Usher paid tribute to the male role models in his life at the 2024 Black Music Action Coalition (Bmac) Gala, which took place Thursday at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Los Angeles.

“As a kid, I was given this very odd, awkward name — because I never met another Usher — so it was a bit complicated, but the most unfortunate reality is that I was gifted this name by a man who never showed up, who was never there to help me give meaning, give understanding, give some reference to what this name means, where it came from, and what it could potentially be,” said Usher who received the Quincy Jones Humanitarian Award as he teased a few dance moves along to Bobby Brown’s “Don’t Be Cruel,” as it played in the background.

The award was presented to Usher by Brown, one of several figures the singer acknowledged as being...