BILLBOARD MUSIC AWARDS

Here Are the Winners of the 2022 Billboard Music Awards

by
Image via Getty/Kevin Winter

  • Top Artist

  • Top New Artist

  • Top Male Artist

  • Top Female Artist

  • Top Duo/Group

  • Top Billboard 200 Artist

  • Top Hot 100 Artist

  • Top Streaming Songs Artist

  • Top Song Sales Artist

  • Top Radio Songs Artist

  • Top Billboard Global 200 Artist

  • Top Billboard Global (Excl. U.S.) Artist

  • Top Tour

  • Top R&B Artist

  • Top R&B Male Artist

  • Top R&B Female Artist

  • Top R&B Tour

  • Top Rap Artist

  • Top Rap Male Artist

  • Top Rap Female Artist

  • Top Rap Tour

  • Top Country Artist

  • Top Country Male Artist

  • Top Country Female Artist

  • Top Country Duo/Group

  • Top Country Tour

  • Top Rock Artist

  • Top Rock Tour

  • Top Latin Artist

  • Top Latin Male Artist

  • Top Latin Female Artist

  • Top Latin Duo/Group

  • Top Latin Tour

  • Top Dance/Electronic Artist

  • Top Christian Artist

  • Top Gospel Artist

  • Top Billboard 200 Album

  • Top Soundtrack

  • Top R&B Album

  • Top Rap Album

  • Top Country Album

  • Top Rock Album

  • Top Latin Album

  • Top Dance/Electronic Album

  • Top Christian Album

  • Top Gospel Album

  • Top Hot 100 Song

  • Top Streaming Song

  • Top Selling Song

  • Top Radio Song

  • Top Collaboration

  • Top Billboard Global 200 Song

  • Top Billboard Global (Excl. U.S.) Song

  • Top Viral Song

  • Top R&B Song

  • Top Rap Song

  • Top Country Song

  • Top Rock Song

  • Top Latin Song

  • Top Dance/Electronic Song

  • Top Christian Song

  • Top Gospel Song

Diddy Takes Credit For Travis Scott Performing At The Upcoming Billboard Music Awards

by
diddy bbma
Getty Image

While the Billboard Music Awards’ announcement of Travis Scott’s return as a performer came as a shock to some, for others it signaled the next phase in his ongoing comeback after the Astroworld Festival disaster. However, as Travis and Live Nation are still entangled in a deluge of lawsuits stemming from the many, many injuries and ten deaths at Astroworld, it appears Travis needed an outside advocate to fight for him to perform at this year’s BBMAs.

Enter: Sean “Puff Daddy/P. Diddy/Brother Love” Combs. In a video posted to Instagram, the veteran hitmaker made it clear that he deserves the credit (or the blame, depending on where you stand) for Travis Scott’s impending redemption. It seems Diddy gave the show’s producers an ultimatum:” For the Billboard Music Awards this Sunday I made a request, I made a demand,” he said. “I said ‘My brother Travis Scott has to perform. I’m executive producing, he has to perform,’ and NBC said ‘yes.’”

Diddy continued to boast in a separate interview with REVOLT Black News (which, you may recall, he owns). “I am uncanceling the canceled,” he declared. “There will be no canceling on my watch. Love is about forgiveness… so that was why it was important for me to have Travis Scott perform. It’s going to be a great night.”

While forgiveness is an admirable goal, there are some who don’t feel it’s Diddy’s or anyone else’s place to offer that. Those people include Bernon and Tericia Blount, the grandparents of Ezra Blount, the youngest Astroworld victim at nine years old. The Blounts previously condemned one of Travis’ efforts to make amends, calling it a PR stunt, and nearly 3,000 victims have lawsuits against the rapper and Astroworld’s promotion company, Live Nation. Those suits have been combined into a single case, which has yet to be tried.

Travis Scott Will Continue His Comeback With A Performance At The Billboard Music Awards

by
travis scott
Getty Image

Travis Scott’s comeback continues. The Houston rapper recently performed his first public show at a club in Miami after soft-launching his return at both a pre-Oscars party and a Coachella afterparty earlier this year. Then, last month, he announced his impending return to the festival scene at Primavera Sound in Brazil this autumn. And now we know when he’ll show up on the awards show circuit again. The Billboard Music Awards have announced the upcoming 2022 show’s slate of performers, which includes Becky G, Burna Boy, Florence + The Machine, Latto, Megan Thee Stallion, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Silk Sonic, and yes, Travis Scott.

