Taylor Swift and Morgan Wallen were among the top winners at the 2023 Billboard Music Awards on Sunday night.
Swift entered the evening as the finalist (as the BMAs call their nominees) in the most categories — a staggering 20 nods. She took home a total of 10 awards, including the coveted trophy for top artist and for top female artist, as well as top Billboard 200 artist.
In her acceptance speech, Swift thanked her fans, saying “none of this happens without you,” adding: “I feel like the luckiest girl to have you in my corner and caring about the music I make.”
SZA and Wallen tied as the second most-recognized finalists, with 17 entries in 16 categories. Wallen had a breakthrough night, emerging as the most awarded artist of the evening, with 11 trophies, including for top male artist, top Hot 100 artist, top country artist, and top Billboard 200 album. SZA took home 4 awards, among them top R&B artist and top R&B album.
Wallen, who entered the night as the most recognized male finalist and emerged as the night’s most-lauded star, sang “98 Braves.” His performance at last year’s BBMAs marked his first time at a major awards show after being recorded on camera using a racial slur.
This year’s event switched from its previous broadcasting home on NBC to instead air on the awards show’s official social channels and site. The show usually happens in May, but moved to the November time slot to fill the vacated place of the American Music Awards.
Karol G, who took home honors for top Latin artist and top Latin touring artist at the start of the show, gave the first performance of the night, singing “QLONA,” “Labios Mordidos,” and “OJOS FERRARI” in a stage filled with water, which she splashed to maximum effect, accompanied by dancers gyrating through the aquatics.
Other performers included David Guetta and Bebe Rexha, performing their hit “I’m Good,” which samples Eiffel 65’s “Blue (Da Ba Dee)” and won the award for top dance/electronic song. Rexha sang a stripped back version of the hit in a leather gown, and then launched into a rendition of her song “One in a Million.”
K-Pop superstars NewJeans also performed, singing their hit “Super Shy” with an entourage of backup dancers that performed their choreography with razor-sharp precision. They went on to sing their track “OMG” in tundra-ready costumes amidst a snowy, cloudy wonderland onstage. After they accepted the award for top global K-Pop artist, and thanked their fans, Bunnies, as well as each other, saying: “We are always looking out for one another. Inspiring, helping, believing, but above all, forming this unbreakable friendship, without which we would not be NewJeans.”
Other performers included Peso Pluma (who was joined onstage by Mike Tyson), Stray Kids and Tate McRae.
One major highlight of the show was Mariah Carey delivering her first live performance of “All I Want for Christmas Is You” of the season, proving that the holidays have begun a few days earlier than Thanksgiving this year. Dancers on ice skates joined her
Other notable winners were Drake, with 5 awards, Zach Bryan with 4, and Bad Bunny, Beyoncé, and Miley Cyrus, all with 3.
The Billboard Music Awards are presented by Dick Clark Productions. DCP is owned by Penske Media Eldridge, a joint venture between Penske Media Corporation and Eldridge that also owns The Music news.
The full list of winners follows:
ARTIST AWARDS
Top Artist
Drake
Luke Combs
Morgan Wallen
SZA
Taylor Swift (WINNER)
Top New Artist
Bailey Zimmerman
Ice Spice
Jelly Roll
Peso Pluma
Zach Bryan (WINNER)
Top Male Artist
Drake
Luke Combs
