South Korean superstars BTS were crowned artist of the year at the American Music Awards on Sunday, brushing aside challenges from Taylor Swift, Drake and The Weeknd as they took home and teamed up with Coldplay for a raucous 鈥淢y Universe鈥� and closed the show with 鈥淏utter.鈥�
鈥淪even boys from Korea, united by love for music, met the love and support from all the armies all over the world,鈥� said BTS鈥� RM after the group won their artist of the year for the first time. 鈥淭his whole thing is a miracle. Seriously, we would never take this for granted.鈥�
The band was also named favorite pop duo or group and got the favorite pop song award for 鈥淏utter.鈥�
The show celebrated the best popular music for a second pandemic year with a mix of live and pre-taped performances. Silk Sonic鈥檚 Bruno Mars and Anderson Paak kicked off the awards on a funky, R&B and pre-taped note with their 鈥淪mokin Out the Window鈥� and Jennifer Lopez pre-taped her 鈥淥n My Way鈥� from her upcoming romantic comedy 鈥淢arry Me.鈥�
An earlier scheduled performance of 鈥淏utter鈥� by BTS and Megan Thee Stallion was scrapped after the rapper cited personal reasons for dropping out Saturday. She turned out to be a big winner: named favorite female hip-hop artist, her 鈥淕ood 亚洲天堂鈥� winning for favorite hip-hop album and her 鈥淏ody鈥� was crowned favorite trending song, a new award this year.
Olivia Rodrigo came into the night with a leading seven nominations but only took home the crown for favorite new artist of the year. 鈥淲riting songs is my favorite thing in the whole world and I am so grateful for everyone who has embraced my music,鈥� she said.
Rodrigo lost favorite pop album to Taylor Swift鈥檚 鈥渆vermore.鈥� In a taped speech, Swift told her fans: 鈥淚鈥檓 so lucky to be in your life.鈥� Swift also won for favorite female pop artist, giving her a career total of 34, the record for the most awarded artist in AMA history.
Rodrigo performed her hit 鈥渢raitor鈥� live on a stage covered with flowers and Carrie Underwood and Jason Aldean brought a little country to the stage when they sang their pre-taped duet 鈥淚f I Didn鈥檛 Love You.鈥� With a little help from Julieta Venegas and Tainy, Bad Bunny performed their hit 鈥淟o Siento BB :/.鈥�
Among live performances, Italian band M氓neskin made their U.S. awards show debut with their viral hit 鈥淏eggin.鈥欌�� Chl枚e of Chloe x Halle floated down onto the stage to perform her hit debut single as a soloist 鈥淗ave Mercy,鈥� swinging her hair and twerking. Mickey Guyton got loud cheers while singing her patriotic song 鈥淎ll American鈥� in a silvery dress, periodically screaming out 鈥淗ow y鈥檃ll doing?鈥�
The fan-voted awards show aired live from Los Angeles on ABC. Nominees were based on streaming, album and digital sales, radio airplay and social activity, and reflect the time period of Sept. 25, 2020, through Sept. 23, 2021.
Becky G won for favorite female Latin artists and thanked the Latinx community. 鈥淵ou are not alone,鈥� she said. 鈥淲e are the American dream.鈥�
Machine Gun Kelly grabbed the favorite rock artist award. 鈥淚 want to accept this for all the aspiring musicians, the one who desires to play an instrument, wants to rap, wants to sing 鈥� not just the rock artists, but all the artists,鈥� he said.
Earlier Sunday, in awards announced before the show, Swift was named favorite female pop artist, Ed Sheeran got the favorite male award and Doja Cat featuring SZA on 鈥淜iss Me More鈥� was named collaboration of the year. Kanye West was named favorite gospel artist.
Underwood won for favorite inspirational artist and favorite female country artist and Doja Cat also won two other awards: favorite female R&B artist and her 鈥淧lanet Her鈥� was named favorite R&B album.
Luke Bryan was named favorite country artist and Bad Bunny was the favorite male Latin artist. The Weeknd was crowned favorite male R&B artist and Drake won the favorite male hip-hop artist. Gabby Barrett took home the favorite country album for 鈥淕oldmine鈥� and favorite country song for 鈥淭he Good Ones.鈥�
For the older viewers, New Edition and New Kids on the Block performed together. The Boston-based groups took turns with the hits, trading hits: 鈥淵ou Got It (The Right Stuff鈥�), 鈥淐andy Girl,鈥� 鈥淪tep By Step,鈥� 鈥淢r. Telephone Man鈥� and uniting for 鈥淐an You Stand the Rain,鈥� 鈥淚s This the End,鈥� 鈥淗angin鈥� Tough鈥� and 鈥淚f It Isn鈥檛 Love.鈥�
The favorite Latin album went to Bad Bunny鈥檚 鈥淓l 脷ltimo Tour Del Mundo.鈥�
Host Cardi B, wearing a constant stream of new outfits, revved up the crowd. Later her song 鈥淯p鈥� was named favorite hip-hop song. The Associated Press was not able to transmit images of Cardi B while she was onstage because her representatives required approval, a restriction the AP would not accept.
鈥擬ark Kennedy, The Associated Press
