Billboard Music Awards: Drake Nabs Top Artist, Sets Record for Most Wins Ever
Kelly Clarkson returned as host of the show, which aired live Wednesday night from Las Vegas on NBC.
The 2019 Billboard Music Awards were handed out Wednesday night.
Drake was the night's big winner, taking home the top artist award among his many honors. With his 12 wins Wednesday, Drake now holds the record for most wins in BBMA history, with a total of 27. Other winners included Ariana Grande, BTS and Imagine Dragons.
Music's biggest stars were at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas for the show, which aired live from 8-11 p.m. ET (tape-delayed on the West Coast) on NBC. Kelly Clarkson returned as host and performed during the show.
Taylor Swift opened the kudocast with the worldwide premiere performance of her new song "ME!," featuring Brendon Urie from Panic! at the Disco. Mariah Carey received the Icon Award and also performed a medley of her greatest hits.
Other performers included Grande, who sang "7 Rings"; Madonna and Maluma, who performed "Medellín"; Paula Abdul, with a medley of her greatest hits; BTS and Halsey, with “Boy With Luv"; and the Jonas Brothers, who performed "Sucker."
In addition, Halsey took the stage for a solo performance of "Without Me," Ciara debuted her new single "Thinkin Bout You" for the first time on television, and country singers Dan + Shay performed with Tori Kelly. Lauren Daigle and Khalid also performed.
Presenters included Asher Angel, Becky G, Chrissy Metz & Justin Hartley, Cobie Smulders, Dave Bautista & Kumail Nanjiani, David Guetta, Erin & Sara Foster, Eva Longoria, Florida Georgia Line, Jennifer Hudson, Jesse Spencer, Julia Michaels, Julianne Hough, Kane Brown, Olivia Wilde, Beanie Feldstein & Kaitlyn Dever, Ralph Macchio, Rob Gronkowski, Ross Lynch & Kiernan Shipka, Sabrina Carpenter, Sophie Turner & Tye Sheridan, Terry Crews and William Zabka.
Cardi B was the most-nominated artist for the 2019 Billboard Music Awards, receiving a total of 21 nominations in categories such as top artist, top female artist, top rap artist and top rap album to name a few. Drake and Post Malone had the second-highest number of noms, with each artist gaining 17.
The Billboard Music Awards are produced by Dick Clark Productions — a division of Valence Media, the parent company of the Billboard-Hollywood Reporter Media Group.
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Top Artist
Drake (WINNER)
Cardi B
Ariana Grande
Post Malone
Travis Scott -
Top New Artist
Juice WRLD (WINNER)
Bazzi
Lil Baby
Dua Lipa
Ella Mai -
Billboard Chart Achievement Award
Ariana Grande (WINNER)
Dan + Shay
Drake
Lady Gaga & Bradley Cooper
Dua Lipa -
Top Male Artist
Drake (WINNER)
Post Malone
Travis Scott
Ed Sheeran
XXXTENTACION -
Top Female Artist
Ariana Grande (WINNER)
Cardi B
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
Drake (WINNER)
Cardi B
Ariana Grande
Juice WRLD
Post Malone -
Top Streaming Songs Artist
Drake (WINNER)
Cardi B
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
Ariana Grande
Maroon 5
Post Malone -
Top Social Artist
BTS (WINNER)
EXO
GOT7
Ariana Grande
Louis Tomlinson -
Top Touring Artist
Ed Sheeran (WINNER)
Beyonce & Jay-Z
Bruno Mars
Taylor Swift
Justin Timberlake -
Top R&B Artist
Ella Mai (WINNER)
H.E.R.
Khalid
The Weeknd
XXXTENTACION -
Top R&B Male Artist
The Weeknd (WINNER)
Khalid
XXXTENTACION -
Top R&B Female Artist
Ella Mai (WINNER)
H.E.R.
Queen Naija -
Top R&B Tour
Beyonce & Jay-Z (WINNER)
Childish Gambino
Bruno Mars -
Top Rap Artist
Drake (WINNER)
Cardi B
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
Beyonce & Jay-Z (WINNER)
Drake
Travis Scott -
Top Country Artist
Luke Combs (WINNER)
Jason Aldean
Kane Brown
Dan + Shay
Florida Georgia Line -
Top Country Male Artist
Luke Combs (WINNER)
Jason Aldean
Kane Brown -
Top Country Female Artist
Carrie Underwood (WINNER)
Maren Morris
Kacey Musgraves -
Top Country Duo/Group Artist
Dan + Shay (WINNER)
Florida Georgia Line
Old Dominion -
Top Country Tour
Kenny Chesney (WINNER)
Luke Bryan
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
Ozuna (WINNER)
Anuel AA
Bad Bunny
J Balvin
Romeo Santos -
Top Dance/Electronic Artist
The Chainsmokers (WINNER)
Calvin Harris
Kygo
Marshmello
ODESZA -
Top Christian Artist
Lauren Daigle (WINNER)
Cory Asbury
for KING & COUNTRY
Hillsong Worship
MercyMe -
Top Gospel Artist
Tasha Cobbs Leonard (WINNER)
Kirk Franklin
Koryn Hawthorne
Tori Kelly
Marvin Sapp -
Top Billboard 200 Album
Drake, Scorpion (WINNER)
Cardi B, Invasion of Privacy
Post Malone, beerbongs & bentleys
Travis Scott, ASTROWORLD
XXXTENTACION, ? -
Top Soundtrack
The Greatest Showman (WINNER)
13 Reasons Why: Season 2
A Star is Born
Bohemian Rhapsody
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse -
Top R&B Album
XXXTENTACION, 17 (WINNER)
Ella Mai, Ella Mai
H.E.R., H.E.R.
