The BBMAs returned Sunday night, hosted by Diddy from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.
Kicking off the celebratory night in music was an opening performance from the host himself, who was later joined by Jack Harlow, who delivered his chart-topping hit, “First Class.”
When it came to awards, Doja Cat, who had a whopping 14 nods, won the first trophy of the night, snagging the award for Top R&B Album for her 2021’s Planet Her. She also won Top R&B Artist during the three-hour televised ceremony.
Another big winner at the BBMAs was Olivia Rodrigo. Though her awards weren’t televised, she took home seven, including Top New Artist.
To no surprise, BTS also secured a few BBMAs and made history in the process. For the third year in a row, the K-pop group won for Top Duo/Group, tying the record held by One Direction for most wins in the category.
Silk Sonic made their BBMA onstage debut and brought the 70s disco vibes with their performance of “Love’s Train,” while from Belfast, Ed Sheeran delivered an impressive production of his hit, “2Step.”
Becky G also put on a show-stopping act with her new tracks “Baile Con Mi Ex” and “Mamiii.”
As announced earlier this month, Eurythmics are among the 2022 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductees, who will be honored at a November 5 ceremony in Los Angeles.
Multi-instrumentalist Dave Stewart who along with singer Annie Lennox make up the U.K. duo, tells ABC Audio that when they were informed about the honor, they jokingly offered a low-key response, “but actually we were very excited to hear that.”
As he notes, “[W]e’re very British — Annie’s Scottish, I’m English — [and have a] very dry sense of humor with each other, [and] I was playing it…down.”
Stewart and Lennox also will be inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame this June, and Dave reveals that he and Annie plan to perform at both events.
Stewart says he and Lennox have already been discussing how they might approach their Rock Hall performance, and he explains that although they haven’t made any definite decisions, he thinks “it’ll be a mixture” of playing as a duo and presenting tunes with a full backing band.
As he notes, “[W]e might ramp up all the way to a full-on ‘Would I Lie to You,’ with horns and all sorts of things.”
Dave tells ABC Audio that he has great respect all of his fellow Rock Hall honorees, because he knows the perseverance and passion it takes to mount a successful music career.
“There’s some kind of mixture of determination and insanity that gets people all the way to this point,” he maintains, “where a lot of people would’ve turned back.”
One fellow 2022 inductee that Dave says he’s particularly excited is being honored is country icon Dolly Parton.
“[She’s] such a sort of inventive and brilliant woman [who] has endured so much,” Stewart enthuses. “And also, what a songwriter.”
Judah & the Lion has premiered the video for “Scream!”, the lead single off the band’s upcoming album, Revival.
The clip finds members Judah Akers and Brian Macdonald sitting on the hood of a driverless car while surrounded by neon lights and interpretative dancers. You can watch it now streaming on YouTube.
“Sometimes the best way to deal with the craziness of the world is to scream into a pillow,” Akers says of the song.
Revival, the fourth Judah & the Lion album, will be released June 10. It also includes the songs “Take a Walk,” Happy Life” and “Find Another Reason Why.”
Judah will play Bonnaroo in June, followed by a full U.S. tour in support of Revival kicking off in September.
The Billboard Music Awards winners were revealed in ceremonies Sunday night at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, and broadcast live on NBC. Sean “Diddy” Combs served as the host of this year’s ceremony.
