BTS wins Artist of the Year at 49th American Music Awards

BTS receives an award for Artist of the Year at the 49th Annual American Music Awards at the Microsoft Theatre in Los Angeles, California on Sunday. The K-pop band beat rival nominees Ariana Grande, Drake, Olivia Rodrigo, Taylor Swift and The Weekend.

-reuters-

Taylor Swift named artist of year for 6th time at American Music Awards

LOS ANGELES — Taylor Swift was named artist of the year at the American Music Awards on Sunday and won two other trophies in a ceremony held live in Los Angeles amid tight coronavirus restrictions.

It was a record sixth win by Swift of the top prize at the fan-voted show, although she was absent from the Los Angeles ceremony and accepted her trophy by video, thanking fans for their support of her surprise lockdown album “folklore.”

Canadian singer The Weeknd, sporting a large white face bandage, was the other big winner on Sunday, taking the trophies for best soul/R&B male artist as well as his album “After Hours” and song “Heartless.”

He gave no reason for his appearance, which confused fans on social media, but it appeared to be an artistic choice that started with his March album cover where he sported a bloodied and broken nose.

The Weeknd, who will headline the halftime show at next year’s Super Bowl, had gone into the fan-voted awards show with a leading eight nominations.

“I’m just happy to be off the couch and in some real fashion,” said host Taraji P. Henson, opening the show, which featured a mix of live and pre-recorded performances across Latin, country, pop, rap and R&B music soul in front of a handful of socially distanced fans.

“It has been a long year and now that 2020 is coming to an end it’s time to remember that we are one country, you all. We need to heal,” the “Empire” actress said.

Masked dancers and stripped-down performances were the order of the night, kicking off with Justin Bieber singing his hits “Lonely” and “Holy” before being joined by Shawn Mendes for their duet “Monster.”

The show celebrated the surge in popularity of Latin music with expanded categories and a steamy performance by Jennifer Lopez and Colombian singer Maluma singing “Lonely” in both English and Spanish.

Becky G, whose parents are Mexican-American, won for best female Latin artist and dedicated her award to immigrant workers.

K-pop group BTS won two, for best pop/rock group and favorite social artists and closed the show with a version of their hits “Dynamite” and “Life Goes On” from South Korea.

Rapper Megan Thee Stallion marked her debut performance at the American Music Awards with “Body” and later accepted the best rap/hip-hop song trophy for her raunchy summer collaboration “WAP” with Cardi B.

But she was beaten in the best new artist category by Los Angeles singer Doja Cat, who was also named favorite female soul/R&B artist.

Bieber and country duo Dan + Shay won two for their collaboration on “10,000 Hours,” while Katy Perry gave her first major performance since giving birth to a baby girl in August.

-reuters-

Ex-label says Taylor Swift can sing her old hits at awards show

NEW YORK - Taylor Swift's former label said Monday that it will allow the global pop superstar to perform some of her early hits at an awards show this month -- the latest twist in a months-long public feud over the rights to her first six albums.

But even the seeming resolution of the spat did not come without some confusion.

The Big Machine Label Group released what it called a joint statement with Dick Clark Productions -- which puts on the American Music Awards -- saying they had "reached a licensing agreement" that would allow Swift to sing what she wants at the November 24 ceremony.

But shortly thereafter, the producers distanced themselves from the situation, saying it was between Swift and her ex-label.

Big Machine, which is based in Nashville, then clarified that it had "informed" the production company of its licensing approval.

Swift's publicist did not immediately respond to an AFP request for comment, and the pop star has yet to react publicly.

Last week, Swift -- known for her calculating social media strategy -- said on Tumblr that Big Machine heads were "exercising tyrannical control" over her.

She claimed they had told her she was "not allowed to perform my old songs on television because they claim that would be re-recording my music before I'm allowed to next year."

The pop superstar -- famous for megahits like "Shake It Off" and "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together" -- also said Big Machine was preventing her from using "older music or performance footage" for a Netflix project.

The company, which did not refer to the Netflix issue in its latest statements, denied the allegations last week.

"It should be noted that recording artists do not need label approval for live performances on television or any other live media," Big Machine said Monday.

"Record label approval is only needed for contracted artists' audio and visual recordings and in determining how those works are distributed."

