Billboard Music Awards 2020: Post Malone, John Legend highlight show
The 2020 Billboard Music Awards delivered some big moments after being delayed over 5 months and relocated to Los Angeles due to the pandemic.
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Hold up, wait a minute, y’all thought awards season was finished? Not without the Billboard Music Awards on Sunday.
Nick Jonas will host the May 23 event, which organizers should consider renaming “The Drake Show,” since he’s the most decorated winner of all-time, has a whopping seven nods this year and will accept the artist of the decade award during the show.
The Weeknd, though snubbed by the Grammys, leads the pack as a finalist in 16 categories. Rappers Pop Smoke and Juice WRLD earned multiple posthumous nods, including top artist.
The Billboard Music Awards are based on the chart period of March 21, 2020, through April 3, 2021. Two of the 51 categories are fan-voted, including top collaboration and social artist, where Asian acts dominate. Finalists include K-pop groups BTS, Blackpink and Seventeen; Filipino boy band SB19; and Ariana Grande.
Here’s everything you need to know about this year’s Billboard Music Awards.
What time are the Billboard Music Awards?
The awards show will air live on NBC May 23 from the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT. If it seems like the Billboard Music Awards just happened recently, it’s because they did. Last year’s awards took place in October after they were postponed from April because of the coronavirus pandemic.
How can I watch or livestream the Billboard Music Awards?
You can tune into NBC if you still have a regular TV. If you subscribe to Peacock, NBC’s streaming service, you can also watch it live there or through services such as YouTube TV and Hulu Live TV.
Who’s performing?
The man of the hour, The Weeknd, will celebrate his whopping 16 nods with a performance as will Pink, who’s receiving Billboard’s Icon Award. Alicia Keys is marking the 20th anniversary of her debut album “Songs In A Minor” with a performance of a medley of songs from the project. Korean pop group BTS will be debuting their new single “Butter” at the awards show.
More: BTS will drop its second English-language single in May. What to know about ‘Butter’
Doja Cat, SZA, AJR, Bad Bunny and Karol G, DJ Khaled featuring H.E.R. and Migos, Duran Duran, Glass Animals, Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis with Sounds Of Blackness featuring Ann Nesby and Twenty One Pilots will also perform.
Notable Billboard Music Awards honorees
Drake, a 27-time Billboard Music Award-winner, will be honored as the artist of the decade. He’s earned a number of accolades including nine No. 1 albums on the Billboard 200 chart (the most for any artist of the decade), 45 Top 10 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 (also the most for any artist of the decade).
More: Grammys 2021: Beyoncé makes history with most wins, Billie Eilish wins second record of the year
Pink will be honored with the Icon award. The “Raise Your Glass” singer is just the 10th person to receive the award. Others who’ve been recognized with it include Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson and Cher.
Rapper Trae Tha Truth will be receiving the Change Maker award for his social justice work. The Houston rapper started a nonprofit organization “Angels By Nature” and helps kids in his communities every year on “Trae Day.”
Who are the finalists?
Billboard Music Award’s top artists The Weeknd, who has 16 nominations, and Drake with seven nods, are competing for top artist.
Other finalists include Taylor Swift and deceased rappers Juice WRLD and Pop Smoke. Excluding Drake, all of the top artist finalists are up for top Billboard 200 album. Lil Baby rounds out the five finalists.
DaBaby – thanks to his own hit “Rockstar” and his guest appearance on Jack Harlow’s “What’s Poppin” – is right behind The Weeknd with 11 bids, and he will battle himself in categories like top rap song, streaming song and collaboration.
Songs battling The Weeknd’s “Blinding Lights” for top Hot 100 song include DaBaby’s and Roddy Ricch’s “Rockstar,” Chris Brown and Young Thug’s “Go Crazy,” Gabby Barrett and Charlie Puth’s “I Hope” and “Mood” by 24kGoldn and Iann Dior.
More: Morgan Wallen says he won’t go on tour this summer after racial slur controversy
Contributing: Hannah Yasharoff and Jenna Ryu, USA TODAY; Mesfin Fekadu, The Associated Press
