Janet Jackson urged people to turn to god in her acceptance speech at the Billboard music awards

After her performance of 'Nasty', 'If' and 'Throb', she said: "I am deeply humbled and grateful for this award. I believe that for all the challenges, for all our challenges, we live at a glorious moment in history.

"It's a moment when at long last women have made it clear that we will no longer be controlled, manipulated or abused. I stand with those women and with those men equally outraged by discrimination who support us in heart and mind.

"This is also a moment when our public discourse is loud and harsh. My prayer is that weary of such noise, we turn back to the source of all calmness.

"That source, that source is god. Everything we lack, god has in abundance: compassion, sensitivity, patience and a boundless love. So again, I want to thank all of you for this honour."

"I thank god for giving me the precious energy to live my life as an artist, who every single day seeks to expand my capacity to love."

The 'Together Again' hitmaker - who has son Eissa, 16 months, with estranged husband Wissam Al Mana - was the first black woman to receive the Icon Award, which Bruno Mars pointed out in introduction.

He also said: "The name 'Jackson' represents artistic genius and iconic performance.

"The Jacksons are music royalty and the first family of entertainment. She is an activist. She's a humanitarian. She's a powerful woman."