The BET Awards normally hands its Humanitarian Award to one person, but six individuals received the honor Sunday.
Dubbed “Humanitarian Heroes,” the network gave an award to James Shaw Jr., who wrestled an assault-style rifle away from a gunman in an Antioch Waffle House in April.
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“James Shaw Jr., a selfless hero who wrestled an assault rifle away from a gunman who opened fire in a Nashville Waffle House, and in the aftermath of that tragedy started a GoFundMe account to raise money to help the victims,” said presenter John Legend.
Humanitarian awards were also give to Anthony Borges, the 15-year-old student who was shot five times and is credited with saving the lives of at least 20 other students during February massacre in Florida; Mamoudou Gassama, who scaled an apartment building to save a child dangling from a balcony last month in Paris; Naomi Wadler, the 11-year-old who gave a memorable and influential speech at March for Our Lives; Justin Blackman, the only student to walk out of his high school in North Carolina during the nationwide student walkout to protest gun violence in March; and journalist and activist Shaun King.
