Amerie received the Aretha Franklin Award for Entertainer of the year, which was presented for the first time by Aretha herself, and humbly thanked her family and "Soul Train" host Don Cornelius for "supporting me throughout my brief career, which will hopefully become a long one."
The newcomer also performed her hit, "1 Thing," while other performers included Franklin, who sang "Respect" and "Until You Come Back to Me" with Stevie Wonder on piano, and Ciara who hosted the show and took home awards for best new artist and dance cut for "1, 2 Step."
"It's such a blessing just to be acknowledged as an artist," said Ciara, who hosted the show along with Brian McKnight and Toni Braxton.
Ciara also made mention - as many award recipients did - of the victims and survivors of Hurricane Katrina. "I've been asked by a few networks to give back. More than anything, I want to devote time," she said. "You can feel the hurt, but you can't feel it really unless you're there."
The show also featured a tribute to the late Luther Vandross who passed away in July.
The Lady of Soul Awards will be syndicated for broadcast later this month.
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