Swift began publicly sparring with industry mogul Scooter Braun this summer over his purchase of her former label of more than a decade, which gave him a majority stake in the master recordings of her first six albums.

The 29-year-old then vowed to re-record her early albums to create copies she owns herself, saying her contract allows her to begin redoing albums one through five in November 2020 -- when she plans to be back in the studio doing just that.

Swift signed a new deal with Universal Music Group in 2018 that gave her ownership of her masters going forward, including for her recently released seventh album "Lover."

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Taylor Swift sets new American Music Award record, urges people to vote

LOS ANGELES -- Taylor Swift, straight off a controversial dive into U.S. politics, was the big winner at the American Music Awards on Tuesday where she used her platform to again urge her fans to get out and vote.

The 28-year-old pop singer won a record fourth artist of the year trophy at the fan-voted American Music Awards, beating rappers Drake and Post Malone, as well as Britain's Ed Sheeran and rock band Imagine Dragons for the top prize.

She also picked up three other awards, for best female pop artist, best tour, and best pop album for "Reputation," the biggest seller of 2017.

On Sunday, Swift provoked a storm by breaking her silence on politics and announcing she would vote for two Democrats in Tennessee in the U.S. congressional midterm elections in November. Her comments drove a spike in voter registration.

On Tuesday, the "Fearless" singer told the American Music Awards audience in Los Angeles and millions watching at home to go and vote.

"This award and every single award given out tonight is voted on by the people. And you know what else is voted on by the people The midterm elections on November 6. Get out and vote," Swift said when accepting her trophy.

Elsewhere on Tuesday, New York rapper Cardi B, brought down the house with an exuberant performance of dance hit "I Like It" with J.Balvin and Bad Bunny.

Cardi B, who has had a breakout 12 months, was also named favorite hip-hop/rap artist, but she lost the best new artist category to Cuban-born Camila Cabello.

Other winners included Post Malone (male pop/rock artist), Khalid (male soul/R&B artist), and country star Carrie Underwood, who accepted her 13th American Music Award.

Boy band BTS became the first Korean group to win an American Music Award, taking the trophy for favorite social artists.

Glady Knight led a tribute to Aretha Franklin, who died of cancer in August at age 76. Other performers included Mariah Carey, Jennifer Lopez and Missy Elliott.

Some of music's top stars, including Drake, Ed Sheeran, Beyonce, Ariana Grande, Rihanna and Kanye West, were absent on Tuesday. West was snubbed in the nominations while Beyonce, Rihanna and Grande got just one nomination each.

Apart from Swift, the show was largely politics free.

Host Tracee Ellis Ross sported a white T-shirt for part of the evening saying "I am a voter," and presenter Billy Eichner, best known for the TV comedy "Parks and Recreation," urged the youth audience to register to vote.

"You can go to vote.org, like Taylor Swift told you to," Eichner said.

Following are winners in key categories for the awards, which are chosen by fans.

ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Taylor Swift

NEW ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Camila Cabello

TOUR OF THE YEAR
Taylor Swift

SOCIAL ARTIST
BTS

MALE ARTIST – POP/ROCK
Post Malone

FEMALE ARTIST - POP/ROCK
Taylor Swift

ALBUM – POP/ROCK
Taylor Swift “Reputation”

SONG- POP/ROCK
Camila Cabello ft. Young Thug “Havana”

MALE ARTIST – COUNTRY
Kane Brown

FEMALE ARTIST – COUNTRY
Carrie Underwood

ARTIST – RAP/HIP-HOP
Cardi B

ALBUM - SOUL/R&B
XXXTentacion "17"

MALE ARTIST – SOUL/R&B
Khalid

FEMALE ARTIST - SOUL/R&B
Rihanna

MUSIC VIDEO
Camila Cabello featuring Young Thug “Havana”

ADULT CONTEMPORARY ARTIST
Shawn Mendes

SOUNDTRACK
“Black Panther: The Album, Music From And Inspired By”

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Cardi B, Drake lead American Music nominations, Kanye West snubbed

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Rappers Cardi B and Drake led nominations on Wednesday for the American Music Awards with eight apiece in a line-up that included Taylor Swift and Ed Sheeran but snubbed Kanye West and made Beyonce, Ariana Grande and Rihanna also-rans.

Late musician XXXTentacion, 20, who was shot dead in an apparent robbery in Florida in June, earned two nods, including best new artist and best soul/R&B album for his debut release “17.”

