Billboard Music Awards 2019 Recap
BTS stuns on the Billboard red carpet
May 14, 2019
On May 1, the annual Billboard Music Awards took place at the Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas with host Kelly Clarkson for the second year in a row. Huge names in the industry such as Taylor Swift, Ariana Grande, BTS, and Madonna attended and performed show stopping performances. The ceremony was broadcasted internationally as celebrities from all genres watched and accepted their Billboard Music Award.
While music was the main topic of the night, Imagine Dragons highlighted the struggles of the LGBT+ community in their acceptance speech. “I just want to take this moment to say that there are 34 States that have no laws banning conversion therapy. And on top of that, 58 percent of our LGBTQ population live in those states,” Reynolds said. “This can change, but it’s going to take all of us talking to our state legislators, pushing forward laws to protect our LGBTQ youth.”
BTS, a sensational worldwide boy group from South Korea, took home two awards. Winning “Top Social Artist” three years in a row, this year, they also took home “Top Duo/Group” making them the first Asian Act to ever win the category. Later that night, the group also performed their current lead single “Boy With Luv” along with Halsey, from their new album MAP OF THE SOUL: PERSONA.
Speaking of boy groups, the Jonas Brothers reunited to perform a medley of their individual hits including Nick Jonas’s “Jealous” and Joe Jonas’s “Cake by the Ocean.” Of course, they ended their performance with the catchy “Sucker” as their significant others cheered them on from the crowd. Courtney Poon (12) “loved” the performance because it reminded her of her “childhood” where Disney was “her whole life.”
Drake won a record-breaking amount of Billboard Music Awards, taking home 12 in one night, now possessing 27 in total, including “Top Artist.” While accepting his awards, Drake also expresses his thought on the music industry. “I wanna encourage other artists to let others know how you feel about them. … Show somebody some love, tell somebody you love their music.”
The biggest honor of the night, the Billboard Icon Award, was received by Mariah Carey and presented by Jennifer Hudson. After performing a medley of her smash hits including “Always Be My Baby,” “Emotions,” and “Hero,” Carey threw her teary tissue on stage and gave her well-deserved acceptance speech. “I want to thank all the people who’s been with me on this journey — through the highs and lows, through your struggles and mine,” she states, according to Billboard. “And to anybody who doesn’t allow themselves to be broken and keeps getting up and keeps holding on and keeps standing tall and keeps on believing and keeps rising. I celebrate you tonight. And to anyone who has ever told me that a song I wrote helped save your life I thank you because you saved mine and I’ll be eternally grateful.”
To close the entire show, Paula Abdul vibrantly performed a medley of her own hits, enticing the crowd with jaw-dropping choreography. With that, it was a night of fun and entertainment where different genres and cultures came together to celebrate a universal language: music.
Complete List of Winners (provided by Billboard):
ARTIST AWARDS
Top Artist:
Cardi B
Drake — WINNER
Ariana Grande
Post Malone
Travis Scott
Top New Artist:
Bazzi
Juice WRLD — WINNER
Lil Baby
Dua Lipa
Ella Mai
Billboard Chart Achievement Award:
Dan + Shay
Drake
Ariana Grande — WINNER
Lady Gaga & Bradley Cooper
Dua Lipa
Top Male Artist:
Drake — WINNER
Post Malone
Travis Scott
Ed Sheeran
XXXTentacion
Top Female Artist:
Cardi B
Ariana Grande — WINNER
Halsey
Ella Mai
Taylor Swift
Top Duo/Group:
BTS — WINNER
Dan + Shay
Imagine Dragons
Maroon 5
Panic! At The Disco
Top Billboard 200 Artist:
Drake — WINNER
Ariana Grande
Post Malone
Travis Scott
XXXTentacion
Top Hot 100 Artist:
Cardi B
Drake — WINNER
Ariana Grande
Juice Wrld
Post Malone
Top Streaming Songs Artist:
Cardi B
Drake — WINNER
Ariana Grande
Post Malone
XXXTentacion
Top Song Sales Artist:
Drake — WINNER
Ariana Grande
Imagine Dragons
Lady Gaga
Post Malone
Top Radio Songs Artist:
Cardi B
Drake — WINNER
Ariana Grande
Maroon 5
Post Malone
Top Social Artist:
BTS — WINNER
EXO
GOT7
Ariana Grande
Louis Tomlinson
Top Touring Artist:
Beyoncé & JAY-Z
Bruno Mars
Ed Sheeran — WINNER
Taylor Swift
Justin Timberlake
Top R&B Artist:
H.E.R.