Travis is also nominated for one award: Spanish producer HVME’s “Goosebumps” remix is up for Top Dance/Electronic Song.

Scott has been out of the spotlight since last November when the second day of his Astroworld Festival was canceled in the wake of a disastrous first night that left 10 dead and hundreds injured by a crowd crush during Travis’ headlining set. Travis later said that he had no idea that anything was wrong after reportedly performing for nearly 40 minutes after a mass casualty event was declared by authorities. He has laid low in the intervening months only re-emerging recently after announcing his Project HEAL initiative with the release of the Future-featuring “Hold That Heat” and promoting his upcoming album, Utopia, via billboards on the freeway to Coachella.

The BBMAs are this Sunday, May 15 at 8 pm ET.

Travis Scott to Perform at Billboard Music Awards

by

It’s about to be lit.

Travis Scott will make his return to the stage at the 2022 Billboard Music Awards, it was announced today. The Houston rapper will perform live during Sunday’s show in Las Vegas, marking his first awards show performance since the Astroworld Festival in November, which resulted in 10 deaths.

Travis and HVME’s remix of “Goosebumps” is nominated for Top Dance/Electronic Song at this year’s show. In 2019-2020, he became the first artist in the history of the Billboard Hot 100 to have three songs debut at No. 1 in less than a year–“Highest in the Room,” “The Scotts” (with Kid Cudi), and “Franchise.”

It’s unclear what Travis will perform or whether he will debut new music from his long-awaited album Utopia. He recently teamed up with Future on Southside’s single “Hold That Heat,” but he hasn’t released any solo music since “Mafia” and “Escape Plan” in November.

Over the weekend, he performed his first paid gig since Astroworld at Miami nightclub E11EVEN during Race Week. He is also slated to perform at the Primavera Sound festivals in South America this November.

Hosted by Sean “Diddy” Combs, the 2022 Billboard Music Awards will air live from MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on Sunday, May 15, at 8 p.m. ET. Other performers include Silk Sonic, Ed Sheeran, Burna Boy, Latto, Maxwell, Megan Thee Stallion, and Mary J. Blige, who will receive the Billboard Icon Award.

Diddy to Host and Executive Produce Billboard Music Awards

by

Sean “Diddy” Combs is bringing the party to Las Vegas.

The hip-hop icon will host and executive produce the 2022 Billboard Music Awards next month.

He shared the “big announcement” with his neighbors and 18 million Instagram followers on Friday morning. “I am returning! Yes, I am returning! And what better way to do that than to executive produce and to host this year’s 2022 Billboard Awards,” said Puff. “That means I’m the host with the most, I’m the executive producer that calls all the shots, that means I’m the ringmaster, P.T. Barnum style.”

It’s been exactly 25 years since Diddy won his first Billboard Music Award in 1997 for his multi-platinum album No Way Out. He is a two-time BBMA winner, including Top Rap Song (1997) and Top Rap Artist (1997).

And you can expect a party like only Diddy knows how to throw. “Ain’t no party like a Diddy party,” he said. “We’re gonna come through with one of the most disruptive lineups in music history with one of the most controversial hosts in music history—me!”

Mary J. Blige will be honored with the Icon Award, while other performers include Burna Boy, Latto, Megan Thee Stallion, Rauw Alejandro, and Red Hot Chili Peppers.

The Weeknd leads this year’s finalists in 17 categories including Top Artist, Top Male Artist, and Top 100 Artist. Doja Cat is the top female finalist in 14 categories including Top Artist, Top Female Artist, and Top Hot 100 Song.

The 2022 Billboard Music Awards will air live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on Sunday, May 15, at 8 p.m. ET on NBC.

The Weeknd, Doja Cat Lead Billboard Music Awards Finalists

by

The Weeknd is a top finalist for the 2022 Billboard Music Awards.

The XO singer leads in 17 categories, the most of any artist this year, including Top Artist, Top Male Artist, and Top 100 Artist. His collaboration with Ariana Grande, “Save Your Tears (Remix),” is up for six awards.

Last year, he took home 10 awards, including Top Artist and Top Hot 100 Artist, bringing his career total wins to 19.

Fresh off her first Grammy win, Doja Cat scores 14 nominations including Top Artist, Top Female Artist, and Top Hot 100 Song. Her single “Kiss Me More” with SZA is up for Top Hot 100 Song and Top Collaboration.

