10 December 2002 - Michael received another award

Although Michael couldn’t attend the Billboard Awards ceremony on Monday night in Las Vegas in person, he received his special award during a live satellite link from his home at Neverland. The award for Michael, which was presented in honor of the 20th anniversary of the album Thriller, was given to him by Chris Tucker (from the film Rush Hour). Chris read out a list of Thriller‌’s achievements, including 37 weeks at number one on the chart (more than any other album in Billboard history), 7 songs in the top 10 of the day’s best-selling songs, 8 Grammy awards, and the first album to top both the pop and R&B charts at the same time. The two joked about how Chris would keep the award next to him for a few days—and how he planned to stay at Neverland‌ for a while!

In his remarks, Michael thanked Chris Tucker, Billboard magazine, and his fans. ”I’m very honored, I’m very happy. I’m grateful to all my fans around the world. I wouldn’t be here without you!“ The audience stood and applauded.