First-time host Kelly Clarkson kicked off the Billboard Music Awards on May 20, 2018 with a heartfelt, emotional plea for action following yet another high school shooting. The opening of the show wasn’t the only reference to students growing up in a world in which it’s not safe to enter classrooms. After Khalid sang “Love Lies” and Shawn Mendes performed “In My Blood,” they teamed up with the Marjory Stoneman Douglas Show Choir from Parkland, Florida, to sing “Youth.”
Ariana Grande, Jennifer Lopez, DJ Khaled, Dua Lipa, John Legend, Christina Aguilera, Demi Lovato, Zedd, Maren Morris, Grey, Macklemore, Kesha, Pharrell Williams, and Camila Cabello also took the stage to perform at the 2018 Billboard Music Awards held in Las Vegas and broadcast on NBC. BTS premiered “Fake Love,” Salt-N-Pepa and En Vogue collaborated on a medley of their hits, and Icon Award winner Janet Jackson thrilled the audience by performing a medley of her greatest hits including “If” and “Nasty.”
The night’s big winners were Ed Sheeran and Kendrick Lamar, both earning six awards. Lamar earned the Top Billboard 200 Album, Top Rap Artist, Top Rap Male Artist, Top Rap Album, Top Streaming Artist and Top Streaming Song (Audio) awards. Sheeran, who was seen on video from Dublin, won in the Top Artist, Top Male Artist, Top Hot 100 Artist, Top Song Sales Artist, Top Radio Songs Artist, and Top Radio Song categories.
Bruno Mars, Luis Fonsi, Daddy Yankee, and Justin Bieber followed with five awards each. Picking up wins in the fan-voted categories were BTS for Top Social Artist and Camila Cabello for Billboard Chart Achievement Award.
Billboard Music Awards Nominees and Winners:
ICON Award:
Janet Jackson
Top Artist:
Drake
Kendrick Lamar
Bruno Mars
Winner: Ed Sheeran
Taylor Swift
Top New Artist:
21 Savage
Camila Cabello
Cardi B
Winner: Khalid
Kodak Black
Billboard Chart Achievement Award:
Winner: Camila Cabello
Cardi B
Drake
Sam Hunt
Ed Sheeran
Top Male Artist:
Drake
Kendrick Lamar
Bruno Mars
Post Malone
Winner: Ed Sheeran
Top Female Artist:
Camila Cabello
Cardi B
Halsey
Demi Lovato
Winner: Taylor Swift
Top Duo/Group:
The Chainsmokers
Coldplay
Winner: Imagine Dragons
Migos
U2
Top Billboard 200 Artist:
Winner: Drake
Kendrick Lamar
Ed Sheeran
Chris Stapleton
Taylor Swift
Top Hot 100 Artist:
Imagine Dragons
Kendrick Lamar
Bruno Mars
Post Malone
Winner: Ed Sheeran
Top Streaming Songs Artist:
Cardi B
Drake
Winner: Kendrick Lamar
Post Malone
Ed Sheeran
Top Song Sales Artist:
Imagine Dragons
Kendrick Lamar
Bruno Mars
Post Malone
Winner: Ed Sheeran
Top Radio Songs Artist:
Halsey
Imagine Dragons
Bruno Mars
Charlie Puth
Winner: Ed Sheeran
Top Social Artist:
Justin Bieber
Winner: BTS
Ariana Grande
Demi Lovato
Shawn Mendes
Top Touring Artist:
Coldplay
Guns N’ Roses
Bruno Mars
Ed Sheeran
Winner: U2
Top R&B Artist:
Chris Brown
Khalid
Winner: Bruno Mars
SZA
The Weeknd
Top R&B Male Artist:
Khalid
Winner: Bruno Mars
The Weeknd
Top R&B Female Artist:
Beyoncé
Rihanna
Winner: SZA
Top R&B Tour:
Winner: Bruno Mars
Lionel Richie
The Weeknd
Top Rap Artist:
Drake
Winner: Kendrick Lamar
Lil Uzi Vert
Migos
Post Malone
Top Rap Male Artist:
