Drake ha vinto ben 13 premi ai Billboard Music Awards, vincendo più di qualunque altro artista in un solo anno e battendo il record precedente di 12 premi vinto da Adele nel 2012.
Forte delle sue 22 nomination (lo stesso numero dei The Chainsmokers, che alla fine tornano a casa con 4 premi), Drake si è aggiudicato riconoscimenti prestigiosi come Top Artist davanti a Beyoncé, Adele e Rihanna, e Top Streaming Song (Audio) per il suo singolo “One Dance“. Lo stesso Drake si è poi esibito nella famosa fontana del Bellagio Hotel di Las Vegas con il suo brano “Gyalchester“. Altre performances della serata hanno visto salire sul palco Lorde, Ed Sheeran, Bruno Mars, Nicki Minaj e Cher, che ha vinto l’Icon Award e che ha eseguito due suoi classici, “Believe” e “If I could turn back time“.
Non poteva mancare il tributo a Chris Cornell, cantante dei Soundgarden e degli Audioslave recentemente scomparso, e ci hanno pensato gli Imagine Dragons che, poco prima di eseguire il loro brano “Believer”, hanno parlato per bocca del loro frontman Dan Reynolds: “Chris Cornell degli Soundgarden e Audioslave era un vero innovatore, un architetto musicale e un pioniere che si è sempre destreggiato sul filo del movimento grunge a Seattle. Era un cantautore prolifico, un performer leggendario, un cantante con una voce speciale e un filantropo. Anche se ora Chris non c’è più, la sua eredità continuerà. Mandiamo il nostro cordoglio e tutto il nostro amore alla sua famiglia.”
Questo l’elenco di tutti i premi (in grassetto i vincitori):
Top Artist
Drake
Adele
Beyoncé
Justin Bieber
The Chainsmokers
Ariana Grande
Shawn Mendes
Rihanna
Twenty One Pilots
The Weeknd
Top New Artist
Zayn
Alessia Cara
Desiigner
Lil Uzi Vert
Lukas Graham
Top Female Artist
Beyoncé
Adele
Ariana Grande
Rihanna
Sia
Top Male Artist
Drake
Justin Bieber
Future
Shawn Mendes
The Weeknd
Top Duo/Group
Twenty One Pilots
The Chainsmokers
Coldplay
Florida Georgia Line
Guns N’ Roses
Billboard Chart Achievement (Fan-voted)
Twenty One Pilots
Luke Bryan
Nicki Minaj
The Chainsmokers
The Weeknd
Top Billboard 200 Artist
Drake
Beyoncé
Prince
Twenty One Pilots
The Weeknd
Top Billboard 200 Album
Views – Drake
Anti – Rihanna
Blurryface – Twenty One Pilots
Lemonade – Beyoncé
Starboy – The Weeknd
Top Hot 100 Artist
Drake
The Chainsmokers
Rihanna
Twenty One Pilots
The Weeknd
Top Hot 100 Song
“Closer” – The Chainsmokers featuring Halsey
“Can’t Stop the Feeling!” – Justin Timberlake
“Don’t Let Me Down” – The Chainsmokers featuring Daya
“Heathens” – Twenty One Pilots
“One Dance” – Drake featuring Wizkid and Kyla
Top Song Sales Artist
Drake
The Chainsmokers
Prince
Justin Timberlake
Twenty One Pilots
Top Selling Song
“Can’t Stop the Feeling!” – Justin Timberlake
“Closer” – The Chainsmokers featuring Halsey
“Don’t Let Me Down” – The Chainsmokers featuring Daya
“Heathens” – Twenty One Pilots
“One Dance” – Drake featuring Wizkid and Kyla
Top Radio Songs Artist
Twenty One Pilots
Justin Bieber
The Chainsmokers
Drake
Rihanna
Top Radio Song
“Can’t Stop the Feeling!” – Justin Timberlake
