Bambi Awards (November 21, 2002)

On November 21, 2002, Michael Jackson was honored as "Pop Artist of the Millennium" at the Bambi Awards gala in Berlin, Germany. The Bambi award, which is given out yearly, honors people with new visions and creativity which give us hope, joy and energy.

Towards the end of the show parts of a video were shown which featured the charity song 'What More Can I Give'. The video featured stars recording parts of the song, including Celine Dion, Justin Timberlake, Ricky Martin, Mya and others.

Then Michael entered the stage while the song 'Thriller' was being played. He received his award from three-time Wimbledon tennis champion Boris Becker, accompanied by a standing ovation of the audience.

Michael was dressed in black pants and a sparkling black/red jacket and seemed very nervous. He handed the award back to Boris Becker and took some papers out of his pocket to make an acceptance speech:

Thank you...Thank you...Thank you very much.
[towards Boris Becker] How are you? [Becker: I'm well].
Thank you so much for the nice words.
Oh boy. [Michael takes reading glasses out of his pocket] I'm sorry, I have to wear these reading glasses. Oh Jesus...here we go.

Dear Dr. Burda, dear Dr. Turnhofer, ladies and gentlemen.
I have wonderful memories of my visits to Germany. Coming back to Berlin...Berlin, a city so full of energy - it's very special to me.
Berlin, ich liebe dich! [German for: Berlin, I love you!]

September 11 has changed our world. Not long ago the Berlin wall came down. But recently new walls have been built. In 1989, people in Germany said: "Wir sind ein Volk." [German for: We are one nation.]
We are Germans. We are Armenians. French, Italian, Russian, American, Asian, African... many other nationalities. We are Christians, Jewish, Muslim and Hindu. We are black, we are white. We are a community of some many differences, so complex and yet so simple. We do not need to have war!!!

And to the children of Germany I want to say this: We need you! The world needs you! Please go for your dreams. Whatever your ideals...you can become whatever you want to become. Become an astronaut or famous scientist, famous doctors. And of course become an artist...[he grins] ... and maybe you get a Bambi award like me.

I want you to know that I love Germany and that you have a very special place in my heart. I love you so much ... really!

Always appreciate the gift of life. Be happy and have fun.
I love you.

Michael ended his speech by lifting aloft the award statuette and blowing a kiss to the audience. The crowd was visibly moved by the speech and celebrated him with another standing ovation.