Michael at the Bambi Ceremony

At the Bambi Awards ceremony, Michael Jackson—smiling and full of energy—received the award "Pop Artist of the Millennium." In his speech, he asked the children of Germany: "Work for your dreams, work for your ideals."
He said: "We are Christians, Jews, Muslims, and Hindus. We are black, we are white—we are a society made up of many differences. Very complex, yet at the same time in complete simplicity, we don’t need to have war." His words were met with excited, enthusiastic applause from the audience in Berlin. Michael also made a wish for the children of Germany. He said: "The world needs you. Give life to your dreams. Maybe you’ll become an astronaut, or a doctor, or an artist—and get a Bambi!"
Michael also expressed his happiness about returning to Berlin, calling the city one of his favorite places, and said: "Berlin, ich liebe dich" ["Berlin, I love you" in German]



Before Michael’s appearance—invited onstage by tennis legend Boris Becker—television viewers and attendees at the ceremony watched the broadcast of the video What More Can I Give. The song, whose video was shown for the first time, is written by Michael and performed by the most famous singers. After the video aired, a montage of Michael’s best work was also shown, along with explanations about his artistic life and his charitable work. The audience—filled with famous people and prominent figures—stood up to applaud him at the beginning of his appearance and again after the end of his remarks.