The 2013 BET Awards opened in a blaze of glory, with Chris Brown dancing the night away onstage at The Nokia Theatre L.A. Live on Sunday night.

His pyrotechnics and maniacal energy were a sight to see, with help from Nicki Minaj, who floated over the crowd in a strung-up contraption.

The reins were turned over to Chris Tucker, the evening's funnyman host, who kept plenty of running jokes in his back pocket.

In Tucker's comedic comeback, he impersonated his good friend, Michael Jackson, called out Miguel for his famed crowd dive that made headlines, and kept reminding the audience that "anything could happen."

And so it did.

Kendrick Lamar, who won for Best New Artist, performed his hit, "Don't Kill My Vibe" with a surprise guest, Erydah Badu. Though they could not bleep out some of the rapper's expletives, the whole performance changed the atmosphere; the audience was so drawn into Lamar's lyricism that everyone lept to their feet when he finished.

Then, the aisles filled with male and female opera singers, belting out some of R.Kelly's greatest hits.

The "R & B King" made his truimphant return, taking the crowd back through his arsenal of hit songs from "Body Callin" to "Ignition." Everyone was caught in the nostaglia.

Mariah Carey rocked a glammed-up frock during her performance, which some believe was lip-synched, according to Yahoo TV.

Dressed in a dapper suit and bow tie, Justin Timberlake introduced soul great, Charlie Wilson, who receieved the Lifetime Achievement Award. Jamie Foxx, India Arie and Stevie Wonder also took part in the soul-stirring tribute.

And Wilson showered the crowd with his cool vocal stylings, singing his hit songs with Timberlake, Pharrell and Snoop Lion.

Dwaye Wade, of the NBA Champions, Miami Heat, won the Humanitarian Award, revealing a deeper, more altruistic side of himself. Before leaving the stage, he declared his love for his girlfriend and "queen," Gabrielle Union.

Later, Ciara demonstrated her provocative appeal in a racy, sexually-charged performance.

Then, Janelle Monae brought the house down for the finale.

For red-carpet photos, click HERE. For the complete list of winners, click HERE.

And check out Ciara's hot performance below!