By ,
Published April 08, 2016
Trouble-prone R&B singer Chris Brown scooped up five trophies at the BET Awards in Los Angeles, but in a mid-show gaffe, one of his prizes was mistakenly given to his ex-girlfriend, Rihanna.
Brown won Best Male R&B Artist, Video of the Year, Best Collaboration and the viewer-voted FANdemonium Award during the glitzy Sunday night ceremony at the Shrine Auditorium, the Los Angeles Times reported.
The 22 year old was also announced as the winner of the Coca-Cola Viewers' Choice Award, but moments later the show's organizers admitted that they made a mistake -- and R&B starlet Rihanna was actually the winner. Rapper Drake, who accepted the trophy on Rihanna's behalf, called the winner mix-up "awkward."
Brown pleaded guilty in 2009 to assaulting Rihanna, his then-girlfriend, and was sentenced to five years' probation.
But in a further twist, Brown was reinstated as the award's winner after the telecast ended.
Brown's sweep at the ceremony suggested that the Virginia native has redeemed himself in the eyes of critics and the public, who largely abandoned him after the assault charge. His most recent album, "F.A.M.E.," spawned four Top-40 singles on the Billboard 100 and sold twice as many copies in the US as its predecessor, 2009's "Graffiti."
But controversy has continued to dog the singer. Last week, he was forced to offer a mea culpa after using the word "gay" as an insult, and in March, he made headlines when he allegedly became violent after a taping of ABC's "Good Morning America."
Other BET winners included Nicki Minaj and Kanye West, who were named Best Female Hip-Hop Artist and Best Male Hip-Hop Artist, respectively. Siblings Willow and Jayden Smith -- the children of Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith -- tied as the winners of the YoungStars Award.
https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/rihanna-gaffe-leaves-audience-feeling-awkward-during-chris-browns-bet-awards-sweep