Entertainment Movies Taraji P. Henson Twerks Alongside Regina Hall in Show-Stealing BET Awards Performance Taraji P. Henson was up for Best Actress at the 2019 ceremony, and also helped honor Tyler Perry with the Ultimate Icon Award By Rachel DeSantis Published on June 24, 2019 01:16 PM Share Tweet Pin Email Taraji P. Henson paid tribute to her hometown and showed off some serious moves with an electrifying dance break at the 2019 BET Awards. Henson, 48, hit the stage on Sunday alongside host Regina Hall, also 48, and Washington, D.C.-based go-go musician Sugar Bear of the group E.U. and twerked to tracks like “Da Butt” and “Run Joe.” The Empire star and D.C.-area native went full ‘90s for the moment, wearing a black unitard and red, long-sleeved jacket and topping the look with a crimped ponytail. The Central Park Five Receive Standing Ovation at 2019 BET Awards The performance, which also included a marching band that echoed Beyoncé’s Homecoming, was in support of #DontMuteDC, a campaign against gentrification in the nation’s capital that began after a local store was asked to shut off its go-go music. Michael Buckner/Variety/Shutterstock Celebrities like John Legend and Mary J. Blige were seen grooving along to the performance from their seats in the audience. In addition to flaunting her dance moves, Henson was also on hand to help honor Tyler Perry with the Ultimate Icon Award. Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP/Shutterstock “He isn’t solely about representing us on screen. He does so in a major way behind the scenes,” the actress told the crowd. “In a time when my counterparts were making way more money than I was … Tyler Perry was the first to pay me my worth. Giving me my first real quote in Hollywood. A black man did that. And that means the world to me, and I’ll never forget that.” RELATED VIDEO: Taraji P. Henson on Holding KKK Hood in New Film: “I Wanted To F—ing Burn It” She added, “And that’s what makes Tyler Perry iconic.” Henson was also up for Best Actress, but lost to Regina King. The star still seemed to enjoy her night though, and even got a chance to meet Cardi B, who had a scene-stealing moment of her own after giving husband Offset a lap dance on stage to kick off the show. Taraji P. Henson on Fighting the Stigma of Mental Health Issues: ‘It’s Okay Not to Be Okay’ “I finally met taraji !!!!!! The universe was trying to stop the link -___-,” Cardi, 26, tweeted. Henson later shared a video to her Instagram Story of the two sharing a hug, writing, “I FINALLY MET MY BOO THANG.”