American Music Awards honour the biggest names in music
Awards night featured celebs including Lady Gaga, Katy Perry and Justin Timberlake.
Country-pop star Taylor Swift won big at the AMAs, taking home four awards including Artist of the Year. PHOTOS: REUTERS
LOS ANGELES:
Some of the biggest names in music gathered for the 2013 American Music Awards (AMAs) on Sunday, which took place at Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles. The awards night concluded with high-octane performances by some of the most loved musicians in the industry.
What makes these awards special is the fact that The American Music Awards nominees and winners are chosen by the public, who vote online and via Twitter, and the awards are given out during a live three-hour broadcast on ABC.
And the award goes to…
Country-pop star Taylor Swift won big at the AMAs, taking home four awards including the night’s top prize for Artist of the Year, as some of pop music’s biggest names came together for the awards ceremony.
Swift, 23, beat out Justin Timberlake, Rihanna, Bruno Mars and Macklemore & Ryan Lewis to win Artist of the Year for the third time, on par with the record for the most times an artist has won the category. She also won Favourite Female Pop/Rock Artist, Female Country Artist and Country Album for her 2012 record Red, which featured songs about love and heartbreak. “This validates that if you voted for this, that we are heartbroken in the same way and we fall in love the same way and we’re happy in the same way, and if you listen to this, we’re on the same page ... we’re pretty much in it together,” Swift said breathlessly as she accepted her final award.
Timberlake, 32, who returned to the musical spotlight this year after a five-year hiatus with The 20/20 Experience, was nominated in five categories and won three, including Favourite Male Pop/Rock Artist. The singer took to the stage and performed Drink You Away with his touring band Tennessee Kids.
Newcomer hip-hop duo Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, who led the nominees on Sunday with six nods came away with two wins, including Best Rap/Hip-hop Artist, and used their acceptance speech to send a message of tolerance.
British boy band One Direction, whose fans lined up outside the red carpet to catch a glimpse of them, beat Swift and Timberlake for the Best Pop/Rock Album for Take Me Home and won Favourite Pop/Rock Group. Other winners included Luke Bryan for Favourite Male Country Artist, Swedish DJ Avicii as Favourite Electronic Dance Music Artist and singer Marc Anthony for Favourite Latin Artist.
Rihanna, Gaga, Cyrus lead performers
R&B singer Rihanna, 25, was introduced by political satirist Bill Maher as “the voice of the 21st Century.” Rihanna was given the first ever AMA Icon award by her mother Monica Fenty, who praised the singer in an emotional speech.
Some of pop music’s biggest names performed at the ceremony, including Katy Perry, Lady Gaga, Miley Cyrus and Christina Aguilera. Notably absent was last year’s big winner Justin Bieber, who failed to score any nominations this year.
Perry kicked off the show with a performance on the single Unconditionally from her album Prism, on an elaborate geisha-themed stage. Perry’s performance created controversy among viewers, and was dubbed as “racist” by some.
Lady Gaga and R Kelly came together for a presidential-themed performance with the singer playing secretary to Kelly’s president, who sat in an Oval Office-styled set. Gaga sang Do What U Want from her latest album ARTPOP with the rapper.
Singer Cyrus, who just turned 21 over the weekend, performed her latest ballad Wrecking Ball in a scanty feline-themed outfit, and elicited some smiles from the crowd with a kitten on the screen behind her.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 27th, 2013.
Some of the biggest names in music gathered for the 2013 American Music Awards (AMAs) on Sunday, which took place at Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles. The awards night concluded with high-octane performances by some of the most loved musicians in the industry.
What makes these awards special is the fact that The American Music Awards nominees and winners are chosen by the public, who vote online and via Twitter, and the awards are given out during a live three-hour broadcast on ABC.
And the award goes to…
Country-pop star Taylor Swift won big at the AMAs, taking home four awards including the night’s top prize for Artist of the Year, as some of pop music’s biggest names came together for the awards ceremony.
Swift, 23, beat out Justin Timberlake, Rihanna, Bruno Mars and Macklemore & Ryan Lewis to win Artist of the Year for the third time, on par with the record for the most times an artist has won the category. She also won Favourite Female Pop/Rock Artist, Female Country Artist and Country Album for her 2012 record Red, which featured songs about love and heartbreak. “This validates that if you voted for this, that we are heartbroken in the same way and we fall in love the same way and we’re happy in the same way, and if you listen to this, we’re on the same page ... we’re pretty much in it together,” Swift said breathlessly as she accepted her final award.
Timberlake, 32, who returned to the musical spotlight this year after a five-year hiatus with The 20/20 Experience, was nominated in five categories and won three, including Favourite Male Pop/Rock Artist. The singer took to the stage and performed Drink You Away with his touring band Tennessee Kids.
Newcomer hip-hop duo Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, who led the nominees on Sunday with six nods came away with two wins, including Best Rap/Hip-hop Artist, and used their acceptance speech to send a message of tolerance.
British boy band One Direction, whose fans lined up outside the red carpet to catch a glimpse of them, beat Swift and Timberlake for the Best Pop/Rock Album for Take Me Home and won Favourite Pop/Rock Group. Other winners included Luke Bryan for Favourite Male Country Artist, Swedish DJ Avicii as Favourite Electronic Dance Music Artist and singer Marc Anthony for Favourite Latin Artist.
Rihanna, Gaga, Cyrus lead performers
R&B singer Rihanna, 25, was introduced by political satirist Bill Maher as “the voice of the 21st Century.” Rihanna was given the first ever AMA Icon award by her mother Monica Fenty, who praised the singer in an emotional speech.
Some of pop music’s biggest names performed at the ceremony, including Katy Perry, Lady Gaga, Miley Cyrus and Christina Aguilera. Notably absent was last year’s big winner Justin Bieber, who failed to score any nominations this year.
Perry kicked off the show with a performance on the single Unconditionally from her album Prism, on an elaborate geisha-themed stage. Perry’s performance created controversy among viewers, and was dubbed as “racist” by some.
Lady Gaga and R Kelly came together for a presidential-themed performance with the singer playing secretary to Kelly’s president, who sat in an Oval Office-styled set. Gaga sang Do What U Want from her latest album ARTPOP with the rapper.
Singer Cyrus, who just turned 21 over the weekend, performed her latest ballad Wrecking Ball in a scanty feline-themed outfit, and elicited some smiles from the crowd with a kitten on the screen behind her.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 27th, 2013.