Showing off her signature aerial and acrobatic moves at the Billboard Music Awards, Pink was matched by her 9-year-old daughter, Willow Sage Hart, as “Cover Me In Sunshine” played in the background, Pink’s song featuring vocals from her daughter.
The pre-taped performance aired during Sunday’s award show, where Pink earned the Icon Award, presented to her by Jon Bon Jovi.
“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!”
Icon award recipient Pink and her daughter Willow perform together on a trapeze at the Billboard Music Awards, Friday, May 21, 2021, at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)
Pink wasn’t the only one having a good night, breakthrough country singer Gabby Barrett won three honors, 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 y’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.”
The Weeknd is also having a great weekend: The pop star nominated for a whopping 16 Billboard Music Awards has won nine, so far.
The Weeknd was named top male artist, top R&B artist, and top Hot 100 artist. “Blinding Lights,” the No. 1 song of 2020, won top Hot 100 song, top radio song, and top R&B song, while The Weeknd’s multi-hit, multi-platinum album, “After Hours,” won top R&B album.
“I’d like to thank my fellow nominees. It’s been a dark year and you brought light and an escape with your music,” The Weeknd said onstage at Sunday’s show, collecting the night’s first televised award.
DJ Khaled, front left, and H.E.R., front right, perform with Takeoff, from background left, Quavo and Offset, of Migos, at the Billboard Music Awards on Sunday, May 23, 2021, at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)
The awards show kicked off with a collaborative performance by DJ Khaled, H.E.R. and Migos, who performed for a number of mask-wearing fans outside of the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles, bringing the concert vibe back to life a year after live shows were in the dark because of the pandemic.
“How great is it to be back together again,” said Nick Jonas, who is hosting the awards show airing live on NBC.
The event featured a mix of live and pre-taped performances. 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 “Fallen.”
Doja Cat, third from right, and SZA, top left, perform together with backup dancers at the Billboard Music Awards, Friday, May 21, 2021, at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)
Like The Weeknd, another Canadian star is poised to have a big night: Drake. He walked into the show as the most decorated winner in the history of the Billboard Awards, extending his record to 28 wins after being named top streaming songs artist Sunday. He will receive the Artist of the Decade Award later in the show.
Drake and The Weeknd will battle for the show’s top prize, top artist, where the competition includes Taylor Swift and late rappers Juice WRLD and Pop Smoke, who won four honors in a pre-show announced Sunday, including top new artist, top rap artist, and top rap album for his debut album “Shoot for the Stars, Aim for the Moon.”
The Weeknd, Swift, Juice WRLD, and Pop Smoke will compete for the top Billboard 200 album, along with Lil Baby.
Alicia Keys performs at the Billboard Music Awards, Thursday, May 20, 2021, at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)
Unlike other awards shows where committees determine nominees, the Billboard Awards’ finalists are based on album and digital sales, streaming, radio airplay, and social engagement. The nominees for the 51 categories are based on the chart period of March 21, 2020, through April 3, 2021.
It’s the reason why controversial country singer Morgan Wallen won three honors, 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.
Because Wallen, nominated for six awards, was caught on camera using a racial slur earlier this year, he wasn’t allowed to compete at the Academy of Country Music Awards or CMT Music Awards. Billboard Awards producer dick clark productions said it couldn’t prevent Wallen from earning nominations, or winning, but it did ban the singer from participating in the show.
BTS and Bad Bunny won four awards each, and they will also perform. Other performers include Karol G, Duran Duran, and Jonas Brothers with Marshmello.
By MESFIN FEKADU AP Music Writer
South Korean boy band BTS poses in the press room with their awards during the 2019 Billboard Music Awards at the MGM Grand Garden Arena on May 1, 2019, in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Bridget BENNETT / AFP)
