Scheduled months in advance, Sunday's (6/28) BET Awards ceremony was quickly recast as an impromptu tribute to pop icon Michael Jackson, who died unexpectedly last Thursday (6/25).

"My entire family wanted to be here tonight, but it was just too painful, so they elected me to speak for all of us," Janet Jackson said during a brief on-stage appearance toward the end of the nearly four-hour ceremony, during which Jackson family patriarch Joe Jackson looked on from the front row.

"To you, Michael is an icon, but to us, Michael is family, and he will forever live in all of our hearts," the visibly distraught performer said of her brother. "On behalf of my family and myself, thank you for all of your love, and thank you for all of your support. We miss him so much."

The tone for the evening was set when New Edition opened the ceremony--which aired live from Los Angeles' Shrine Auditorium--with a medley of Jackson 5 hits. Host Jamie Foxx subsequently took to the stage wearing a replica of Jackson's red-leather jacket and sequined white glove as he performed an abbreviated version of "Beat It."

Across the board, performers and award recipients made Jackson the central theme.

Salutes to Jackson included Keke Palmer's solo performance of the Jackson 5's "Who's Loving You," Ne-Yo's rendition of "She's Out of My Life" and Ciara's "Heal the World."

Other nods came during acceptance speeches and presenters' remarks.

"None of us would be in this room without Michael Jackson," rapper Lil Wayne said while claiming the trophy for Best Male Hip-Hop Artist.

"If there wasn't a Michael Jackson, then people like Justin Timberlake would probably be selling curly fries deep in the Valley," presenter Jeremy Piven joked at one point.

Unable to attend due to overseas commitments, R&B singer Usher released a statement in which he expressed regret that he couldn't be part of the proceedings.

"When the BET Awards producers and organizers reached out to me to participate in the tribute, I was extremely flattered and humbled by the opportunity to pay tribute to the world's greatest musical icon," Usher said in a prepared statement. "Unfortunately, I am currently overseas and would not make it back in time to the awards show. I look forward to seeing the show and I plan to work on a tribute to Michael Jackson when I return."

Following Janet Jackson's appearance, Foxx and Ne-Yo closed out the show with a performance of the Jackson 5 hit "I'll Be There" while Michael Jackson's image appeared on a massive screen behind them.

Though the timing of Jackson's death transformed the nature of the ceremony, awards were still the order of the night. Winners included Ne-Yo, who took Best Male R&B Artist; Beyonce, who was crowned Best Female R&B Artist; Day 26, who were dubbed Best Group; and Foxx and T-Pain, whose "Blame It" snagged Best Collaboration.

A complete list of winners is posted at BET's website.