Drake
Winner: Kendrick Lamar
Post Malone
Top Rap Female Artist:
Bhad Bhabie
Winner: Cardi B
Nicki Minaj
Top Rap Tour:
J. Cole
Winner: JAY-Z
Kendrick Lamar
Top Country Artist:
Kane Brown
Luke Combs
Sam Hunt
Thomas Rhett
Winner: Chris Stapleton
Top Country Male Artist:
Sam Hunt
Thomas Rhett
Winner: Chris Stapleton
Top Country Female Artist:
Kelsea Ballerini
Miranda Lambert
Winner: Maren Morris
Top Country Duo/Group Artist:
Winner: Florida Georgia Line
Old Dominion
Zac Brown Band
Top Country Tour:
Winner: Luke Bryan
Florida Georgia Line
Tim McGraw & Faith Hill
Top Rock Artist:
Winner: Imagine Dragons
Linkin Park
Portugal. The Man
Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers
twenty one pilots
Top Rock Tour:
Coldplay
Guns N’ Roses
Winner: U2
Top Latin Artist:
J Balvin
Daddy Yankee
Luis Fonsi
Winner: Ozuna
Romeo Santos
Top Dance/Electronic Artist:
Winner: The Chainsmokers
Calvin Harris
Kygo
Marshmello
ODESZA
Top Christian Artist:
Elevation Worship
Hillsong UNITED
Hillsong Worship
Winner: MercyMe
Zach Williams
Top Gospel Artist:
Anthony Brown & group therAPy
Travis Greene
J.J. Hairston & Youthful Praise
Winner: Tasha Cobbs Leonard
Tamela Mann
Top Billboard 200 Album:
Drake “More Life”
Winner: Kendrick Lamar “DAMN.”
Post Malone “Stoney”
Ed Sheeran “÷ (Divide)”
Taylor Swift “reputation”
Top Selling Album:
Kendrick Lamar “DAMN.”
P!nk “Beautiful Trauma”
Ed Sheeran “÷ (Divide)”
Chris Stapleton “From A Room: Volume 1”
Winner: Taylor Swift “reputation”
Top Soundtrack:
“Black Panther”
“The Fate of the Furious: The Album”
“The Greatest Showman”
“Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2: Awesome Mix Vol. 2”
Winner: “Moana”
Top R&B Album:
Khalid “American Teen”
Winner: Bruno Mars “24K Magic”
SZA “Ctrl”
The Weeknd “Starboy”
XXXTENTACION “17”
Top Rap Album:
Drake “More Life”
Winner: Kendrick Lamar “DAMN.”
Lil Uzi Vert “Luv Is Rage 2”
Migos “Culture”
Post Malone “Stoney”
Top Country Album:
Kane Brown “Kane Brown”
Luke Combs “This One’s For You”
Thomas Rhett “Life Changes”
Winner: Chris Stapleton “From A Room: Volume 1”
Brett Young “Brett Young”
Top Rock Album:
Winner: Imagine Dragons “Evolve”
Linkin Park “One More Light”
Panic! At The Disco “Death Of A Bachelor”
Portugal. The Man “Woodstock”
U2 “Songs of Experience”
Top Latin Album:
Nicky Jam “Fénix”
Christian Nodal “Me Dejé Llevar”
Winner: Ozuna “Odisea”
Romeo Santos “Golden”
Shakira “El Dorado”
Top Dance/Electronic Album:
Avicii “AVĪCI (01)”
Winner: The Chainsmokers “Memories…Do Not Open”
Calvin Harris “Funk Wav Bounces Vol. 1”
Kygo “Stargazing”
ODESZA “A Moment Apart”
Top Christian Album:
Elevation Worship “There Is A Cloud”
Hillsong UNITED “Wonder”
Hillsong Worship “Let There Be Light”
Winner: Alan Jackson “Precious Memories Collection”
MercyMe “Lifer”
Top Gospel Album:
Anthony Brown & group therAPy “A Long Way From Sunday”
Travis Greene “Crossover: Live From Music City”
J.J. Hairston & Youthful Praise “You Deserve It”
Winner: Tasha Cobbs Leonard “Heart. Passion. Pursuit.”
Marvin Sapp “Close”
Top Hot 100 Song:
Winner: Luis Fonsi & Daddy Yankee ft. Justin Bieber “Despacito”
Kendrick Lamar “HUMBLE.”
