Lenny Kravitz honored with music icon award at People's Choice Awards, gives powerful speech

People's Choice Awards music icon award honoree Lenny Kravitz rocked the stage Sunday night.

Kravitz, 59, performed a short set of his hits and gave a powerful speech on the meaning of the word "icon."

Dressed in an all-black leather ensemble, the 2024 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame nominee and his band performed a medley of his songs "Fly Away," "TK421," "It Ain't Over Til It's Over," "Let Love Rule" and "Are You Gonna Go My Way."

Following his performance, Victoria Monét presented him with the award, calling Kravitz a "gentle giant spirit" and the "coolest man on the planet."

"We are here to celebrate an undefinable, undeniable, once-in-a-lifetime genius; he is a force," she said. "He defies any singular description. Father, singer, songwriter, producer, kick-ass stage performer, actor, designer, fashion maven, philanthropist, visionary and the king of letting love rule."

Kravitz joined Monét onstage to accept the award.

"When I was thinking about what to say tonight, I kept going back to that word 'icon,'" Kravitz said. "It means a lot of things to a lot of people. To me, it means you've made an indelible mark by being who God created you to be. And, daring to be different.

"When I was first coming up, a lot of people offered me a lot of deals. But they wanted me to change. My music wasn't Black enough, it wasn't white enough. It didn't fit nicely inside a box or sound like what was on the radio at the time," he continued. "I turned down the money and the glitzy promises of fame and stardom because I couldn't live with myself doing something inauthentic."

An icon, he added, "is someone who inspires and teaches others to believe in themselves and their direction whatever that direction is."

Kravitz did it his way, debuting with "Let Love Rule" in 1989, inspired by his relationship with then-wife Lisa Bonet and their daughter, Zoë Kravitz. He has since released 10 albums and sold more than 40 million records.

"It's never been about how many records I sell or how many awards I win. It's not about trying to write hits or being calculated or formulaic," the musician said. "It's about enjoying and being grateful for the journey and using the gifts that God gave you, and that journey goes how it goes. And it will continue because I'm just doing me."

Kravitz shared his mantra as words of wisdom with the audience: "Never follow the trends, set your own pace and recognize that the best is here, right now, in front of you."

Adam Sandler was also honored award show with the icon award. The actor-comedian was introduced by longtime pal and "Murder Mystery 2" co-star Jennifer Aniston.

Contributing: Edward Segarra

Lenny Kravitz, Cher, Mariah Carey top the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame 2024 nominee list

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Lenny Kravitz receives music icon award at People's Choice Awards