Beyonce made a triumphant appearance at the BET Awards to open the show with a performance of Freedom from her album Lemonade.

She was joined on stage by Kendrick Lamar who rapped his verse on the track while covered in water.

Beyonce and Lendrick Lamar perform Freedom at the BET Awards at the Microsoft Theater
Beyonce and Kendrick Lamar performing Freedom (Matt Sayles/AP)

Queen Bey swiftly left the ceremony to travel to London for her tour, meaning her mother Tina collected her awards.

After Beyonce won video of the year and the viewers’ choice award for her song Formation, Tina accepted the gongs on stage saying: “I want to thank, first of all, her husband and her daughter.”

Tina Knowles accepts the award for video of the year on behalf of Beyonce at the BET Awards
Tina Knowles (Matt Sayles/AP)

Rumours first started swirling that Bey would be performing when her back-up dancers from the Formation World Tour appeared on the red carpet in…formation.

Dancers from the Formation World Tour arrive at the BET Awards at the Microsoft Theater
Beyonce’s back-up dancers (Jordan Strauss/AP)

Beyonce dropped Lemonade earlier this year with a video special on HBO, prompting a firestorm of speculation about the subject of some of her songs.

The awards show airs in the UK on BET on Tuesday at 9pm.