BET Awards 2014 Celebrities Performance

Men bore the brunt of the wardrobe malfunctions throughout the show, including Williams, who struggled to unbutton his cardigan during the show’s opening number with surprise guest Missy Elliott; and Usher, who failed to complete a quick change in time for an unexpected drumming solo, forcing him to keep the beat with his leather jacket still awkwardly attached to his right side.

Nobody suffered a Jennifer Lawrence-esqe spill, but some came dangerously close, thanks to a conveyor belt-like device that precariously transported presenters to the stage. “I was trying to be cool in these Uggs and I almost slipped and fell on my ass!” Williams admitted, while Union was also thrown off balance.

“I love me some Usher,” Kerry Washington raved while towering over co-presenter Kevin Hart. Earlier, fans who stood by the stage in a “mosh pit” chanted Washington’s name in hopes she would take home Best Actress hardware, but no-show Nyong’o proved unbeatable at yet another award show.

The crowd cheered when teary-eyed August Alsina took home Best New Artist and Viewers’ Choice Award, and scantily clad Nikki Minaj scored her fifth consecutive Best Female Hip Hop Artist honors. Minaj, in the evening’s most memorable speech, thanked her “glam team,” who helped her change from a chainmail top and caged sandals ensemble to a decidedly more demure long black dress and Chanel cuff. The winner claimed “no shade” intended while cutting down competitors who don’t write their own lyrics.

Lionel Richie received a standing ovation upon accepting a Lifetime Achievement Award and noted, “Soul is a feeling, not a color,” before thanking his family. While he played crowd-pleasers “Easy Like Sunday Morning” and “All Night Long,” an incensed Rock pointed out one glaring omission. “‘Zoom’ is the best song!” he insisted, adding, “My mom had to sit through a bunch of rappers and you didn’t play Zoom?”

Easily more upsetting for the audience: after a much-hyped finale by Jay-Z and Beyoncé, a prerecorded performance rolled (the couple is on their “On the Run” tour). Once attendees realized the two would not materialize in the flesh, the theater quickly emptied.