Morgan Wallen (WINNER)
The Weeknd
Zach Bryan
Top Female Artist
Beyoncé
Miley Cyrus
Olivia Rodrigo
SZA
Taylor Swift (WINNER)
Top Duo/Group
Eslabon Armado
Fifty Fifty
Fuerza Regida (WINNER)
Grupo Frontera
Metallica
Top Billboard 200 Artist
Drake
Luke Combs
Morgan Wallen
SZA
Taylor Swift (WINNER)
Top Hot 100 Artist
Drake
Luke Combs
Morgan Wallen (WINNER)
SZA
Taylor Swift
Top Hot 100 Songwriter
Ashley Gorley
Jack Antonoff
SZA
Taylor Swift (WINNER)
Zach Bryan
Top Hot 100 Producer
Jack Antonoff
Joey Moi (WINNER)
Metro Boomin
Taylor Swift
Zach Bryan
Top Streaming Songs Artist
Drake
Morgan Wallen (WINNER)
SZA
Taylor Swift
Zach Bryan
Top Radio Songs Artist
Miley Cyrus
Morgan Wallen
SZA
Taylor Swift (WINNER)
The Weeknd
Top Song Sales Artist
Jason Aldean
Miley Cyrus
Morgan Wallen
Oliver Anthony Music
Taylor Swift (WINNER)
Top Billboard Global 200 Artist
Bad Bunny
Morgan Wallen
SZA
Taylor Swift (WINNER)
The Weeknd
Top Billboard Global (Excl. U.S.) Artist
Bad Bunny
Ed Sheeran
NewJeans
Taylor Swift (WINNER)
The Weeknd
Top R&B Artist
Beyoncé
Chris Brown
Rihanna
SZA (WINNER)
The Weeknd
Top R&B Male Artist
Chris Brown
Miguel
The Weeknd (WINNER)
Top R&B Female Artist
Beyoncé
Rihanna
SZA (WINNER)
Top R&B Touring Artist
Beyoncé (WINNER)
Bruno Mars
The Weeknd
Top Rap Artist
21 Savage
Drake (WINNER)
Lil Baby
Metro Boomin
Travis Scott
Top Rap Male Artist
21 Savage
Drake (WINNER)
Travis Scott
Top Rap Female Artist
Doja Cat
Ice Spice
Nicki Minaj (WINNER)
Top Rap Touring Artist
50 Cent
Drake (WINNER)
Snoop Dogg & Wiz Khalifa
Top Country Artist
Bailey Zimmerman
Luke Combs
Morgan Wallen (WINNER)
Taylor Swift
Zach Bryan
Top Country Male Artist
Luke Combs
Morgan Wallen (WINNER)
Zach Bryan
Top Country Female Artist
Lainey Wilson
Megan Moroney
Taylor Swift (WINNER)
Top Country Duo/Group
Old Dominion
Parmalee
Zac Brown Band (WINNER)
Top Country Touring Artist
George Strait
Luke Combs
Morgan Wallen (WINNER)
Top Rock Artist
Jelly Roll
Noah Kahan
Stephen Sanchez
Steve Lacy
Zach Bryan (WINNER)
Top Rock Duo/Group
Arctic Monkeys (WINNER)
Foo Fighters
Metallica
Top Rock Touring Artist
Coldplay (WINNER)
Depeche Mode
Elton John
Top Latin Artist
Bad Bunny (WINNER)
Eslabon Armado
Fuerza Regida
Karol G
Peso Pluma
Top Latin Male Artist
Bad Bunny (WINNER)
Peso Pluma
Rauw Alejandro
Top Latin Female Artist
Karol G (WINNER)
Rosalía
Shakira
Top Latin Duo/Group
Eslabon Armado
Fuerza Regida (WINNER)
Grupo Frontera
Top Latin Touring Artist
Daddy Yankee
Karol G (WINNER)
RBD
Top Global K-Pop Artist
Jimin
NewJeans (WINNER)
Stray Kids
Tomorrow X Together
Twice
Top K-Pop Touring Artist
Blackpink (WINNER)
Suga
Twice
Top Afrobeats Artist
Burna Boy (WINNER)
Libianca
Rema
Tems
Wizkid
Top Dance/Electronic Artist
Beyoncé (WINNER)
Calvin Harris
David Guetta
Drake
Tiësto
Top Christian Artist
Brandon Lake
Elevation Worship
For King & Country
Lauren Daigle (WINNER)
Phil Wickham
Top Gospel Artist
CeCe Winans
Elevation Worship
Kanye West (WINNER)
Kirk Franklin
Maverick City Music
ALBUM AWARDS
Top Billboard 200 Album
Drake & 21 Savage Her Loss
Metro Boomin Heroes & Villains
Morgan Wallen One Thing at a Time (WINNER)
SZA SOS
Taylor Swift Midnights
Top Soundtrack
Barbie: The Album (WINNER)
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever – Music From and Inspired By
Elvis
Metro Boomin Presents Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse (Soundtrack From and Inspired by the Motion Picture)
Top Gun: Maverick
Top R&B Album
Beyoncé Renaissance
Brent Faiyaz Wasteland
Drake Honestly, Nevermind
Steve Lacy Gemini Rights
SZA SOS (WINNER)
Top Rap Album
Drake & 21 Savage Her Loss (WINNER)
Future I Never Liked You