Justin Bieber is not far behind with 13 nods, including Top Male Artist, Top Hot 100 Artist, and Top Streaming Song for “Stay” with The Kid LAROI.

Kanye West aka Ye is also a finalist for 13 awards across the gospel, Christian, and rap categories. DONDA is up for Top Rap Album, Top Gospel Album, and Top Christian Album.

Last year’s Artist of the Decade, Drake, picks up 10 this year including Top Artist, Top Hot 100 Artist, and Top Rap Artist.

The 2022 Billboard Music Awards will broadcast live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on Sunday, May 15, at 8 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock.

2022 Billboard Music Awards Finalists

Top Artist
Doja Cat
Drake
Olivia Rodrigo
Taylor Swift
The Weeknd

Top New Artist
Givēon
Masked Wolf
Olivia Rodrigo
Pooh Shiesty
The Kid LAROI

Top Male Artist
Drake
Ed Sheeran
Justin Bieber
Lil Nas X
The Weeknd

Top Female Artist
Adele
Doja Cat
Dua Lipa
Olivia Rodrigo
Taylor Swift

Top Duo/Group
BTS
Glass Animals
Imagine Dragons
Migos
Silk Sonic (Bruno Mars, Anderson .Paak)

Top Billboard 200 Artist
Adele
Drake
Juice WRLD
Morgan Wallen
Taylor Swift

Top Hot 100 Artist
Doja Cat
Drake
Justin Bieber
Olivia Rodrigo
The Weeknd

Top Streaming Songs Artist
Doja Cat
Drake
Lil Nas X
Olivia Rodrigo
The Weeknd

Top Song Sales Artist
Adele
BTS
Dua Lipa
Ed Sheeran
Walker Hayes

Top Radio Songs Artist
Doja Cat
Ed Sheeran
Justin Bieber
Olivia Rodrigo
The Weeknd

Top Billboard Global 200 Artist
Doja Cat
Ed Sheeran
Justin Bieber
Olivia Rodrigo
The Weeknd

Top Billboard Global (Excl. U.S.) Artist
BTS
Dua Lipa
Ed Sheeran
Olivia Rodrigo
The Weeknd

Top R&B Artist
Doja Cat
Givēon
Silk Sonic (Bruno Mars, Anderson .Paak)
Summer Walker
The Weeknd

Top R&B Male Artist
Givēon
Khalid
The Weeknd

Top R&B Female Artist
Doja Cat
Summer Walker
SZA

Top R&B Tour
Bruno Mars (Bruno Mars at Park MGM)
Omarion & Bow Wow (The Millennium Tour 2021)
Usher (The Vegas Residency)

Top Rap Artist
Drake
Juice WRLD
Lil Baby
Moneybagg Yo
Polo G

Top Rap Male Artist
Drake
Juice WRLD
Polo G

Top Rap Female Artist
Cardi B
Latto
Megan Thee Stallion

Top Rap Tour
J. Cole (The Off-Season Tour)
Lil Baby (The Back Outside Tour)
Omarion & Bow Wow (The Millennium Tour 2021)

Top Christian Artist
Carrie Underwood
Elevation Worship
for King & Country
Lauren Daigle
Ye

Top Gospel Artist
CeCe Winans
Elevation Worship
Kirk Franklin
Maverick City Music
Ye

Top Billboard 200 Album
Adele – 30
Doja Cat – Planet Her
Drake – Certified Lover Boy
Morgan Wallen – Dangerous: The Double Album
Olivia Rodrigo – SOUR

Top R&B Album
Doja Cat – Planet Her
Givēon – When It’s All Said and Done…Take Time
Silk Sonic (Bruno Mars, Anderson .Paak) – An Evening With Silk Sonic
Summer Walker – Still Over It
The Weeknd – Dawn FM

Top Rap Album
Drake – Certified Lover Boy
Moneybagg Yo – A Gangsta’s Pain
Rod Wave – SoulFly
The Kid LAROI – F*ck Love
Ye – Donda

Top Christian Album
Carrie Underwood – My Savior
CeCe Winans – Believe for It
Elevation Worship & Maverick City Music – Old Church Basement
Phil Wickham – Hymn of Heaven
Ye – Donda

Top Gospel Album
CeCe Winans – Believe for It
Elevation Worship & Maverick City Music – Old Church Basement
Maverick City Music – Jubilee: Juneteenth Edition
Maverick City Music & Upperroom – move your heart.
Ye – Donda