Here’s the complete list of winners:
Top Artist
Drake
Top Female Artist
Olivia Rodrigo
Top Male Artist
Drake
Top Duo/Group
BTS
Top New Artist
Olivia Rodrigo
Top Billboard 200 Artist
Taylor Swift
Top Billboard 200 Album
Olivia Rodrigo, SOUR
Top Hot 100 Artist
Olivia Rodrigo
Top Hot 100 Song
The Kid LAROI & Justin Bieber, “STAY”
Top Streaming Songs Artist
Olivia Rodrigo
Top Radio Songs Artist
Olivia Rodrigo
Top Billboard Global 200 Artist
Olivia Rodrigo
Top Billboard Global (Excl. U.S.) Artist
Ed Sheeran
Top Tour
The Rolling Stones (No Filter Tour)
Top R&B Artist
Doja Cat
Top R&B Male Artist
The Weeknd
Top R&B Female Artist
Doja Cat
Top R&B Tour
Bruno Mars (Bruno Mars at Park MGM)
Top Rap Artist
Drake
Top Rap Male Artist
Drake
Top Rap Female Artist
Megan Thee Stallion
Top Rap Tour
Omarion & Bow Wow (The Millennium Tour 2021)
Top R&B Tour
Bruno Mars (Bruno Mars at Park MGM)
Top Rap Tour
Omarion & Bow Wow (The Millennium Tour 2021)
Top Country Artist
Taylor Swift
Top Country Male Artist
Morgan Wallen
Top Country Female Artist
Taylor Swift
Top Country Duo/Group
Dan + Shay
Top Country Tour
Eric Church (Gather Again Tour)
Top Rock Artist
Glass Animals
Top Rock Tour
The Rolling Stones (No Filter Tour)
Top Latin Artist
Bad Bunny
Top Latin Male Artist
Bad Bunny
Top Latin Female Artist
Kali Uchis
Top Latin Duo/Group
Eslabon Armado
Top Latin Tour
Los Bukis (Una Historia Cantada Tour)
Top Dance/Electronic Artist
Lady Gaga
Top Christian Artist
Ye
Top Gospel Artist
CeCe Winans
Top Billboard 200 Album
Olivia Rodrigo, SOUR
Top Soundtrack Encanto
Top R&B Album
Doja Cat, Planet Her
Top Rap Album
Drake, Certified Lover Boy
Top Country Album
Taylor Swift, Red (Taylor’s Version)
Top Rock Album
twenty one pilots, Scaled And Icy
Top Latin Album
KAROL G, KG0516
Top Dance/Electronic Album
ILLENIUM, Fallen Embers
Top Christian Album
Ye, Donda
Top Gospel Album
Ye, Donda
Top Song Sales Artist
BTS
Top Streaming Song
The Kid LAROI & Justin Bieber, “STAY”
Top Selling Song
BTS, “Butter”
Top Radio Song
Dua Lipa, “Levitating”
Top Collaboration
The Kid LAROI & Justin Bieber, “STAY”
Top Billboard Global 200 Song
The Kid LAROI & Justin Bieber, “STAY”
Top Billboard Global (Excl. U.S.) Song
The Kid LAROI & Justin Bieber, “STAY”
Top Viral Song
Doja Cat ft. SZA, “Kiss Me More”
Top R&B Song
Silk Sonic (Bruno Mars, Anderson .Paak), “Leave The Door Open”
Top Rap Song
Lil Nas X ft. Jack Harlow, “INDUSTRY BABY”
Top Country Song
Walker Hayes, “Fancy Like”
Top Rock Song
Måneskin, “Beggin'”
Top Latin Song
Kali Uchis, “telepatía”
Top Dance/Electronic Song
Elton John & Dua Lipa, “Cold Heart – PNAU Remix”
Machine Gun Kelly took over the Billboard Music Awards Sunday night to perform his ballad “Twin Flame,” but it was something he said between the verses that turned heads.
The rocker hinted he and fiancée Megan Fox are expecting their first child together — and declared that they’re married.
While performing on a lush green set, filled with fake trees and ferns, the singer opened his performance by announcing, “I wrote this song for my wife.” He also told her, “Happy birthday, my love.”
MGK’s powered through his love song and maintained eye contact with Fox, who was seated in the audience. Before diving into the final part of the song, he quickly announced, “And this is for our unborn child.”
The last four lines of “Twin Flame” are, “Go to sleep/ I’ll see you in my dreams/ This changes everything/ Now I have to set you free,” which gained new meaning thanks to MGK’s surprise announcement.
He finished the song by blowing a kiss to Megan, who sat in the crowd with a proud look on her face.
If Fox is indeed pregnant, it will be the couple’s first child together. Megan shares children — Noah, 8, Bohdi, 6, and Journey, 4 — with ex-husband Brian Austin Green. The rocker has one daughter from a prior relationship.
The two first sparked romance rumors in May 2020 after the Rogue actress starred in the music video for MGK’s “Bloody Valentine.” The two announced their engagement in January.
Morgan Wallen officially secured his comeback at the Billboard Music Awards, taking home Top Male Country Artist on Sunday night.
The singer kept his acceptance speech positive. “I’d like to say thank God that my fans. I got the best damn fans,” said Morgan. “Thank you to my mama for being my date tonight. I wouldn’t be here without you.”
Ahead of him getting up on stage, he shared a meaningful hug with his mother, Lesli. The matriarch fiercely defended her son when he was first embroiled in controversy last year when video surfaced of him shouting a racial slur. Not referencing the controversy outright, Wallen thanked Billboard for “inviting me here.”
