by actor and comedian Chris Tucker.

Douglas, 17 and an Olympic gold medalist in gymnastics, took home both the Young Stars award and the Sportswoman of the Year honor.

Drake’s “Started at the Bottom” won Video of the Year, one of the night’s top awards. He also won the Viewers’ Choice award.

Best Female Hip-Hop Artist went to Minaj for a fourth consecutive year. She said each time she wins, “it’s a humbling experience.”

Rihanna took home the prize for Best Female R&B Pop Artist, while Miguel won the Best Male R&B Pop Artist award.

Foxx, who starred in Django Unchained, was named Best Actor.

Kerry Washington of the television show Scandal won Best Actress.

The Sportsman of the Year honor went to NBA and Miami Heat star LeBron James, while another Heat player, Dwyane Wade, was presented with the Humanitarian Award as founder of the Wade’s World Foundation, aimed at helping at-risk children in underserved communities with educational, health, and family service programs.

Veteran R&B singer and former Gap Band lead vocalist Charlie Wilson was presented with the Lifetime Achievement Award by Justin Timberlake, who performed alongside Pharrell Williams and Snoop Dogg in tribute to Wilson’s career.

The BET award for Best Movie went to the romantic comedy Think Like a Man.

Satisfaction for fans

There’s a first time for everything, even if you’re the Rolling Stones.

The rock rabble-rousers who formed half a century ago played Britain’s Glastonbury Festival on Saturday, their debut appearance at the country’s most prestigious rock music event.

A majority of the 135,000 festival ticket-holders crammed into the fields in front of Glastonbury’s Pyramid Stage for the gig, which opened with a rousing “Jumpin’ Jack Flash.”

Singer Mick Jagger, who turns 70 in July, strutted the stage in a sequined green jacket, a satin-lined black cape — on “Sympathy For the Devil” — and other eye-catching outfits.

He thanked fans who had followed the band for five decades, and told newcomers, “do come again.”

Ace Simpson arrives

Jessica Simpson’s daughter has a new playmate — a baby brother named Ace.

Simpson’s rep confirmed that the entertainer gave birth to Ace Knute in Los Angeles on Sunday via planned C-section. The details were first reported by Us Weekly.

This is the second child for Simpson and her fiance, Eric Johnson. Simpson gave birth to daughter Maxwell last year.

Ebert takes top spot

Late movie critic Roger Ebert has been honored by the National Society of Newspaper Columnists.

Ebert, who worked at the Chicago Sun-Times for more than 40 years, took first place for online columns or blogs on large Web sites in the NSNC’s annual column contest. The group held its annual conference Saturday in Hartford, Conn.

Ebert died April 4 at age 70, after a long battle with cancer. He won national fame teaming with fellow film critic Gene Siskel of the Chicago Tribune in 1975 for a television show that had them each give a thumbs-up or thumbs-down rating to the latest releases.

Second thoughts

Jennifer Lopez sang “Happy Birthday” to the leader of Turkmenistan during a show, but her representative said she wouldn’t have performed there at all if she had known there were human rights issues in the country.

The singer and actress performed in the former Soviet bloc country on Saturday night. A statement released Sunday by her publicist said the event was hosted by the China National Petroleum Corp. and wasn’t a political event.

However, the country’s leader, Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow, did attend. He has been criticized for oppressive rule by human rights organizations.

The birthday serenade was a last-minute request made by the corporation to Lopez, the statement said.