Top Hot 100 Song
Doja Cat ft. SZA, “Kiss Me More”
Dua Lipa, “Levitating”
Olivia Rodrigo, “good 4 u”
The Kid LAROI & Justin Bieber, “Stay”
The Weeknd & Ariana Grande, “Save Your Tears”

Top Streaming Song
Dua Lipa, “Levitating”
Glass Animals, “Heat Waves”
Olivia Rodrigo, “good 4 u”
The Kid LAROI & Justin Bieber, “Stay”
The Weeknd & Ariana Grande, “Save Your Tears”

Top Selling Song
BTS, “Butter”
BTS, “Permission to Dance”
Dua Lipa, “Levitating”
Ed Sheeran, “Bad Habits”
Walker Hayes, “Fancy Like”

Top Radio Song
Dua Lipa, “Levitating”
Ed Sheeran, “Bad Habits”
Olivia Rodrigo, “good 4 u”
The Kid LAROI & Justin Bieber, “Stay”
The Weeknd & Ariana Grande, “Save Your Tears”

Top Collaboration
Doja Cat ft. SZA, “Kiss Me More”
Justin Bieber ft. Daniel Caesar & GIVĒON, “Peaches”
Lil Nas X ft. Jack Harlow, “Industry Baby”
The Kid LAROI & Justin Bieber, “Stay”
The Weeknd & Ariana Grande, “Save Your Tears”

Top Billboard Global 200 Song
Dua Lipa, “Levitating”
Ed Sheeran, “Bad Habits”
Olivia Rodrigo, “good 4 u”
The Kid LAROI & Justin Bieber, “Stay”
The Weeknd & Ariana Grande, “Save Your Tears”

Top Billboard Global (Excl. U.S.) Song
BTS, “Butter”
Ed Sheeran, “Bad Habits”
Lil Nas X, “Montero (Call Me by Your Name)”
The Kid LAROI & Justin Bieber, “Stay”
The Weeknd & Ariana Grande, “Save Your Tears”

Top Viral Song
Doja Cat ft. SZA, “Kiss Me More”
Gayle, “abcdefu”
Glass Animals, “Heat Waves”
Masked Wolf, “Astronaut In The Ocean”
Walker Hayes, “Fancy Like”

Top R&B Song
Doja Cat & The Weeknd, “You Right”
Givēon, “Heartbreak Anniversary”
Justin Bieber ft. Daniel Caesar & Givēon, “Peaches”
Silk Sonic (Bruno Mars, Anderson .Paak), “Leave The Door Open”
WizKid ft. Justin Bieber & Tems, “Essence”

Top Rap Song
Drake ft. 21 Savage, Project Pat, “Knife Talk”
Drake ft. Future & Young Thug, “Way 2 Sexy”
Lil Nas X ft. Jack Harlow, “Industry Baby”
Masked Wolf, “Astronaut In The Ocean”
Polo G, “Rapstar”

Top Gospel Song
Elevation Worship & Maverick City Music ft. Chandler Moore & Naomi Raine, “Jireh”
Ye, “Hurricane”
Ye, “Moon”
Ye, “Off the Grid”
Ye, “Praise God”

Top Christian Song
Anne Wilson, “My Jesus”
Ye, “Hurricane”
Ye, “Moon”
Ye, “Off The Grid”
Ye, “Praise God”

The Weeknd Continues To Tease His New Era With A Cryptic Tweet

by
Getty Image

After cleaning up with a whopping ten wins at the Billboard Music Awards last Sunday — you hear that, Grammys? — The Weeknd is doubling down on his promise that new era is coming. Though the R&B superstar didn’t even get to tour behind his most successful album yet, due to the blight that was COVID-19 on 2020 live events, he’s already unveiling a new concept anyway. After teasing the new era as “The Dawn” in one of his many acceptance speeches at the BBMAs, Abel hopped on Twitter this afternoon to double down on his promise.

“Ladies and gentleman, the…” he wrote, a cryptic teaser that had fans quickly filling in the blank: “Dawn is coming.”

Of course, it’s also a reference to a now-beloved SNL meme, when Daniel Craig introduced the star on the show. So do with it what you will!

Tesfaye’s After Hours era was a dark one punctuated by his constant red suit and facial injuries and bandages, a visual shtick that kept fans guessing as to how he’d show up to public events. If the “Save Your Tears” performance at the Billboard Music Awards was any indication, that visual is now down. His crips black suit with a long trench was the new look, and even if Ariana didn’t join him for the BBMAs performance, her appearance at his iHeartRadio Music Awards for their new remix was another indication that the pair might have more new music in the works. This was Ari’s first appearance after her secret at-home wedding, so it’s a big deal that she made it out on that stage.

