Watch Kanye West’s FN Shoe Of The Year Acceptance Speech

Kanye West took to the stage Wednesday evening during the 29th Annual FN Achievement Awards to accept his Shoe of the Year award for the Yeezy Boost. The designer captivated the crowd of brand executives, power players, retailers, tastemakers and fellow shoe designers with his nearly 20-minute acceptance speech.

The audience applauded, laughed and listened attentively as West honestly and candidly opened up about his family life, early days embarking into the world of fashion design, sneaking into an Alexander McQueen show (while Jay Z texted him to get back to the studio), and his sincere drive to create something meaningful.

West went on to discuss his relationships with designers and fashion industry folk, and took the time to genuinely thank all those who had helped him along the way.

Watch West’s entire speech below, introduced to the stage by FN’s Michael Atmore and Jon Wexler, Arthur Hoeld and Rachel Muscat, all from Adidas.

For all the red carpet highlights from the evening, click through the gallery below.

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