In their acceptance speech, Chloe x Halle -- who have opened for Beyoncé on two different tours and released their sophomore album, Ungodly Hour, in June -- thanked their family for the endless support the duo have received over the years before finding success.
"We don't do this alone. None of this happens without family -- they are our foundation," shared 20-year-old Halle. She later added, "Our family has made major sacrifices just to help us live out our dreams and because of this, we want to give the biggest thank you to our beautiful family for loving us through it all. We can never repay you. We love you all forever."
The Bailey sisters also recognized Beyoncé for the role she's played in their careers. "When it comes to her, we are filled with nothing but extreme gratitude," said Chloe, 22.
"She saw something in us both, two young Black girls with short little locs passionately singing their hearts out at home for the world to see," continued Halle. "So we just want to say thank you, Beyoncé, for being you, and believing in the power of lifting up the young. We love you!"
Chloe x Halle also spoke about how music has impacted their lives, and how they want their music to help make positive changes. Explained Chloe: "With so much injustice in the world, we feel we have an even greater duty to create art that breaks barriers and brings us together."
"Just when we think we have reached our capacity to overcome these burdens, we're reminded by the women who came before us, the women who have been honored by Billboard in this way, that the capacity to do more is inexhaustible," said Halle. "So we follow their footsteps and will continue to work hard to blaze a trail for the women who will come behind us, all while holding a hand out to help pull our sisters forward too."
Past honorees of the Rising Star Award include Lady Gaga, Nicki Minaj, Ariana Grande, Halsey, Janelle Monae and more.
This year's event was hosted by Teyana Taylor. Other honorees include Billboard's 2020 Woman of the Year Cardi B, Dolly Parton, Jennifer Lopez and others.