Hello! Drake breaks Adele’s record at Billboard Music Awards
Hello, Drake has surpassed Adele’s record at the 2017 Billboard Music Awards on Sunday, picking up 13 awards.
Adele set a record at the show in 2012 with 12 wins. The rapper, who walked into the show on Sunday with 22 nominations, won top artist, top male artist and top Billboard 200 album Views, among others, at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
“I got my whole family up here,” said Drake, who stood onstage with nearly two dozen people, including his father, Lil Wayne and Nicki Minaj.
Drake was presented the top artist award by Prince Jackson, the late Michael Jackson’s eldest son. Drake beat out Beyoncé, Justin Bieber, Rihanna, Adele, Ariana Grande, the Weeknd, twenty one pilots, Shawn Mendes and The Chainsmokers for the top prize. Of those nominees, only Drake and the Chainsmokers attended the Billboard Awards.
But other big names showed up, though. Cher, who received the Icon award, sang her dance anthem Believe in a glittery number that included pasties and blonde hair with pink tips. She later changed wigs — this time in a huge, curly black ‘do — and wore a black sheer bodysuit and leather jacket for If I Could Turn Back Time. Her performance earned the most audience participation of the night.
“I wanted to do what I do since I was four years old and I’ve been doing it for 53 years,” said Cher, who turned 71 on Saturday. “And I can do a five-minute plank. Just saying.”
“I think luck has so much to do with my success with a little bit of something thrown in,” she added.
Korean boy band BTS, who won top social artist, earned one of the night’s loudest ovations. Another highlight was Celine Dion.
In a beautiful, Met Gala-ready white gown, she belted out My Heart Will Go On, the Oscar-winning song from Titanic. The film is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year. John Legend and Florida Georgia Line also had a shining moment when they sang a duet version of the country duo’s soft hit, H.O.L.Y.
Dan Reynolds of the rock band Imagine Dragons led a moment of silence for Chris
Cornell, who died on Thursday. He called the Soundgarden and Audioslave singer “a true innovator”, “a musical architect”, “a prolific songwriting” and “a legendary performer” — as a large photo of Cornell singing with his eyes closed was displayed behind him.
“We send our respects as well as our love to Chris’ family at this time,” Reynolds said.
Miley Cyrus sang her breezy new single, Malibu, delivering a sound and muted style that marked departure from the hits that made her a pop star years ago. She was teary eyed at the end of the performance.
“And for the first time in years with pants on,” Noah Cyrus, standing next to father Billy Ray Cyrus, introduced her older sister, who was wearing white shorts and a cowboy hat.
Nicki Minaj kicked off the show with an explosive nine-minute performance of her
hit songs alongside her mentor Lil Wayne and frequent collaborator David Guetta. She recently broke Aretha Franklin’s record for most songs placed on the Billboard Hot 100 chart by a female artist.
The Chainsmokers — who tied Drake with 22 nominations — won the first televised award, top collaboration, for Closer with singer Halsey. The song, which spent 12 weeks at No.1 last year, also won top Hot 100 song.
“This feels good but it feels so wrong because I love Drake so much,” said Halsey (Drake’s One Dance was also nominated).
The Chainsmokers performed Young with Andrew Taggart on vocals and Alex Pall behind the board (they were also backed by a drummer). Ed Sheeran sang Castle On The Hill from Santiago, Chile, while Bruno Mars performed his silky new single, Versace On
The Floor, from Amsterdam. Other performers include Lorde, Sam Hunt, Halsey, Camila Cabello and Julia Michaels.
At the show, Diddy honoured his former friend and artist Notorious B.I.G, who would have turned 45 on Sunday. Diddy also introduced CJ Wallace, B.I.G’s son, who spoke about his father’s legacy. Then Diddy showed the trailer of the documentary, Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop: A Bad Boy Story, which will be available on Apple Music on June 25.
Blake Shelton won top country artist and showed love for his beau and fellow singer Gwen Stefani.
“I felt like the luckiest guy in the room ‘cause Gwen was here with me anyway’,” he said.
In an announcement early on Sunday, Beyoncé and twenty one pilots won multiple awards.