New York, NY (Top40 Charts) The "2018 Billboard
Music Awards," hosted by "
The Voice" coach,
Kelly Clarkson, was an emotional and celebratory night of nostalgic and one-of-a-kind musical performances and touching moments all to celebrate this year's biggest and best in music! This year's show aired live on both coasts from the MGM Grand Garden
Arena in Las
Vegas on Sunday, May 20 at 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT on NBC.
Kendrick Lamar and
Ed Sheeran were the night's big winners, receiving six awards each. Lamar received Top Billboard 200 Album, Top Rap Artist, Top Rap Male Artist, Top Rap Album, Top Streaming Artist and Top Streaming Song (Audio). Accepting his awards all the way from Dublin, Ireland, Sheeran took home Top Artist, Top Male Artist, Top Hot 100 Artist, Top Song Sales Artist, Top
Radio Songs Artist and Top
Radio Song. Bruno Mars, Luis Fonsi,
Daddy Yankee and
Justin Bieber follow close behind, winning five awards each. Mars took home awards for Top R&B Artist, Top R&B Male Artist, Top R&B Tour, Top R&B Album and Top R&B Song. For "Despacito," Luis Fonsi,
Daddy Yankee and
Justin Bieber won for Top Hot 100 Song, Top Collaboration, Top Selling Song, Top Latin Song, Top Streaming Song (Audio) and Top Streaming Song (Video).
Other multi-category winners include:
Imagine Dragons (Top Duo/Group, Top Rock Artist, Top Rock Album, Top Rock Song);
Chris Stapleton (Top Country Artist, Top Country Male Artist and Top Country Album); The
Chainsmokers (Top Dance/Electronic Artist, Top Dance/Electronic Album, Top Dance/Electronic Song);
Taylor Swift (Top Female Artist and Top Selling Album);
Tasha Cobbs Leonard (Top Gospel Artist and Top Gospel Album);
Ozuna (Top Latin Artist and Top Latin Album); and U2 (Top Touring Artist and Top Rock Tour).
The two fan-voted award winners were BTS for Top Social Artist and
Camila Cabello for Billboard Chart Achievement Award.
The show had special moments, catering to audiences of all ages. Perhaps the most memorable was a medley from ICON Award recipient
Janet Jackson, who electrified the stage with a performance of some of her biggest hits including "If" and "Nasty."
Ariana Grande opened the show with a rousing performance of her new hit single "No
Tears Left to Cry." Host
Kelly Clarkson took the stage next, welcoming the audience in the arena and at home to what was sure to be an unforgettable night and was joined on stage by the famous Las
Vegas entertainers.
Dua Lipa delivered a visually entertaining performance of her single "New Rules," which featured a stage full of dancers and a giant flamingo.
Jennifer Lopez and
DJ Khaled fired up the stage with their new collaboration, "Dinero," while new dad
John Legend had the audience grooving to "A Good Night."
Khalid pulled double duty, first performing with
Normani for his song "
Love Lies" and returning to the stage for an emotional duet of "
Youth" alongside
Shawn Mendes and the Marjory Stoneman
Douglas Show Choir from Parkland. Prior to being joined by Khalid, Mendes took the stage to sing his new pop hit "In My Blood."
Ed Sheeran gave a special performance of "Galway Girl," appropriately coming to viewers from Galway.
The
Chainsmokers and
Halsey delivered touching remarks in memory of the late DJ, Avicii, who passed away earlier this year.
Christina Aguilera and
Demi Lovato brought the house down with the show-stopping world television debut of Aguilera's empowering new song "Fall In Line."
The evening featured more memorable group performance including Zedd, Maren Morris, and Grey with their catchy single "The Middle,"
Macklemore featuring Kesha on his song "Good Old Days," and
Pharrell Williams and
Camila Cabello on "Sangria Wine," before Cabello performed solo on her fan-favorite hit "Havana."
Host
Kelly Clarkson took a break from her duties to show off her impressive pipes with a single from her new album, "Whole Lotta Woman."
Global music stars BTS performed the world television premiere of their new single "
Fake Love" from their recently released album "
Love Yourself: Tear" and were nearly drowned out by the sounds of their fans screaming.
The show closed with a once-in-a-lifetime collaboration between Salt-N-Pepa and En Vogue, who joined together to perform legendary hit songs "Shoop," "Let's Talk About Sex," "Push It," and "Whatta Man."
Presenters throughout the evening included Hailey Baldwin, Tyra Banks, Alison Brie, The Chainsmokers, Ciara, Andy Cohen,
Simon Cowell, Darren Criss, Halsey, Tip "T.I." Harris, Justin Hartley and Chrissy Metz,
Nick Jonas and Mustard,
Chloe Kim, Mila Kunis, Padma Lakshmi, Des Linden, Julia Michaels, French Montana, NE-YO, Derek Hough and Jenna Dewan, Bebe Rexha, Evan Ross and Ashlee Simpson,
Grace VanderWaal and
Rebel Wilson.
See below for a full list of non-televised winners:
Top Artist: Ed Sheeran
Top New Artist: Khalid
Billboard Chart Achievement Award:
Camila Cabello
Top Male Artist: Ed Sheeran
Top Female Artist: Taylor Swift
Top Duo/Group: Imagine Dragons
Top R&B Artist: Bruno Mars
Top R&B Male Artist: Bruno Mars
Top R&B Female Artist: SZA
Top Rap Artist: Kendrick Lamar
Top Rap Male Artist: Kendrick Lamar
Top Rap Female Artist: Cardi B
Top Country Artist: Chris Stapleton
Top Country Male Artist: Chris Stapleton
Top Country Female Artist: Maren Morris
Top Country Duo/Group Artist: Florida Georgia Line