The fan-voted American Music Award nominations also included five nods for Cuban-born singer Camila Cabello, including new artist and best female artist, four for Bruno Mars, and six for hip-hop star Post Malone.

Boy band BTS became the first Korean group to be nominated for an American Music Award and will compete in the favorite social artist category.

Beyonce and Ariana Grande earned just one each, for tour of the year with husband Jay-Z and social artist respectively. Rihanna got a single nomination, for best female soul/R&B artist.

Kanye West, who released his chart-topping album “Ye” in June after grabbing headlines for an erratic Twitter storm, was empty-handed.

In the artist of the year category, Drake will compete with Taylor Swift, Post Malone, rock band Imagine Dragons, and British singer-songwriter Sheeran.

New York rapper Cardi B, who has had a breakout year with hits like “Bodak Yellow,” and “Finesse” with Bruno Mars, will compete for best new artist as well as best female artist in both the pop and rap categories.

“Perfect” singer Sheeran and Post Malone earned six nominations apiece while Swift got four, including best tour and pop album for “Reputation.”

The American Music Award nominations are based on streaming, album and digital song sales, radio airplay, social activity and touring between September 2017 and August 2018.

The winners are chosen by fans online and will be announced at a ceremony in Los Angeles on Oct. 8.

Reporting by Jill Serjeant; Editing by Marguerita Choy

source: news.abs-cbn.com

One Direction wins big at American Music Awards, Paris takes spotlight

LOS ANGELES - British boy band One Direction swept the top honors at Sunday's American Music Awards, while a sorrowful tribute to the victims of the attacks in Paris lent a somber note to a night of otherwise vibrant performances.

One Direction was named artist of the year for a second consecutive year, and also won the best pop/rock album for a third consecutive year, with the album "Made In The A.M."

"It's absolutely incredible to receive this award two years in a row. It's a testament to how incredible our fans are," band member Louis Tomlinson said.

Actor-musician Jared Leto made a moving tribute to the 130 victims of the deadly Nov. 13 attacks across Paris, specifically the 89 who died at the Bataclan concert hall, where he said he and his band, 30 Seconds to Mars, had performed "a beautiful, peaceful" show earlier this year.

"Tonight we honor victims of the unimaginable violence that took place in Paris and around the world," he said. "France matters, Russia matters, Syria matters, Mali matters, the Middle East matters, the United States matters, the entire world matters and peace is possible."

French-Canadian singer Celine Dion sang Edith Piaf's classic French ode "La Vie en Rose" in memory of those lost.

Key winners on the night included Taylor Swift, who went into the night with a leading six nominations and won three awards but did not attend the event.

Nicki Minaj won two awards in the rap/hip hop categories, The Weeknd won two soul/R&B awards, Florida Georgia Line won two country music awards and country artist Sam Hunt was named best new artist.

Unlike the irreverent antics of MTV's Video Music Awards and the industry prestige of the Grammy Awards, the fan-voted AMAs offer up the year's most popular music acts, with a spotlight on performances.

"Star Wars" veteran Harrison Ford introduced five-piece a cappella group Pentatonix, who put their vocals to John Williams' iconic "Star Wars" score, along with a full orchestra on stage. The performance comes ahead of next month's highly-anticipated new "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" film.

Show host Jennifer Lopez danced through a high-octane medley of this year's top pop songs, saying: "Tonight is about the music, and this year's music makes me want to dance."

One of the biggest talking points came courtesy of Meghan Trainor and Charlie Puth, who took audiences by surprise with a steamy kiss after their duet "Marvin Gaye."

Selena Gomez performed a sultry rendition of her latest hit "Same Old Love," country star Carrie Underwood belted her romantic ballad "Heartbeat" and Ariana Grande got the crowd dancing with her upbeat hit "Focus." Justin Bieber sang and danced through a medley of his hits, ending with a shower of rain on stage.

The Weeknd set the stage on real fire for his performance of "The Hills," while Coldplay brought out dancing monkeys on a psychedelic stage for "Adventure of a Lifetime," and Walk The Moon started a dance party with their hit "Shut Up And Dance."