Khalid, American Teen
The Weeknd, My Dear Melancholy -
Top Rap Album
Drake, Scorpion (WINNER)
Cardi B, Invasion of Privacy
Post Malone, beerbongs & bentleys
Travis Scott, ASTROWORLD
XXXTENTACION, ? -
Top Country Album
Luke Combs, This One's For You (WINNER)
Jason Aldean, Rearview Town
Kane Brown, Kane Brown
Dan + Shay, Dan + Shay
Carrie Underwood, Cry Pretty -
Top Rock Album
Panic! At The Disco, Pray For The Wicked (WINNER)
Dave Matthews Band, Come Tomorrow
Imagine Dragons, Origins
Mumford & Sons, Delta
twenty one pilots, Trench -
Top Latin Album
Ozuna, Aura (WINNER)
Anuel AA, Real Hasta la Muerte
Bad Bunny, X 100PRE
J Balvin, Vibras
Maluma, F.A.M.E. -
Top Dance/Electronic Album
The Chainsmokers, Sick Boy (WINNER)
Clean Bandit, What Is Love?
David Guetta, 7
Kygo, Kids in Love
Major Lazer, Major Lazer Essentials -
Top Christian Album
Lauren Daigle, Look Up Child (WINNER)
Cory Asbury, Reckless Love
for KING & COUNTRY, Burn The Ships
Hillsong Worship, There Is More
Zach Williams, Chain Breaker -
Top Gospel Album
Tori Kelly, Hiding Place (WINNER)
Snoop Dogg & Various Artists, Snoop Dogg Presents Bible of Love
Aretha Franklin, Gospel Greats
Koryn Hawthorne, Unstoppable
Jonathan McReynolds, Make Room -
Top Hot 100 Song
Maroon 5 featuring Cardi B. "Girls Like You" (WINNER)
Juice WRLD, "Lucid Dreams"
Post Malone, "Better Now"
Travis Scot, "SICKO MODE"
XXXTENTACION, "SAD!" -
Top Streaming Song (Audio)
Travis Scott, "SICKO MODE" (WINNER)
Cardi B, Bad Bunny & J Balvin, "I Like It"
Juice WRLD, "Lucid Dreams"
Post Malone, "Better Now"
XXTENTACION, "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
Maroon 5 ft. Cardi B, "Girls Like You" (WINNER)
Cardi B, Bad Bunny & J Balvin, "I Like It"
Drake, "In My Feelings"
Halsey, "Without Me"
Lady Gaga & Bradley Cooper, "Shallow" -
Top Radio Song
Maroon 5 ft. Cardi B, "Girls Like You" (WINNER)
Khalid & Normani, "Love Lies"
Post Malone, "Better Now"
Bebe Rexha & Florida Georgia Line, "Meant to Be"
Zedd, Maren Morris & Grey, "The Middle" -
Top Collaboration
Maroon 5 ft. Cardi B, "Girls Like You" (WINNER)
Cardi B, Bad Bunny & J Balvin, "I Like It"
Khalid & Normani, "Love Lies"
Post Malone ft. Ty Dolla $ign, "Psycho"
Marshmello & Bastille, "Happier" -
Top R&B Song
Ella Mai, "Boo'd Up" (WINNER)
DJ Khaled ft. Justin Bieber, Chance The Rapper & Quavo, "No Brainer"
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
Bebe Rexha & Florida Georgia Line, "Meant to Be" (WINNER)
Kane Brown, "Heaven"
Luke Combs, "She Got the Best of Me"
Dan + Shay, "Speechless"
Dan + Shay, "Tequila" -
Top Rock Song
Panic! At The Disco, "High Hopes" (WINNER)
Foster The People, "Sit Next to Me"
Imagine Dragons, "Natural"
Imagine Dragons, "Whatever It Takes"
lovelytheband, "broken"
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Top Latin Song
Casper Magico, Nio Garcia, Darell, Nicky Jam, Bad Bunny & Ozuna, "Te Bote"
Bad Bunny ft. Drake, "Mia"
Daddy Yankee, "Dura"
DJ Snake ft. Selena Gomez, Ozuna & Cardi B, "Taki Taki"
Nicky Jam & J Balvin, "X" -
Top Dance/Electronic Song
Zedd, Maren Morris & Grey, "The Middle" (WINNER)
DJ Snake ft. Selena Gomez, Ozuna & Cardi B, "Taki Taki"
Calvin Harris & Dua Lipa, "One Kiss"
Marshmello & Bastille, "Happier"
Tiesto & Dzeko ft. Preme & Post Malone, "Jackie Chan" -
Top Christian Song
Lauren Daigle, "You Say" (WINNER)
Cory Asbury, "Reckless Love"
for KING & COUNTRY, "joy."
Hillsong Worship, "Who You Say I Am"
Tauren Wells, "Known" -
Top Gospel Song
Koryn Hawthorne, "Won't He Do It" (WINNER)
Todd Dulaney, "Your Great Name"
Tori Kelly ft. Kirk Franklin, "Never Alone"
Jason Nelson, "Forever"
Brian Courtney Wilson, "A Great Work"