“Cheap Thrills” – Sia featuring Sean Paul
“Closer” – The Chainsmokers featuring Halsey
“Don’t Let Me Down” – The Chainsmokers featuring Daya
“One Dance” – Drake featuring Wizkid and Kyla
Top Collaboration
The Chainsmokers featuring Halsey, “Closer”
The Chainsmokers featuring Daya, “Don’t Let Me Down”
Drake featuring WizKid & Kyla, “One Dance”
Sia featuring Sean Paul, “Cheap Thrills”
The Weeknd featuring Daft Punk, “Starboy”
Top Streaming Artist
Drake
The Chainsmokers
Desiigner
Rihanna
Twenty One Pilots
Top Streaming Song (Audio)
“One Dance” – Drake featuring Wizkid and Kyla
“Broccoli” – D.R.A.M. featuring Lil Yachty
“Closer” – The Chainsmokers featuring Halsey
“Needed Me” – Rihanna
“Starboy” – The Weeknd featuring Daft Punk
Top Streaming Song (Video)
Desiigner, “Panda”
The Chainsmokers featuring Halsey, “Closer”
Zay Hilfigerr & Zayion McCall, “Juju on That Beat (TZ Anthem)”
Rae Sremmurd featuring Gucci Mane, “Black Beatles”
Twenty One Pilots, “Heathens”
Top Touring Artist
Beyoncé
Justin Bieber
Coldplay
Guns N’ Roses
Bruce Springsteen & the E-Street Band
Top Social Artist (Fan-voted)
BTS
Justin Bieber
Ariana Grande
Shawn Mendes
Selena Gomez
Top Christian Artist
Lauren Daigle
Hillsong Worship
Hillary Scott & the Family
Skillet
Chris Tomlin
Top Christian Song
“Thy Will” – Hillary Scott & the Family
“Trust In You” – Lauren Daigle
“Feel Invincible” – Skillet
“Eye of the Storm” – Ryan Stevenson featuring GabeReal
“Chain Breaker” – Zach Williams
Top Christian Album
How Can It Be – Lauren Daigle
Hymns That Are Important to Us – Joey + Rory
Love Remains – Hillary Scott & the Family
The Very Next Thing – Casting Crowns
Unleashed – Skillet
Top Gospel Artist
Kirk Franklin
Jekalyn Carr
Travis Greene
Tamela Mann
Hezekiah Walker
Top Gospel Song
“Made a Way” – Travis Greene
“You’re Bigger” – Jekalyn Carr
“Put a Praise On It” – Tasha Cobbs featuring Kierra Sheard
“Wanna Be Happy?” – Kirk Franklin
“Better” – Hezekiah Walker
One Way – Tamela Mann
Top Gospel Album
Better: Azusa – The Next Generation 2 – Hezekiah Walker
Losing My Religion – Kirk Franklin
The Hill – Travis Greene
One Place Live – Tasha Cobbs
Top Country Artist
Blake Shelton
Florida Georgia Line
Keith Urban
Chris Stapleton
Jason Aldean
Top Country Song
Florida Georgia Line, “H.O.L.Y.”
Kenny Chesney featuring P!nk, “Setting the World on Fire”
Florida Georgia Line featuring Tim McGraw, “May We All”
Little Big Town, “Better Man”
Keith Urban, “Blue Ain’t Your Color”
Top Country Album
Traveller – Chris Stapleton
Dig Your Roots – Florida Georgia Line
If I’m Honest – Blake Shelton
Ripcord – Keith Urban
They Don’t Know – Jason Aldean
Top Country Collaboration
Kenny Chesney featuring P!nk, “Setting the World on Fire”
Dierks Bentley featuring Elle King, “Different for Girls”
Eric Church featuring Rhiannon Giddens, “Kill a Word”
Florida Georgia Line featuring Tim McGraw, “May We All”
Chris Young featuring Vince Gill, “Sober Saturday Night”
Top Country Tour
Kenny Chesney
Luke Bryan
Dixie Chicks
Top Dance/Electronic Artist
The Chainsmokers
Calvin Harris