Khalid
Ella Mai — WINNER
The Weeknd
XXXTentacion
Top R&B Male Artist:
Khalid
The Weeknd — WINNER
XXXTentacion
Top R&B Female Artist:
H.E.R.
Ella Mai — WINNER
Queen Naija
Top R&B Tour:
Beyoncé & JAY-Z — WINNER
Childish Gambino
Bruno Mars
Top Rap Artist:
Cardi B
Drake — WINNER
Juice Wrld
Post Malone
Travis Scott
Top Rap Male Artist:
Drake — WINNER
Post Malone
Travis Scott
Top Rap Female Artist:
Cardi B — WINNER
City Girls
Nicki Minaj
Top Rap Tour:
Beyoncé & JAY-Z — WINNER
Drake
Travis Scott
Top Country Artist:
Jason Aldean
Kane Brown
Luke Combs — WINNER
Dan + Shay
Florida Georgia Line
Top Country Male Artist:
Jason Aldean
Kane Brown
Luke Combs — WINNER
Top Country Female Artist:
Maren Morris
Kacey Musgraves
Carrie Underwood — WINNER
Top Country Duo/Group:
Dan + Shay — WINNER
Florida Georgia Line
Old Dominion
Top Country Tour:
Luke Bryan
Kenny Chesney — WINNER
Shania Twain
Top Rock Artist:
Imagine Dragons — WINNER
Lovelytheband
Panic! At The Disco
Queen
Twenty One Pilots
Top Rock Tour:
Elton John — WINNER
The Rolling Stones
U2
Top Latin Artist:
Anuel AA
Bad Bunny
J Balvin
Ozuna — WINNER
Romeo Santos
Top Dance/Electronic Artist:
Calvin Harris
Kygo
Marshmello
Odesza
The Chainsmokers — WINNER
Top Christian Artist:
Cory Asbury
Lauren Daigle — WINNER
For King & Country
Hillsong Worship
MercyMe
Top Gospel Artist:
Kirk Franklin
Koryn Hawthorne
Tori Kelly
Tasha Cobbs Leonard — WINNER
Marvin Sapp
ALBUM AWARDS
Top Billboard 200 Album:
Cardi B “Invasion of Privacy”
Drake “Scorpion” — WINNER
Post Malone “beerbongs & bentleys”
Travis Scott “ASTROWORLD”
XXXTentacion “?”
Top Soundtrack:
“13 Reasons Why: Season 2”
“A Star is Born” by Lady Gaga & Bradley Cooper
“Bohemian Rhapsody” by Queen
“Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse”
“The Greatest Showman” — WINNER
Top R&B Album:
Ella Mai “Ella Mai”
H.E.R. “H.E.R.”
Khalid “American Teen”
The Weeknd “My Dear Melancholy,”
XXXTentacion “17” — WINNER
Top Rap Album:
Cardi B “Invasion of Privacy”
Drake “Scorpion” — WINNER
Post Malone “beerbongs & bentleys”
Travis Scott “ASTROWORLD”
XXXTentacion “?”
Top Country Album:
Jason Aldean “Rearview Town”
Kane Brown “Kane Brown”
Luke Combs “This One’s For You” — WINNER
Dan + Shay “Dan + Shay”
Carrie Underwood “Cry Pretty”
Top Rock Album:
Dave Matthews Band “Come Tomorrow”
Imagine Dragons “Origins”
Mumford & Sons “Delta”
Panic! At This Disco “Pray For The Wicked” — WINNER
Twenty One Pilots “Trench”
Top Latin Album:
Anuel AA “Real Hasta la Muerte”
Bad Bunny “X 100PRE”
J Balvin “Vibras”
Maluma “F.A.M.E.”
Ozuna “Aura” — WINNER
Top Dance/Electronic Album:
Clean Bandit “What Is Love?”
