WENN

Ciara celebrated winning the Rock Star Award at the Black Girls Rock! event by delivering a powerful speech about learning from your failures.

The 33-year-old took to the stage to collect the prize from model Winnie Harlow, and admitted she was overcome with emotion as she began her address to the audience.

“It means so much to me for so many reasons,” she smiled. “As a little girl I always dreamed of moments like this, and I want to focus on all the little girls in the audience watching because you are the future and I see my younger self in a lot of you.”

The mother-of-two continued to reveal what she would have written if she could pen a letter to her younger self.

“In life you are going to face many challenges, many moments of adversity,” she said. “There are going to be a lot of successes and failures too – those moments are going to create your character, build your integrity, and they will become your beauty marks.

“On your journey in life you may hear a lot more no’s than yes’s, but you’ll let those moments motivate you, and those that said no will eventually wish they would have said yes.”

Concluding her speech, Ciara thanked her fans, and urged “every girl listening out there” to acknowledge that “no-one, absolutely no-one, can close a door that God has opened for you.”

Among the other winners on the evening were Regina King, who took home the Star Power Award, and Grammy Award-winning musician H.E.R., who was presented with the Young Gifted and Black Award. Meanwhile, Angela Bassett was honoured with the Icon Award, and told the audience as she accepted the gong: “There might be times when you face obstacles, but that’s when you dig deep for courage and fortitude, and to never forget that despite life’s obstacles that you are destined for greatness.”

The ceremony was filmed on 25 August and broadcast on TV on Sunday.