Major Lazer
DJ Snake
Lindsey Stirling
Top Dance/Electronic Song
“Closer” – The Chainsmokers featuring Halsey
“Don’t Let Me Down” – The Chainsmokers featuring Daya
“This Is What You Came For” – Calvin Harris featuring Rihanna
“Cold Water” – Major Lazer featuring Justin Bieber & MØ
“Let Me Love You” – DJ Snake featuring Justin Bieber
Top Dance/Electronic Album
Brave Enough – Lindsey Stirling
Bouquet – The Chainsmokers
Collage – The Chainsmokers
Skin – Flume
Cloud Nine – Kygo
Top Latin Artist
Juan Gabriel
J Balvin
Los Plebes del Rancho de Ariel Camacho
Maluma
Nicky Jam
Top Latin Song
Nicky Jam, “Hasta el Amanecer”
Daddy Yankee, “Shaky Shaky”
Enrique Iglesias featuring Wisin, “Duele el Corazón”
Shakira featuring Maluma, “Chantaje”
Carlos Vives & Shakira, “La Bicicleta”
Top Latin Album
Los Dúo, Vol. 2 – Juan Gabriel
Energia – J Balvin
Primera Cita – CNCO
Vestido de Etiqueta por Eduardo Magallanes – Juan Gabriel
Recuerden Mi Estilo – Los Plebes del Rancho de Ariel Camacho
Top R&B Artist
Beyoncé
Bruno Mars
Frank Ocean
Rihanna
The Weeknd
Top R&B Song
Drake featuring WizKid & Kyla, “One Dance”
Bruno Mars, “24K Magic”
Rihanna, “Needed Me”
Rihanna featuring Drake, “Work”
The Weeknd featuring Daft Punk, “Starboy”
Top R&B Album
Lemonade – Beyoncé
Anti – Rihanna
Blonde – Frank Ocean
Starboy – The Weeknd
24K Magic – Bruno Mars
Top R&B Collaboration
Drake featuring WizKid & Kyla, “One Dance”
PARTYNEXTDOOR featuring Drake, “Come and See Me”
Rihanna featuring Drake, “Work”
The Weeknd featuring Daft Punk, “I Feel It Coming”
The Weeknd featuring Daft Punk, “Starboy”
Top R&B Tour
Beyoncé
Lionel Richie
Rihanna
Top Rap Artist
Drake
J. Cole
Desiigner
Future
Rae Sremmurd
Top Rap Song
Desiigner, “Panda”
Drake, “Fake Love”
D.R.A.M. featuring Lil Yachty, “Broccoli”
Migos featuring Lil Uzi Vert, “Bad and Boujee”
Rae Sremmurd featuring Gucci Mane, “Black Beatles”
Top Rap Album
Views – Drake
4 Your Eyez Only – J. Cole
Islah – Kevin Gates
Major Key – DJ Khaled
We Got It from Here… Thank You 4 Your Service – A Tribe Called Quest
Top Rap Collaboration
Rae Sremmurd featuring Gucci Mane, “Black Beatles”
D.R.A.M. featuring Lil Yachty, “Broccoli”
Zay Hilfigerr & Zayion McCall, “Juju on That Beat (TZ Anthem)”
Machine Gun Kelly & Camila Cabello, “Bad Things”
Migos featuring Lil Uzi Vert, “Bad and Boujee”
Top Rap Tour
Drake
Future
Kanye West
Top Rock Artist
Twenty One Pilots
Coldplay
The Lumineers
Metallica
X Ambassadors
Top Rock Song
Twenty One Pilots, “Heathens”
Lil Wayne, Wiz Khalifa & Imagine Dragons with
Logic & Ty Dolla $ign featuring X Ambassadors, “Sucker for Pain”
Twenty One Pilots, “Ride”
Twenty One Pilots, “Stressed Out”
X Ambassadors, “Unsteady”
Top Rock Album
Hardwired… to Self-Destruct – Metallica
A Moon Shaped Pool – Radiohead
Blurryface – Twenty One Pilots
Cleopatra – The Lumineers
The Getaway – Red Hot Chili Peppers
Top Rock Tour
Coldplay
Guns N’ Roses
Bruce Springsteen & the E-Street Band
Top Soundtrack/Cast Album
Hamilton: An American Musical
Moana
Purple Rain
Suicide Squad: The Album
Trolls
Icon Award
Cher