David Guetta “7”
Kygo “Kids in Love”
Major Lazer “Major Lazer Essentials”
The Chainsmokers “Sick Boy” — WINNER
Top Christian Album:
Cory Asbury “Reckless Love”
Lauren Daigle “Look Up Child” — WINNER
For King & Country “Burn The Ships”
Hillsong Worship “There Is More”
Zach Williams “Chain Breaker”
Top Gospel Album:
Snoop Dogg & Various Artists “Snoop Dogg Presents Bible of Love”
Aretha Franklin “Gospel Greats”
Koryn Hawthorne “Unstoppable”
Tori Kelly “Hiding Place” — WINNER
Jonathan McReynolds “Make Room”
SONG AWARDS
Top Hot 100 Song:
Cardi B, Bad Bunny & J Balvin “I Like It”
Juice Wrld “Lucid Dreams”
Maroon 5 ft. Cardi B “Girls Like You” — WINNER
Post Malone “Better Now”
Travis Scott “SICKO MODE”
Top Streaming Song (Audio):
Cardi B, Bad Bunny & J Balvin “I Like It”
Juice Wrld “Lucid Dreams”
Post Malone “Better Now”
Travis Scott “SICKO MODE” — WINNER
XXXTentacion “SAD!”
Top Streaming Song (Video):
Drake “In My Feelings” — WINNER
Juice Wrld “Lucid Dreams”
Maroon 5 ft. Cardi B “Girls Like You”
Travis Scott “SICKO MODE”
XXXTentacion “SAD!”
Top Selling Song:
Cardi B, Bad Bunny & J Balvin “I Like It”
Drake “In My Feelings”
Halsey “Without Me”
Lady Gaga & Bradley Cooper “Shallow”
Maroon 5 ft. Cardi B “Girls Like You” — WINNER
Top Radio Song:
Khalid & Normani “Love Lies”
Maroon 5 ft. Cardi B “Girls Like You” — WINNER
Post Malone “Better Now”
Bebe Rexha & Florida Georgia Line “Meant to Be”
Zedd, Maren Morris & Grey “The Middle”
Top Collaboration:
Cardi B, Bad Bunny & J Balvin “I Like It”
Khalid & Normani “Love Lies”
Maroon 5 ft. Cardi B “Girls Like You” — WINNER
Marshmello & Bastille “Happier”
Post Malone ft. Ty Dolla $ign “Psycho”
Top R&B Song:
DJ Khaled ft. Justin Bieber, Chance The Rapper & Quavo “No Brainer”
Ella Mai “Boo’d Up” — WINNER
Ella Mai “Trip”
Khalid “Better”
Lil Dicky ft. Chris Brown “Freaky Friday”
Top Rap Song:
Cardi B, Bad Bunny & J Balvin “I Like It” — WINNER
Drake “In My Feelings”
Juice WRLD “Lucid Dreams”
Post Malone “Better Now”
Travis Scott “SICKO MODE”
Top Country Song:
Kane Brown “Heaven”
Luke Combs “She Got the Best of Me”
Dan + Shay “Speechless”
Dan + Shay “Tequila”
Bebe Rexha & Florida Georgia Line “Meant to Be” — WINNER
Top Rock Song:
Foster The People “Sit Next to Me”
Imagine Dragons “Natural”
Imagine Dragons “Whatever It Takes”
Lovelytheband “broken”
Panic! At The Disco “High Hopes” — WINNER
Top Latin Song:
Bad Bunny ft. Drake “Mia”
Daddy Yankee “Dura”
DJ Snake ft. Selena Gomez, Ozuna & Cardi B “Taki Taki”
Nicky Jam & J Balvin “X”
Casper Magico, Nio Garcia, Darell, Nicky Jam, Bad Bunny & Ozuna “Te Bote” — WINNER
Top Dance/Electronic Song:
DJ Snake ft. Selena Gomez, Ozuna & Cardi B “Taki Taki”
Calvin Harris & Dua Lipa “One Kiss”
Marshmello & Bastille “Happier”
Tiësto & Dzeko ft. Preme & Post Malone “Jackie Chan”
Zedd, Maren Morris & Grey “The Middle” — WINNER
Top Christian Song:
Cory Asbury “Reckless Love”
Lauren Daigle “You Say” — WINNER
For King & Country “joy.”
Hillsong Worship “Who You Say I Am”
Tauren Wells “Known”
Top Gospel Song:
Todd Dulaney “Your Great Name”
Koryn Hawthorne “Won’t He Do It” — WINNER
Tori Kelly ft. Kirk Franklin “Never Alone”
Jason Nelson “Forever”
Brian Courtney Wilson “A Great Work”
