Watch the Weeknd’s Emotional Acceptance Speech for Black Music Action Coalition’s Quincy Jones Humanitarian Award

The awards keep coming for The Weeknd.

XO’s finest attended the 2021 Music in Action Awards in Los Angeles on Friday, where he was honored with the Quincy Jones Humanitarian Award. The honor pointed to the singer as someone who used his platform to “call attention to racial and social injustice and raise awareness globally.” But when he stepped on stage, The Weeknf decided to use his platform to honor Quincy himself.

“I actually first met Quincy Jones in Vegas a long time ago,” he said after a video from Quincy greeted him. “He pulled up to one of my club shows, and when I got off stage, he was waiting on the side. I was so excited to meet him, and there were fans on the other side screaming and trying to get my attention, but I was so focused on him.”

As the Weeknd recalled, the musical giant behind some of the most successful records of all time didn’t put himself first in that moment, which still sticks with him today.

“[Quincy] said, ‘Go take pictures, sign autographs, and I’ll still be here waiting. They’re just more important.’ And it stuck with me until this day,” the Weeknd said. “He was teaching me a lesson in that moment that nothing is more important than the people, and giving back is always better than receiving.”