Canadian singer, The Weeknd was the biggest winner at the star-studded 2021 Billboard Music Awards.
He won the Top Male Artist, Top R&B Artist and Top Hot 100 Artist awards.
His ‘Blinding Lights,’ the No. 1 song of 2020, won Top Radio Song and Top R&B Song, while his multi-hit, multi-platinum album, “After Hours,” won Top R&B Album.
Hosted by Nick Jonas from the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles, Sunday’s spectacular also saw P!nk honored with the 2021 “Icon” award.
Drake won the “Artist of the Decade” and Trae Tha Truth was named the 2021 “Change Maker.”
“I’d like to thank my fellow nominees. It’s been a dark year and you brought light and an escape with your music,” The Weeknd said onstage at Sunday’s show, after, collecting the night’s first televised award.
Drake, who holds the title for most Billboard Music Award wins of all time, received the Artist of the Decade Award.
He was introduced by a group of his family and friends and came out onstage with his 3-year-old son, Adonis Graham.
The late rapper Pop Smoke was also a big winner with five awards, including top new artist and top rap artist, while his debut — “Shoot for the Stars, Aim for the Moon” — won top rap album and top Billboard 200 album, which his mother accepted onstage.
Thank you to the fans for honoring the life and spirit of my son, so much that he continues to manifest as if he was still here in flesh,” Audrey Jackson said.
BTS also won four awards; They won top duo/group for the second time in three years. BTS also took top social artist for the fifth consecutive year. The group is just one year behind Bieber’s six-year hold on the award from 2011-16.
According to Billboard, award finalists and winners are based on “key fan interactions with music, including album and digital song sales, streaming, radio airplay and social engagement, tracked by Billboard and its data partners, including MRC Data.”
The 2021 awards are based on the chart period that spanned March 21, 2020 through April 3, 2021. Meanwhile, fan-voted categories for 2021 included “Top Social Artist” and “Top Collaboration.”
The televised portion of the award was interspersed with live and remote performances from artists that included the Jonas Brothers, the Weeknd, BTS, Alicia Keys, Drake among others.
