Justin Timberlake has returned to the stage for the first time since announcing his Lyme Disease diagnosis.
The SexyBack artist performed along with a list of other performers for a special tribute to Pharrell Williams at the Recording Academy Honours Presented by the Black Music Collective.
“Anybody who’s come in contact with or been in the same frequency with Pharrell Williams is changed forever,” Timberlake said between songs, as reported by The Hollywood Reporter.
“He came into my life at a time when I was entering my own, and funny enough, he made me feel like I belonged. Your creativity is unparalleled, your energy is infectious. You changed my life. And I will forever be grateful.”
Williams was honoured at the event with the Dr Dre Global Impact Award.
Timberlake stepped away from live performance after he finished his Forget Tomorrow tour in July 2025. Shortly after, he revealed doctors had diagnosed him with Lyme Disease.
“I’ve been battling some health issues, and was diagnosed with Lyme Disease, which I don’t say so you feel bad for me, but to shed some light on what I’ve been up against behind the scenes,” he said in a statement shared to Instagram at the time.
The former NSYNC member added that the disease, a bacterial infection spread by ticks, “can be relentlessly debilitating, both mentally and physically”.
He ultimately decided to keep performing, saying that the “joy” his work brings him “far outweighs the fleeting stress my body was feeling”.
