BET Awards 2014: Pharrell Williams wins Best Artist and Best Video

The Happy singer thanked BET for 'keeping the light on'

Pharrell Williams accepts Video of the Year for "Happy" onstage during the BET Awards (Kevin Winter/Getty)

Chart-topper Pharrell Williams cleaned up at the 2014 BET Awards, beating off the likes of Chris Brown and Justin Timberlake to take home two of the most coveted accolades.

The “Happy” singer was named Best Male R&B/Pop artist and also won Best Video for his number one single, which sold over 1.3 million copies in the UK.

Pop diva Beyoncé was awarded Best Female R&B/Pop artist, as well as Best Collaboration for her “Drunk in Love” duet with husband Jay Z.

A video of the couple performing “Partition” closed the awards, which took place at the Nokia Theatre art LA Live in Downtown Los Angeles on Sunday. The ceremony, which celebrates black musicians, actors and athletes, is hosted by cable TV network BET, Black Entertainment Television, part of Viacom Inc.

Pharrell, who opened the show with a playful performance of “Come Get It Bae”, featuring the reclusive Missy Elliott, thanked his family, fans, and BET for their support.

“(BET) allows us as black people to be different and do what we do,” he told the crowd.

“You guys keep the lights on for us.”

New Orleans singer Alsina, who was nominated for four awards, scored the first win of the night for best new artist.

And rapper Nicki Minaj collected her fifth consecutive win for best female hip-hop artist; she also won best group with Young Money, which also includes Lil Wayne and Drake.

Meanwhile, host Chris Rock also succeeded with back-to-back jokes about Donald Sterling, the hit series “Scandal” and rapper Rick Ross, who he mentioned multiple times. He passed out food from Roscoe's House of Chicken and Waffles, playing off of Ellen DeGeneres pizza party at the Academy Awards.

The stars put on impressive performances throughout the evening, including Usher, who referenced his 20-year career with a medley of his hits.

However, the awards show was overshadowed by two incidents of violence at unofficial BET pre-parties in Los Angeles, including a shooting early on Sunday that left one person dead and four wounded. BET said both incidents “occurred at locations with events that were unauthorized and unaffiliated.”

Full list of winners

Best Female R&B/Pop Artist
Beyoncé

Best Male R&B/Pop Artist
Pharrell Williams

Best Collaboration
Beyoncé f/ Jay Z – “Drunk In Love”

Best Movie
12 Years a Slave

Best Actress
Lupita Nyong’o

Best Actor
Chiwetel Ejiofor

Video of the Year
Pharrell Williams – “Happy”

Best Male Hip Hop Artist
Drake

Best Female Hip Hop Artist
Nicki Minaj

Best Group
Young Money

Subway Sportsman of the Year
Kevin Durant

Subway Sportswoman of the Year
Serena Williams

Best Gospel Artist
Tamela Mann

Best New Artist
August Alsina

YoungStars Award
Keke Palmer

Centric Award
Jhené Aiko – “The Worst”

Best International Act: UK
Krept & Konan

Video Director of the Year
Hype Williams

Best International Act: Africa
Davido (Nigeria)

Additional reporting by agencies