BET Throws Shade At Madonna, Billboard Music Awards Following Controversial Prince Tribute

Madonna took the stage during the Billboard Music Awards on Sunday to pay tribute to Prince, who died on April 21. The Grammy award winner performed two songs, drawing mixed reviews from viewers, with most leaning toward the negative.

Television network BET responded to the outpouring of negative feelings, telling fans they weren’t alone in their disappointment. The channel, which will be airing the 15th installment of its annual self-titled award show in June, tweeted a short video that centered on Prince. The clip featured his signature symbol as well as a photo of him with a purple overlay. The tweet served as a way of announcing both the date and time of the 2016 BET Awards, but it also allowed the network to shade the Billboard Music Awards’ attempt at honoring Prince. The bottom left corner of the video reads, “Yeah, we saw that. Don’t worry. We got you,” suggesting that they’ve got something big planned.

Madonna’s tribute was the final performance of the night on Sunday, May 22. She appeared on stage in a purple velvet chair, donning a sequin suit, ruffled sleeves and Prince’s signature bedazzled cane. The “Material Girl” singer took on two of Prince’s more popular songs, “Nothing Compares 2 U” and “Purple Rain.” For the latter, she was joined on stage by Stevie Wonder, who was sporting a purple scarf as a nod to Prince. The music icon died in his Minneapolis-area home/studio of as-yet-undetermined causes.

Members of Prince’s family have yet to respond to the Billboard Music Awards tribute or BET’s plans to do another. It remains unclear who will be tasked with performing during the award show, which will be held on June 26.