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Swift, Azalea kick off American Music Awards

LOS ANGELES - Pop music's leading ladies Taylor Swift, Iggy Azalea and Ariana Grande gave high-octane performances, while British boy band One Direction won favorite pop/rock band at the American Music Awards on Sunday.

A sultry Swift kicked off the show with "Blank Space," performing against a backdrop of romantic images and accompanied by dancers dressed as rose-bearing suitors.

Newcomer and Australian rapper Azalea won best rap/hip-hop album for "The New Classic" and said it was the first award she has ever won. The prizes are awarded based on fan voting.

"It means so much to me that it is for best hip-hop because that's what inspired me to move to America," the 24-year-old rapper said. "It means so much that I can stand here against Eminem and Drake and come out with this."

She later performed a medley of her hits "I'm So Fancy" and the raunchy "Beg For It."

British soul singer Sam Smith, 22, capped a whirlwind year in which he skyrocketed to success in the United States and won favorite pop/rock male artist.

"Last year I wrote an album about being lonely and tonight, I couldn't feel further from being lonely," the newcomer said. He sang his ballad "I'm Not the Only One" accompanied by rapper A$AP Rocky and a string quartet.

Luke Bryan won favorite country male artist, while British boy band One Direction, which just released their album "Four," won favorite pop/rock band and favorite pop/rock album for "Midnight Memories."

Much of the three-hour awards show, aired on ABC, was dedicated to performances.

Pop star Grande performed "One Less Problem" and "Break Free" with a jazz twist, showcasing her vast vocal range.

New Zealand songstress Lorde performed "Yellow Flicker Beat," the theme for box office-topping "Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1," in an orange box before breaking out onto the stage.

British singer Charli XCX sang "Boom Clap" and "Break the Rules" against a prom backdrop, while Australian boy band 5SOS added some rock with a cover of The Romantics' "What I Like About You."

Wyclef Jean joined Canadian reggae-pop group MAGIC! to perform the group's single "Rude," getting the star-studded crowd dancing along.

Ahead of the awards show, Azalea had led the nominees with six nods, while pop star Katy Perry, soul singer John Legend and R&B singer Pharrell Williams followed with five nominations each.

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Taylor Swift sweeps top prize at American Music Awards

LOS ANGELES -- Country-pop star Taylor Swift scored big at the American Music Awards on Sunday, taking home four wins including the night's top prize for artist of the year, as some of pop music's biggest names came together for the fan-voted 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, the most times an artist has won the category. She also won favorite 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 the 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 favorite male pop/rock artist. The singer performed "Drink You Away" with his Tennessee Kids band on stage.

Newcomer hip-hop duo Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, who led the nominees on Sunday with six nods and came away with two wins including best rap/hip-hop artist, used their acceptance speech to address a social issue.

"I want to acknowledge Trayvon Martin and the hundreds and hundreds of kids who die every year due to racial profiling ... it's time we look out for the youth and fight racism and the laws that protect it," Macklemore said.

Martin, an unarmed black teenager, was shot dead in Florida in 2012. A jury this year cleared the shooter, George Zimmerman, who is white and Hispanic, of second-degree murder.

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 ceremony held at the Nokia Theater in Los Angeles and broadcast on ABC.

British boy band One Direction, whose fans were lined up outside the red carpet to get a glimpse of them, beat Swift and Timberlake for the best pop/rock album for "Take Me Home" and also won favorite pop/rock group.

Other winners included Luke Bryan for favorite male country artist, Swedish DJ Avicii as favorite electronic dance music artist, and singer Marc Anthony for favorite Latin artist.

Rihanna, Gaga, Cyrus lead performers

R&B singer Rihanna, 25, was given the first ever Icon accolade at the American Music Awards, introduced by political satirist Bill Maher as "the voice of the 21st century."

After performing her single "Diamonds," Rihanna, dressed in a plunging black dress, was given the Icon award by her mother Monica Fenty, who praised the singer in an emotional speech.

"I know the journey and your career has not always been an easy one but tonight I applaud and admire you for being so strong and so positive and so humble and so focused. It's amazing how you always manage to take the good from your experiences," Fenty said.

Rihanna, who has sold 50 million albums across the world and is the best-selling digital artist in history, also picked up the favorite female soul/R&B award.

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 of the single "Unconditionally" from her album "Prism" on an elaborate geisha-themed stage.

