Miss the show? Recap it here!
The show was the thing at Sunday’s 2016 Billboard Music Awards, with the performances — especially special ones by Britney Spears, Celine Dion and Madonna — trumping the awards that were given out at the new T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
The Weeknd was the big winner. The Canadian R&B star won eight awards, including Top Hot 100 Artist, Top R&B Artist and Top R&B Song, for “The Hills.”
Adele was next, with five trophies. On tour in Europe, she accepted the televised Top Billboard 200 Album and Top Artist awards before hitting the stage at her concert. Gospel music star Kirk Franklin won three awards, while Justin Bieber, Wiz Khalifa, Charlie Puth,twenty one pilots, Hillsong UNITED and Walk the Moon each earned a pair. Ludacris and Ciara hosted.
Millennium Award winner Spears kicked off the show with a seven-song medley. It began with “Work Bitch,” after which she tore away her red dress to reveal a red bikini outfit for “Womanizer. That led into “I Love Rock and Roll,” during which she straddled a huge rocking guitar. Next came “Breathe on Me,” “I’m a Slave 4 You,” “Touch of My Hand” and, finally” “Toxic.”
The performances that followed included:
- Shawn Mendes, playing both guitar and piano on “Stitches.”
- Fifth Harmony, who were joined by Ty Dolla Sign for “Work from Home.”
- Meghan Trainor singing “No.”
- Justin Bieber performing “Company” and “Sorry.”
- Pink giving her trapeze another workouton the debut live performance of “Just Like Fire,” her new single from the Alice Through the Looking Glass soundtrack.
- Nick Jonas performing his new single with Tove Lo, “Close”
- Demi Lovato offering up “Cool for the Summer.”
- Lukas Graham and his band doing “7 Years.”
- Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani duetting on their co-written autobiographical song “Go Ahead and Break My Heart”
- DNCE, working out on “Cake by the Ocean,” with singer Joe Jonas wading into the crowd and working his way all the way up to the cheap seats.
- Since she wasn’t there, Adele premiering her new stripped-down video for “Send My Love (to Your New Lover),” in which she performs in a maxi-length floral Dolce and Gabbana gown.
- Kesha, backed by Ben Folds on piano and an unnamed cellist, covering Bob Dylan‘s “It Ain’t Me Babe” and showing vocal chops that earned her a standing ovation. True to her agreement with Dr. Luke, she made no mention of their ongoing legal battle.
- Rhianna channeling some Etta James-style rawness in a rendition of her doo-wop ballad “Love on the Brain.”
Celine Dion first performed her newly released cover of “The Show Must Go On” by Queen, featuring Lindsey Stirling on violin. Following the Billboard Icon Award introduction by Seal, her 15-year-old son René-Charles Angelil strolled on stage carrying her trophy. His overwhelmed mother asked him if he would stay with her during her speech and apologized for crying in front of him, saying, “I want to be so strong for my family and kids. I didn’t expect that. I’m so sorry”
After acknowledging her fans “for traveling through music with me in good and bad times,” she thanked the members of her family, “and most importantly my beloved husband, who I know will continue to watch over me from up above…Honey, this one’s for you, the show must go on.”
Then, a few more performances:
- Surrounded by laser lights, Australian newcomer Troye Sivan, who was part of a hashtag ONETOWATCH promotion, sang “Youth.”
- The Go-Go’s, celebrating the 35th anniversary of becoming the only all-girl band ever to top the Billboard 200 album chart, performed “We Got the Beat.”
- Ariana Grande sang “Dangerous Woman,” then transitioned into her new dance floor anthem, “Into You.”
Steven Tyler introduced the show’s final award, for Top Artist, which went to the absent Adele, after which Questlove from The Roots — wearing a large pin of the Artist’s famed symbol — introduced the much-anticipated tribute to Prince. “We all live in the land of music and his departure from it was an earthquake…We’ll encounter every single day more reasons to remember him.”
Madonna, dressed in a purple brocade Edwardian suit and seated on a purple velvet throne to start, sang “Nothing Compares 2 U.” When she’d finished, Stevie Wonder walked on stage and joined Madge for “Purple Rain.”
THE WINNERS:
- Top Artist: Adele
- Top New Artist: Fetty Wap
- Top Male Artist: Justin Bieber
- Top Female Artist: Adele
- Top Duo/Group: One Direction
- Top Song Sales Artist: The Weeknd
- Top Billboard 200 Artist: Adele
- Top Hot 100 Artist: The Weeknd
- Top Radio Songs Artist: The Weeknd
- Top Touring Artist: Taylor Swift
- Top Social Media Artist: Justin Bieber
- Top Streaming Songs Artist: The Weeknd
- Top R&B Artist: The Weeknd
- Top Rap Artist: Drake
- Top Country Artist: Luke Bryan
- Top Rock Artist: twentyone pilots
- Top Latin Artist: Romeo Santos
- Top Dance/Electronic Artist: David Guetta
- Top Christian Artist: Hillsong United
- Top Billboard 200 Album: Adele 25
- Top R&B Album: The Weeknd, Beauty Behind the Madness
- Top Rap Album: Meek Mill, Dreams Worth More Than Money
- Top Country Album: Chris Stapleton Traveller
- Top Rock Album: twenty one pilots, Blurryface
- Top Latin Album: Juan Gabriel, Los Dúo
- Top Dance/Electronic Album: Zedd True Colors
- Top Christian Album: Lauren Daigle, How Can It Be
- Top Gospel Album: Kirk Franklin Losing My Religion
- Top Soundtrack: Pitch Perfect 2
- Top Selling Song: Adele “Hello”
- Top Hot 100 Song: Wiz Khalifa ft. Charlie Puth, “See You Again”
- Top Radio Song: Walk the Moon, “Shut Up and Dance”
- Top Streaming Song (Audio): The Weeknd, “The Hills”
- Top Streaming Song (Video): Silentó, “Watch Me”
- Top R&B Song: The Weeknd “The Hills”
- Top Rap Song: Wiz Khalifa f/ Charlie Puth “Fancy”
- Top Country Song: Thomas Rhett “Die a Happy Man”
- Top Rock Song: Walk the Moon “Shut Up and Dance”
- Top Latin Song: Nicky Jam and Enrique Iglesias “El Perdon”
- Top Dance/Electronic Song: Major Lazer & DJ Snake Featuring MØ, “Lean On”
- Top Christian Song: Hillsong United, “Oceans (Where Feet May Fail)”
Top Gospel Song: Kirk Franklin “Wanna Be Happy?” - Fan-Voted Chart Achievement Award: Rihanna