Bruno Mars “That’s What I Like”
Post Malone ft. 21 Savage “Rockstar”
Ed Sheeran “Shape Of You”
Top Streaming Song (Audio):
Luis Fonsi & Daddy Yankee ft. Justin Bieber “Despacito”
Winner: Kendrick Lamar “HUMBLE.”
Lil Uzi Vert “XO TOUR Llif3”
Post Malone ft. 21 Savage “Rockstar”
Post Malone ft. Quavo “Congratulations”
Top Streaming Song (Video):
Cardi B “Bodak Yellow (Money Moves)”
Winner: Luis Fonsi & Daddy Yankee ft. Justin Bieber “Despacito”
Lil Pump “Gucci Gang”
Bruno Mars “That’s What I Like”
Ed Sheeran “Shape of You”
Top Selling Song:
Winner: Luis Fonsi & Daddy Yankee ft. Justin Bieber “Despacito”
Sam Hunt “Body Like A Back Road”
Imagine Dragons “Believer”
Imagine Dragons “Thunder”
Ed Sheeran “Perfect”
Top Radio Song:
The Chainsmokers & Coldplay “Something Just Like This”
Imagine Dragons “Believer”
Bruno Mars “That’s What I Like”
Charlie Puth “Attention”
Winner: Ed Sheeran “Shape of You”
Top Collaboration:
Camila Cabello ft. Young Thug “Havana”
The Chainsmokers & Coldplay “Something Just Like This”
Winner: Luis Fonsi & Daddy Yankee ft. Justin Bieber “Despacito”
French Montana ft. Swae Lee “Unforgettable”
Post Malone ft. 21 Savage “Rockstar”
Top R&B Song:
Childish Gambino “Redbone”
DJ Khaled ft. Rihanna & Bryson Tiller “Wild Thoughts”
Khalid “Young Dumb & Broke”
Winner: Bruno Mars “That’s What I Like”
Bruno Mars ft. Cardi B “Finesse”
Top Rap Song:
Cardi B “Bodak Yellow (Money Moves)”
DJ Khaled ft. Justin Bieber, Quavo, Chance The Rapper & Lil Wayne “I’m the One”
French Montana ft. Swae Lee “Unforgettable”
Kendrick Lamar “HUMBLE.”
Winner: Post Malone ft. 21 Savage “Rockstar”
Top Country Song:
Kane Brown ft. Lauren Alaina “What Ifs”
Winner: Sam Hunt “Body Like A Back Road”
Dustin Lynch “Small Town Boy”
Bebe Rexha & Florida Georgia Line “Meant To Be”
Brett Young “In Case You Didn’t Know”
Top Rock Song:
Winner: Imagine Dragons “Believer”
Imagine Dragons “Thunder”
Linkin Park ft. Kiiara “Heavy”
Portugal. The Man “Feel It Still”
The Revivalists “Wish I Knew You”
Top Latin Song:
J Balvin & Willy William ft. Beyoncé “Mi Gente”
Becky G ft. Bad Bunny “Mayores”
Winner: Luis Fonsi & Daddy Yankee ft. Justin Bieber “Despacito”
Maluma “Felices Los 4”
Wisin ft. Ozuna “Escápate Conmigo”
Top Dance/Electronic Song:
Winner: The Chainsmokers & Coldplay “Something Just Like This”
Clean Bandit ft. Sean Paul & Anne-Marie “Rockabye”
Cheat Codes ft. Demi Lovato “No Promises”
Kygo & Selena Gomez “It Ain’t Me”
Zedd & Alessia Cara “Stay”
Top Christian Song:
Elevation Worship “O Come To The Altar”
Winner: Hillsong Worship “What A Beautiful Name”
Lecrae ft. Tori Kelly “I’ll Find You”
MercyMe “Even If”
Zach Williams “Old Church Choir”
Top Gospel Song:
Anthony Brown & group therAPy “Trust In You”
Winner: J.J. Hairston & Youthful Praise “You Deserve It”
Travis Greene “You Waited”
Tamela Mann “Change Me”
Charlie Wilson “I’m Blessed”
