Taylor Swift was the undoubted queen of the night at the Billboard Music Awards with eight wins and the debut of a dramatically different new video. The night included star-studded performances from a diverse array of musicians including Van Halen and Britney Spears and tributes to the lost legend B B King and late Furious 7 actor Paul Walker
Taylor Swift dominated the Billboard Music Awards on Sunday night with eight wins, including Top Artist, Top Billboard 200 Album for 1989 and Top Female Artist.
“Oh, this is such a good night,” she said after winning the top prize, besting One Direction, Ariana Grande, Sam Smith and Katy Perry. “Early this morning I watched my brother Austin graduate from Notre Dame ... [and] to anyone who’s graduating this year ... this is for you.
“This is kind of a graduation for us,” Swift said to the audience of musicians.
Swift owned the night, with wins for Top Hot 100 Artist and the fan-voted Artist Achievement Award.
She kissed her rumoured boyfriend Calvin Harris on the cheek and gave him a hug at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.
One Direction, who downsized to four members before their sold-out April 4 concert in Dubai, won the night’s first award for Top Duo/Group. They also won Top Touring Artist and paid tribute to their recently departed band member Zayn Malik. “There’s one more person to share this with, and that’s our brother Zayn,” said Liam Payne as he took the stage to accept the award with his three remaining bandmates
Iggy Azalea won Top Rap Song for Fancy, Top Streaming Artist and Rap Artist. Like Azalea, Smith and Pharrell also won three awards – the most after Swift.
Smith, who recently had vocal surgery, didn’t attend the show. He wrote his thank-you speech on cue cards, which were broadcast via video when he won Top Male Artist.
Van Halen gave the night's first performance and rocked the crowd with their 1984 hit Panama. Mariah Carey was pitchy on her first hit, Vision of Love, and struggled through her single Infinity until ending on a high note.
Britney Spears was energetic when she performed her new single, Pretty Girls, in a sheer, black cat suit alongside Azalea. Swift and Zendaya sang along as Nicki Minaj mainly danced, barely singing or rapping live and relying on a backing track during Hey Mama and The Night Is Still Young.
Simple Minds performed Don't You (Forget About Me) from the movie The Breakfast Club, which is celebrating its 30th anniversary. The film's star Molly Ringwald introduced the band and stood next to Swift in the audience while they performed, and the women seemed to exchange numbers.
Meghan Trainor performed a duet with John Legend and won Top Hot 100 Song for All About That Bass.
Other performers included Pitbull with Chris Brown and Little Big Town with Faith Hill.
Hosts Ludacris and Chrissy Teigen offered some jokes on the night: the rapper described why he’s a good host, name-checking his music and acting credits.
Legend later won Top Radio Song for his No 1 hit, All of Me.
“I have to thank, of course, my beautiful co-host, my lovely wife, Chrissy Teigen,” he said. “I am so proud that we won this award together tonight.”
Ludacris paid tribute to the late B B King, while the camera panned to a guitar on an empty stage, as well as his late Furious 7 co-star Paul Walker before a performance of See You Again by Charlie Puth and Wiz Khalifa. The song featured a performance by the innovative violinist Lindsey Stirling, who was the supporting act for Sting at the Dubai International Jazz Festival in February.
