Billboard Music Awards 2021: Drake, Pink and The Weeknd big winners on the night

It was a family affair at the Billboard Music Awards: Pink twirled in the air in a powerful performance with her daughter, and Drake was named Artist of the Decade, accepting the honour alongside his son.

Drake, who extended his record as the most decorated winner in the history of the Billboard Music Awards to 29 wins on Sunday, was surrounded by family and friends who presented him with the Artist of the Decade accolade. He walked on stage outside the Microsoft Theatre in Los Angeles with his son Adonis, 3, holding his hand.

“I want to dedicate this award to my friends, to my longtime collaborators … to my beautiful family and to you,” he said, looking to Adonis and picking him up to kiss him.

Drake placed his first song on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 2009, and has since logged the most songs ever on the chart, with 232 entries. He’s also logged a record 45 Top 10 hits on the Hot 100 and a record 22 No 1s on the Hot RnB/Hip-Hop songs chart.

He was also named Top Streaming Songs Artist at the Sunday ceremony.

Pink received the Icon Award and was joined on stage by her young daughter – showing off their powerful gymnastic skills as they spun in the air in a jaw-dropping performance. Known for her signature aerial and acrobatic moves, Pink was matched by Willow Sage Hart, 9, as Cover Me In Sunshine played in the background, Pink's song featuring vocals from her daughter.

“Willow, you nailed it,” Pink said after the performance. “I love what I do and I love the people that I get to do it with, and we’re pretty good at what we do, but it wouldn’t matter if no one came to see us and play with us. So all you guys out there … thank you for coming out!”

Pink’s performance was one of several pre-taped moments at the awards show, which aired on NBC and was hosted by Nick Jonas. Live performances were held outdoors, in front of audience members wearing masks.

The Weeknd was on hand to accept the most wins of the night – 10. He walked into the show with 16 nominations, winning honours such as Top Artist, Top Male Artist, Top Hot 100 Song for Blinding Lights and Top R&B Album for After Hours.

“I want to take this opportunity to thank you, my parents,” he said. “I am the man I am today because of you. And thank you to my fans, of course. I do not take this for granted.”

The late rapper Pop Smoke was also a big winner: he posthumously earned five honours, including Top New Artist and Top Rap Artist, while his debut – Shoot for the Stars, Aim for the Moon – won Top Rap Album and Billboard 200 Album, which his mother accepted on stage.

“Thank you to the fans for honouring 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.

Another late rapper was also honoured during the show. Before presenting Top Rap Song to DaBaby, Swizz Beatz dedicated a moment to those who have recently died in hip-hop, including his close friend and collaborator DMX.

Houston rapper and activist Trae Tha Truth, who earned the Change Maker Award, ended his speech with a powerful sentence: “We still gonna need justice for Breonna Taylor.”

Other winners on Sunday included Bad Bunny and BTS, who both won four awards and also performed. Breakthrough country singer Gabby Barrett won three awards, including Top Female Country Artist and Top Country Song for the hit I Hope. The song's remix featuring Charlie Puth won Top Collaboration.

“Oh my gosh. Thank you all so much. This means so much to me,” Barrett said as she broke into tears. “I’ve been performing for 10 years really hard … We’ve worked so hard to get here.”

Another country star also won big on Sunday though he was not allowed to participate in the show.

Morgan Wallen, who was caught on camera using a racial slur earlier this year, won three honours, including Top Country Artist and Top Country Album for Dangerous: The Double Album, which has had major success on the pop and country music charts despite his fallen moment.

Wallen was nominated for six awards, and Billboard Awards producer Dick Clark productions said it couldn’t prevent Wallen from earning nominations or winning, because finalists are based on album and digital sales, streaming, radio airplay and social engagement. The producers did ban Wallen from performing or attending the show.

The Billboard Awards began with a collaborative performance by DJ Khaled, HER and Migos, who brought the concert vibe back to life a year after live shows were in the dark because of the pandemic. Doja Cat and SZA – accompanied by futuristically dressed background dancers – sang their big hit Kiss Me More inside the venue, where the seats were empty.

Alicia Keys, celebrating the 20th anniversary of her groundbreaking debut Songs in A Minor, sang songs from the album including the hit Fallin'. The performance was introduced by former US first lady Michelle Obama.

Other performers included Karol G, Twenty One Pilots, Duran Duran, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, Jonas Brothers and Glass Animals.

Stars such as Taylor Swift, Lady Gaga and Kanye West won honours at the show though they didn’t attend. Machine Gun Kelly, who started in rap but has had recent success on the rock charts, won Top Rock Artist and Top Rock Album.

“I released my first mixtape 15 years ago and this is the first big stage I’ve ever been invited to accept an award on,” he said, kissing his actress girlfriend Megan Fox before walking to the stage.

“To the box that society keeps trying to put me, you need stronger material because you can’t keep me in it,” he proclaimed.

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