US singer Beyoncé Knowles-Carter has paid tribute to Black Lives Matter protesters and urged them to continue taking action against racism in her BET acceptance speech.

The Single Ladies hitmaker was honoured with the 2020 Humanitarian of Year Award at Sunday night's virtual awards ceremony.

Former First Lady Michelle Obama paid tribute to the award-winning songstress before presenting her with the accolade. Accepting the award via video link-up, Knowles-Carter dedicated her award to her “brothers and sisters” taking part in antiracism marches across the US. 

“Your voices are being heard and you are proving to our ancestors that their struggles were not in vain. 

“Now we have one more thing we need to do to walk in our true power and that is to vote. I'm encouraging you to continue to take action, continue to change and dismantle a racist and unequal system. We have to continue to do this together, continue to fight for each other and lift each other up.”

The songstress went on to urge African-Americans to vote in the upcoming elections “like our life depends on it” and be the “change you want to see”. 

The US is engulfed in antiracism protests in the wake of the deaths of several African-American citizens at the hands of law enforcement.