Prior to accepting his award, Morgan took to the stage for a subdued, seven-minute bloc to perform “Me on Whiskey” and “Wasted on You.”
Host Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs said he was “uncanceling” Morgan ahead of the Sunday ceremony, declaring, “Morgan [used the N-word] while talking to his boy… People make mistakes. Now we’re moving on with love and respect for everybody that was hurt or affected. It’s time to forgive.”
Glass Animals brought the heat to the Billboard Music Awards on Sunday night, winning Top Rock Artist. This marks their first major win at the BBMAs.
The British band, who headed into the night with four nominations, saluted their fellow nominees in the category. Said frontman Dave Bayley, “Joe [Seaward] and I were literally just whispering, saying, ‘We are the least rock and roll people in the world and we will never win this award.'”
“But we did!'” continued Bayley. “We’re officially rock and roll. And I can’t wait to tell my mom. Thank you so much, guys.”
Glass Animals were pitted against Imagine Dragons, Machine Gun Kelly, Italian rock band Måneskin
and twenty one pilots for Top Rock Artist. They were also nominated for Top Streaming Song, Top Duo/Group and, for their hit single “Heat Waves,” Top Viral Song.
Dan + Shay subbed in for Red Hot Chili Peppers on Sunday night’s Billboard Music Awards, performing their soulful anthem, “You.”
The duo wrote bright red suits as they led the audience in singing along to their love song, with Shay Mooney causing quite the stir when he belted out the high note and held it for several seconds.
The performance followed the two snagging their second Best Country Duo/Group win.
Also rocking the stage were Miranda Lambert and Elle King, who brought the audience to their feet when performing their rowdy hit “Drunk (And I Don’t Wanna Go Home).” The two donned matching suits as pyrotechnics puffed clouds of fire in the background.
Host Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs had a lot to say about the track, telling the crowd before introducing the duo, “I love the song so much because it describes the last 25 years of my life.” He also called the singers “two history-making women,” explaining “they are the first female duo to have a number-one record on the Billboard country airplay charts in the last 30 years.”
Miranda and Elle were nominated for Top Rock Song, but lost to “Beggin” singers Måneskin.
After host Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs announced at the Billboard Music Awards that he was “uncanceling” Morgan Wallen, the country singer took to the stage for a seven-minute bloc to perform two songs.
Wallen was subdued and didn’t address the audience before performing “Me on Whiskey” and “Wasted on You,” while seated and backed by his band. He concluded his set with a simple “Thank you” before the show cut to commercial.
Sunday marked a comeback for Wallen, who was up for four awards after he was embroiled in controversy after he was filmed shouting a racial epithet a month after Dangerous: The Double Album dropped last year. The fallout was immediate, with country radio dropping Morgan’s songs and major awards shows, including the ACM and CMA Awards, disinviting him from attending. He was also temporarily suspended from his record label, Big Loud Records, and dropped by his former talent agency, WME.
Despite spending much of 2021 on the sidelines, Morgan dominated the Billboard 200 last year with his record-breaking Dangerous album.
Heading into Sunday’s show, Diddy called for forgiveness for Wallen. “The mood of the show is about love and forgiveness,” he said. “As a musical family, none of us are saints; none of us are without things that happen to them in life.”
He said of the “Cover Me Up” singer, “Morgan [used the N-word] while talking to his boy… People make mistakes. Now we’re moving on with love and respect for everybody that was hurt or affected. It’s time to forgive.”
Dan + Shay won Top Country Duo/Group on Sunday night’s Billboard Music Awards, held at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.
Dan Smyers and Shay Mooney both made sure to shout out their significant others while accepting the award. This marks the second time they’ve won it, following their first time in 2019.
“My heart is pounding right now,” Shay told the screaming crowd. “This is a crazy moment for us!” The singer was at a loss for words and admitted, “That’s all I got” before throwing it to Mooney, telling him, “Dan, you go ahead and talk now.”
Dan called the award “truly such an honor” when accepting Best Country Duo/Group and also shouted out another major milestone in his life: “My wife and I just celebrated our fifth wedding anniversary.” He said to his wife, Abby Law, “I know you’re watching back home. I love you so much.”
Shouting out his managers, road crew, band and fans, Smyers declared, “We love you. We couldn’t do this without you… You guys make it happen for us.”
Dan + Shay were vying with Florida Georgia Line and Zac BrownBand for Top Country Duo/Group.