Lady Gaga and R. Kelly came together for a presidential-themed performance, with the singer playing secretary to Kelly's president, who was sat in an Oval Office-styled set. Known for her over-the-top fashion, Gaga, who arrived at the awards dressed in a silver sequined bodysuit on top of a giant costume white horse operated by two men, 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" scantily dressed in a feline-themed outfit, and raised some smiles with a kitten on a big screen behind her mouthing the words to her song.

Jennifer Lopez pulled out all the stops for a tribute to Cuban salsa performer Celia Cruz with a sizzling Spanish-language performance, shedding a sequined flamenco dress to reveal a purple flapper bodysuit as she danced across the stage.


Other performances came from rockers Imagine Dragons, reunited 90s R&B girl group TLC, host Pitbull with singer Ke$ha, and newcomer 20-year-old pop singer Ariana Grande, who showcased her vast vocal range with her Motown-inspired single "Tattooed Heart." Grande won coveted new artist of the year.

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Bieber records Selena Gomez break-up ballad

LOS ANGELES -- Justin Bieber is stripping down. Musically, that is.

The Canadian pop phenomenon showcases his vocal and song-writing talents with a new acoustic album, out on Tuesday, that also features three new tracks including a heartbreak ballad thought to be about his former girlfriend Selena Gomez.

"Believe Acoustic" sees Bieber, 18, change up the arrangements of songs from his fourth chart-topping album "Believe," released last June, singing with only a guitar or piano-driven melody.

Uptempo songs such as "Boyfriend," and "Beauty and the Beat," which roped in electronic sounds with fast-paced dance beats, are slowed down as the singer uses his vocals to manipulate the vibe of the song.

"Believe Acoustic" sees Bieber return to his acoustic roots five years after he was discovered on YouTube, singing on the streets of Canada accompanied only by a guitar.

It was released following Bieber's failure to pick up a single Grammy nomination this year, despite having a chart-topping album and a sold-out world tour.

Bieber often performs acoustic versions of his hits, most recently at the American Music Awards in November, where he delivered a stripped-down version of dance song "As Long As You Love Me."

The teen singer released "My Worlds Acoustic," in 2010, featuring alternative versions of tracks from his debut studio record "My World."

But most ears now are turned to new track "Nothing Like Us," which follows Bieber's widely reported split from former Disney Channel star Gomez.

It features Bieber singing a raw and emotion-filled ballad over a piano melody, with lyrics such as "Girl, why would you push me away?/Lost in confusion, like an illusion...But that is the past now, we didn't last now."

Simple love songs

Bill Werde, editorial director of Billboard music magazine, who interviewed Bieber a few months ago, said the song was "directly about Selena" and that fans were anticipating the singer sharing "his feelings about something this personal."

The new track is not dissimilar to the heart-break odes written by country-pop darling Taylor Swift or British soul-pop singer Adele.

Werde said he hoped people would take notice of Bieber's song-writing and vocal production skills on the new album.

"Some of the best songwriters that are working out of our pop space are the ones that can take these very, very specific feelings that you would expect a teenager or a young adult to have and then sing and write about them in a way that makes them universal," Werde told Reuters.

"That's a skill that needs to be respected. It's not easy to write great, simple love songs."

The other new songs are "I Would," a sweet love song, and "Yellow Raincoat," a mellow survival song with the singer crooning softly "cause the fame and the money and the girl will drive you crazy...I'm thinking maybe just put on my raincoat."

Bieber may not be winning Grammys just yet, but the singer could make chart history if "Believe Acoustic" reaches No. 1 in the Billboard 200 album chart next week.

The singer will become the youngest artist to have five No. 1 albums under his belt, and one of few artists, including The Beatles and Jay-Z, to have a No. 1 album each year for four consecutive years.

Bieber, who surpassed Lady Gaga earlier this month to become Twitter's most-followed person, will make his television hosting debut on "Saturday Night Live" on Feb. 9, the night before the Grammy awards.

Bieber told Billboard he would not be attending the Grammy awards ceremony in Los Angeles.

Click on www.billboard.com for the full interview.

source: abs-cbnnews.com

Bieber sweeps American Music Awards

Canadian pop star Justin Bieber swept the American Music Awards on Sunday, topping strong competition from Rihanna and Nicki Minaj, and sending newcomers British boybands One Direction and The Wanted home empty-handed.

