Madonna pays emotional tribute to Aretha Franklin at MTV Music Video Awards

Sophie Williams21 August 2018

Madonna has paid tribute to Queen of Soul Aretha Franklin describing her as "one of the greatest soul singers that ever lived".

She made the comments during a powerful speech at the MTV Music Video Awards in New York on Monday, adding that Aretha Franklin's song RESPECT was one of the songs that helped launch Madonna's career.

Madonna told the audience that she was living in Detroit with "35 dollars in my pocket" and was repeatedly rejected from auditions for "not being pretty enough".

Iconic figure: Aretha Franklin in the late Sixties, at the height of the civil rights unrest edition 17/07/2018, pg 14
Everett/REX/Shutterstock

But during an auditions a backing dancer, she decided to sing Franklin's (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman. It led to her going to Paris and acted as a launchpad for her career.

She said: "None of this would have happened, could have happened without our lady of soul."

Madonna made the speech in front of a huge image of Aretha Franklin
Getty Images

"Thank you Aretha for empowering all of us. Our R-E-S-P-E-C-T. Long live the queen."

In tribute, the awards show finished with Ms Franklin's Respect playing.

Cuban-American singer Camila Cabello was the big winner of the night, scooping both Artist Of The Year and Video Of The Year, the two biggest prizes on offer.

The ceremony was opened by Cardi B, who led the way in nominations with 10. She appeared on stage cradling an object wrapped in a towel, joking with fans that she was about to offer a first glimpse of her daughter.

Aretha Franklin - In pictures

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She gave birth to her first child, a daughter named Kulture, with Migos rapper Offset in July.

But the towel held a Moonman, the statue awarded to VMA winners. On the night, Cardi B won Best New Artist and Best Collaboration.

An emotional Ariana oGrande won the Best Pop prize for No Tears Left To Cry, her first single after a suicide bomber killed 22 people at her concert in Manchester in May last year.

Ariana Grande accepts her award for best pop video for "No Tears Left to Cry"
Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP

Accepting the award, Grande, 25, thanked her family, fans and fiance Pete Davidson, who was seated in the audience.

Lopez thrilled fans with a medley of some of her biggest hits, including Jenny From The Block, Love Don't Cost A Thing and All I Have.

Her career was then honoured with the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award, a prize whose previous winners include David Bowie, Kanye West and Britney Spears.

American rapper Post Malone won Song Of The Year for Rockstar, his collaboration with 21 Savage while Minaj won Best Hip-Hop.

Additional reporting by PA.

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