Mariah Carey ‘emotional’ over Whitney tribute

Mariah Carey felt "emotional" after paying tribute to her late friend Whitney Houston at last night's BET Awards.

The singer admitted she was struggling to contain her feelings after speaking about the tragic musician on stage at the star-studded ceremony.

With a black and white photograph of the two soul divas suspended from the ceiling, Mariah had spoken touchingly about their friendship and musical collaboration.

Reminiscing about her pal, who passed away in February this year, she struggled to fight back the tears.

"Just got off stage at BET awards, had an emotional moment paying tribute to my incredible friend Whitney Houston, RIP (sic)," she tweeted after her speech.

Mariah captivated the crowd with her heartfelt words about the iconic singer.

Recalling how their friendship developed over the years, she admitted she was blown away by the soul diva's talent and said she misses the star.

"The first time I heard Whitney's voice, I was mesmerised like the rest of the world. Just an unknown, budding singer myself, I was captivated by the power in her range, the richness of her tone and her unique ability to wrap a lyric in emotion," she said. "We really got to know each other as people. Not divas - okay, maybe occasionally it did get a little diva-ish - but that was just for laughs. I miss my friend. I miss hearing her voice and laughter. But we'll always have the music."

The BET tribute also saw Whitney's protégées Brandy and Monica take to the stage.

Monica performed I Love The Lord and Brandy sang Whitney's classic hits I'm Your Baby Tonight and I Wanna Dance With Somebody.

Whitney's family members, brother Gary Houston and their mother, Cissy, also performed. Cissy dedicated Bridge Over Troubled Water to her late daughter.

"This is for you, Nip," she said, referring to Whitney's nickname.

Mariah's husband Nick Cannon took to Twitter to praise his wife's efforts and the way the tribute had been conducted.

"Now that was a tribute! Great job BET," he wrote. "@MariahCarey looked A+ Mazing!!!! (sic)"