Bieber, 18, won all three categories in which he was nominated, including the night's biggest award, Artist of the Year, over Rihanna, Katy Perry, Maroon 5 and Drake.

"This is for all the haters who thought that maybe I was just here for one or two years, but I feel like I am going to be here for a very long time," Bieber said on stage, dedicating his first win of the night to his mother, Pattie Mallette, who accompanied him after his widely reported split from girlfriend Selena Gomez.

"It's hard growing up with everything going on, with everyone watching me. I wanted to say that as long as you guys keep believing in me, I want to always make you proud," Bieber said at the end of the night.

Bieber, who also won favorite pop/rock male artist and favorite pop/rock album for "Believe," took to a bare stage to sing an acoustic stripped-down version of his latest single "As Long As You Love Me" before livening up the show with Nicki Minaj for "Beauty and a Beat."

The American Music Award nominees and winners are voted online by fans, and the awards are handed out during a live three-hour broadcast featuring performances by artists.

R&B singer Rihanna, 24, and rapper Minaj, 29, led the nominees going into Sunday's awards with four apiece.

Minaj won favorite rap/hip hop artist and rap/hip hop album of the year for "Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded." The singer, known for her extravagant on-stage performances, sang her latest hit "Freedom" in a winter wonderland-themed set.

Rihanna came away with one win. She couldn't make the show because she is in Berlin, midway through a seven-day tour across seven cities around the world promoting her upcoming "Unapologetic" album.

Canadian pop singer Carly Rae Jepsen, 26, picked up the coveted new artist-of-the-year award over One Direction, Australian artist Gotye, indie-pop band fun. and rapper J. Cole. She performed her hit "Call Me Maybe."

"I am floored," the singer said, thanking Bieber along with her fans in her acceptance speech.

Electronic Dance Music Award

Newcomer British-Irish boy bands One Direction, which had three nominations, and The Wanted, which had one nomination, went home empty-handed, losing out in the favorite pop/rock group category to well-established Los Angeles group Maroon 5.

French DJ David Guetta won the first-ever American Music Award for electronic dance music over DJs Calvin Harris and Skrillex.

"It's wonderful also to see electronic music recognized at this level in the U.S.," Guetta said in a taped acceptance speech.

Only 13 of the 20 awards were handed out during the live broadcast. Katy Perry was named favorite female pop/rock artist, Shakira was named favorite Latin artist, while Beyonce was voted favorite soul artist. None of the three attended the show.

Country-pop darling Taylor Swift, 22, scored the favorite female country artist award before performing her latest single "I Knew You Were Trouble" from her chart-topping album "Red," on a masquerade ballroom-style stage with dancers in tuxedos, gowns and Venetian masks.

R&B star Usher kicked off the night with a medley of his hits on a laser-filled stage, while pop-rocker Pink teamed her performance of her latest single "Try" with a dramatic interpretive dance covered in paint with a male dancer on a stage filled with burning debris.

1990s ska-punk band No Doubt performed "Looking Hot" from their first album in a decade, "Push & Shove," while rockers Linkin Park performed their latest "Burn It Down" after winning favorite alternative rock band over The Black Keys and Gotye.

Korean rapper Psy didn't score any nominations, but he was named the AMA new media honoree for his viral hit music video "Gangnam Style," accompanied by his trademark horse-riding dance.

The star closed out the show with his hit song, joined by surprise guest MC Hammer, one of the pioneering rappers from the 1980s, who was known for his catch phrase "Hammer Time."

Singer Brandy paid tribute to the late Whitney Houston, who died suddenly at age 48 on the night before the Grammy Awards in February this year from accidental drowning.

AMA founder Dick Clark, who also passed away earlier this year, was given a touching tribute by veteran soul singer Stevie Wonder, who sang a medley of hits including "Hotter Than July" and "My Cherie Amour," against a backdrop of pictures of Clark. Wonder was introduced by "American Idol" host Ryan Seacrest, who also paid homage to Clark's influence.

"Dick loved the power of music and the ability to create pure joy," Seacrest said.

The awards show, which marked its 40th anniversary this year, treated the audience to some of its greatest moments, including R&B star Beyonce performing "Single Ladies" at the 2008 show, Will Smith and DJ Jazzy Jeff at the 1989 awards show, and various clips of AMA regular, the late singer Michael Jackson.

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