Whether The Dawn era includes Ari or not, it’s definitely coming soon. And new music from The Weeknd is the perfect way to head back into festival season.

Drake Threw A Dinner Party On The 50 Yard Line At SoFi Stadium After Winning Artist Of The Decade

by
Getty Image

Drake’s well-known for his displays of wealth, which have ranged from ostentatious to borderline ridiculous over the years. However, after receiving a Billboard Artist of the Decade Award at the Billboard Music Awards this weekend, he certainly had a good enough excuse for his latest over-the-top expenditure. According to Variety, Drake rented out the SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California so he could have dinner on the 50-yard line with his OVO crew. The recently opened stadium normally seats 70,000, but for Drake’s dinner party, the attendance was limited to a guest list that included DJ Khaled, Doja Cat, SZA, and The Weeknd.

E! News reported that a source said, “He rented the entire stadium for the night. The stadium has a gigantic banner with his name and ‘Artist of the Decade.’… There are huge champagne towers and several bars set up throughout the stadium. Drake also has cute album books featuring his favorite moments through his career set up around the stadium.”

It’s likely Drake went all-out to make up for prior missed opportunities to do so; as he noted in his acceptance speech, which he gave with his son Adonis by his side, “I’ve spent an incalculable amount of hours trying to analyze all the things I did wrong. I’m really self-conscious about my music, and even if I do a good job, I always wonder how I could have done it better. I rarely celebrate anything. And just for anyone watching this, that’s wondering how this happened, that’s really the answer: being so unsure how you’re getting it done that you just kind of keep going in the hopes of figuring out the formula. But tonight, for once, I’m sure as hell we did something right.”

Machine Gun Kelly Painted His Tongue Black And Packed On The PDA With Megan Fox At The Billboard Awards

by
Getty Image

Machine Gun Kelly and Megan Fox have been dating for a while now and they seem to be having a delightful time with each other. Their relationship has been one to behold for outside observers as well. The things the pair say and do have certainly gotten eyeballs focused on them as a couple, and they added to their eyebrow-raising story this weekend at the 2021 Billboard Music Awards.

Ahead of the show, Kelly went for a surprising (or perhaps not) stylistic choice and decided to paint his tongue black, sharing clips of the process on his Instagram Story (as BuzzFeed notes). Later on, Kelly and Fox showed up on the red carpet and decided to really draw attention to Kelly’s look by packing on some tongue-heavy PDA.

When it came to the actual ceremony, Kelly did quite well. He was nominated in three categories and came away with two wins: Top Rock Artist and Top Rock Album (for Tickets To My Downfall). After getting the win, he took to his Instagram Story to celebrate by sharing a video of himself holding one of his trophies… in a bathroom, as Fox exited a stall behind him and was seemingly surprised to discover she was being filmed.

@machinegunkelly/Instagram

Check out the full list of 2021 Billboard Music Awards winners here.

Drake Celebrated His Artist Of The Decade Award By Accepting It With His Son In His Arms

by

While coveted career-spanning awards can sometimes feel canned or phoned-in, there’s nothing that feels phony about calling Drake the artist of the decade. With over 200 entries into the Billboard Hot 100, a whopping nine No. 1 albums, and the kind of culture-defining force that few artists ever get to wield, he has undoubtedly changed the face of rap, pop, and R&B all at the same time. But to accept this monumental award, he didn’t enlist any celebrities or famous friends to present it to him, opting instead to have his friends and family lining the back of the stage while he accepted it.

And it wasn’t just his mother and father, other relatives and closest friends who were there with him. As he walked out onstage, Drake was holding the hand of his young son, Adonis, and even gave the trophy to the toddler to hold while he gave his heartfelt, off-the-cuff acceptance speech. For those who remember the accusations leveled against Drizzy during one of the lowest moments of his career — Pusha T’s venomous declaration “you are hiding a child” — tonight’s acceptance felt like a direct rebuttal to that attack. Putting it to bed once and for all, Drake dedicated one of the biggest awards of his career to Adonis, holding him up for a final celebration before heading offstage.

Congratulations Drake, artist of the decade… now can we please get Certified Lover Boy in time for summer? Watch his full speech above.