Will Smith Awarded With Generation Award At The MTV Movie Awards

Reese Witherspoon, Sandra Bullock, Adam Sandler and Johnny Depp are the actors that have previously gained the honor of being presented with the MTV Movie Awards Generation Award. The 2016 MTV Movie Awards went the Will Smith. Will Smith receives this award after his 30-year career as both an actor and rapper.

The MTV Generation Award has been presented to one actor each year since 2005. Other past recipients include Jim Carrey, Mike Myers, Ben Stiller, Jamie Foxx, Mark Wahlberg, and Robert Downey, Jr.

Will Smith is honored with the Generation Award at the MTV #MovieAwards https://t.co/JjdDUTqnaJ

— The Hollywood Reporter (@THR) April 11, 2016

Kevin Hart has the privilege of presenting the Generation Award to Will Smith. Hart expressed how he greatly admired Will Smith when he was younger. He called the Generation Award the MTV Movie Awards “highest honor” and then introduced the Lonely Island. Lonely Island covered Will Smith’s greatest hits as part of the ceremony. They started with the song “Parents Don’t Understand,” and moved into the theme song for Fresh Prince of Bel-Air before performing “SummerTime,” “Men in Black,” and finally, “Gettin’ Jiggy Wit It.”

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Queen Latifah was happy to join the tribute. Queen Latifah said that Will Smith gave her her start as an actress when she had a guest spot on “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air”.

“There isn’t a more thoughtful or talented man in this town, there is no one that’s been more generous to me or our community. He was the first rapper to break into movies and become an international superstar. The king of huge blockbuster movies, and we all got to thank him for opening up that door. Thank you.”

After Latifah spoke the mic was passed on to Halle Berry. Berry introduced the video montage that had Will Smith’s various movie roles, but before the montage introduction, Halle gave a speech highlighting Will’s contributing to Hollywood and deemed Will Smith “the biggest fricking movie star in the whole world”.

“Will is a champion for diversity in Hollywood, blazing a path for actors by showing that someone of any color can play any role, and can open any movie, and can win every award, and be the biggest freaking movie star in the whole world.”

Will Smith took the stage and was happy to make jokes about himself in his usual manner.

“When I first heard that MTV wanted to give me the Generation Award, I thought that was like code for the ‘Old A** Dude Award’—’Congratulations, your best work is behind you, have fun.’

This is absolutely beautiful. I was in Brooklyn the other day shooting, and these women came running out, they’re like 35-40 years old, they’re screaming, ‘Oh my God, Will, Will!’ Then there is this one kid who is eight years old and he’s like, ‘Oh my God, oh my God, I don’t know who you are. I don’t know who you are.’ So I knelt down and said, ‘I’m the Karate Kid’s dad.'”

Regardless of the jokes about the award Will Smith was truly honored by the award.

“I released my first record when I was 17. This June marks 30 years in this business for me. I really want to say I’m humbled, and I just want all of you to know I’m dedicated to being a light in this world. There’s a lot of suffering – a lot of people are suffering in this world. When you see my material, and when I present myself in public, and what I’m trying to build with my family and friends, I just want all of you to know I’m dedicated until I die to light and to love. So thank you all.”

Congratulations Will Smith, well deserved award.

[Image by Kevork Djansezian/ Getty Images]