Lil Baby It’s Only Me
Metro Boomin Heroes & Villains
Travis Scott Utopia
Top Country Album
Luke Combs Gettin’ Old
Luke Combs Growin’ Up
Morgan Wallen One Thing at a Time (WINNER)
Taylor Swift Speak Now (Taylor’s Version)
Zach Bryan American Heartbreak
Top Rock Album
Hardy The Mockingbird & the Crow
Jelly Roll Whitsitt Chapel
Noah Kahan Stick Season
Steve Lacy Gemini Rights
Zach Bryan American Heartbreak (WINNER)
Top Latin Album
Bad Bunny Un Verano Sin Ti (WINNER)
Eslabon Armado Desvelado
Ivan Cornejo Dañado
Karol G Mañana Será Bonito
Peso Pluma Génesis
Top K-Pop Album
Jimin Face
NewJeans 2nd EP Get Up
Stray Kids 5-Star (WINNER)
Tomorrow X Together The Name Chapter: Temptation
Twice Ready to be: 12th Mini Album
Top Dance/Electronic Album
Beyoncé Renaissance (WINNER)
Drake Honestly, Nevermind
Illenium Illenium
Kim Petras Feed the Beast
Tiësto Drive
Top Christian Album
Anne Wilson My Jesus (WINNER)
Brandon Lake House of Miracles
Cain Rise Up
Elevation Worship Lion
Lauren Daigle Lauren Daigle
Top Gospel Album
Jonathan McReynolds My Truth
Maverick City Music x Kirk Franklin Kingdom Book One (WINNER)
Tye Tribbett All Things New
Whitney Houston I Go to the Rock: The Gospel Music of Whitney Houston
Zacardi Cortez Imprint (Live in Memphis)
SONG AWARDS
Top Hot 100 Song
Metro Boomin, The Weeknd & 21 Savage “Creepin’”
Miley Cyrus “Flowers”
Morgan Wallen “Last Night” (WINNER)
SZA “Kill Bill”
Taylor Swift “Anti-Hero”
Top Streaming Song
Miley Cyrus “Flowers”
Morgan Wallen “Last Night” (WINNER)
SZA “Kill Bill”
Taylor Swift “Anti-Hero”
Zach Bryan “Something in the Orange”
Top Radio Song
Metro Boomin, The Weeknd & 21 Savage “Creepin’”
Miley Cyrus “Flowers” (WINNER)
Rema & Selena Gomez “Calm Down”
Taylor Swift “Anti-Hero”
The Weeknd & Ariana Grande “Die for You”
Top Selling Song
Jason Aldean “Try That in a Small Town”
Jimin ‘Like Crazy”
Miley Cyrus “Flowers”
Oliver Anthony Music “Rich Men North of Richmond”
Taylor Swift “Anti-Hero” (WINNER)
Top Collaboration
David Guetta & Bebe Rexha “I’m Good (Blue)”
Metro Boomin, The Weeknd & 21 Savage “Creepin’” (WINNER)
Rema & Selena Gomez “Calm Down”
Sam Smith & Kim Petras “Unholy”
The Weeknd & Ariana Grande “Die For You”
Top Billboard Global 200 Song
Miley Cyrus “Flowers” (WINNER)
Rema & Selena Gomez “Calm Down”
SZA “Kill Bill”
Taylor Swift “Anti-Hero”
The Weeknd & Ariana Grande “Die for You”
Top Billboard Global (Excl. U.S.) Song
David Guetta & Bebe Rexha “I’m Good (Blue)”
Harry Styles “As It Was”
Miley Cyrus “Flowers” (WINNER)
Rema & Selena Gomez “Calm Down”
The Weeknd & Ariana Grande “Die for You”
Top R&B Song
Metro Boomin, The Weeknd & 21 Savage “Creepin’”
Miguel “Sure Thing”
The Weeknd & Ariana Grande “Die for You”
SZA “Kill Bill” (WINNER)
SZA “Snooze”
Top Rap Song
Coi Leray “Players”
Drake & 21 Savage “Rich Flex” (WINNER)
Gunna “fukumean”
Lil Durk ft. J. Cole “All My Life”
Toosii “Favorite Song”
Top Country Song
Bailey Zimmerman “Rock and a Hard Place”
Luke Combs “Fast Car”
Morgan Wallen “Last Night” (WINNER)
Morgan Wallen “You Proof”
Zach Bryan “Something in the Orange”
Top Rock Song
Jelly Roll “Need a Favor”
Stephen Sanchez “Until I Found You”
Steve Lacy “Bad Habit”
Zach Bryan ft. Kacey Musgraves “I Remember Everything”
Zach Bryan “Something in the Orange” (WINNER)
Top Latin Song
Eslabon Armado x Peso Pluma “Ella Baila Sola” (WINNER)
Fuerza Regida x Grupo Frontera “Bebe Dame”
Grupo Frontera x Bad Bunny “un x100to”
Karol G & Shakira “TQG”
Yng Lvcas x Peso Pluma “La Bebe”
Top Global K-Pop Song
Fifty Fifty “Cupid”
Jimin “Like Crazy”
Jungkook ft. Latto “Seven” (WINNER)
NewJeans “Ditto”
NewJeans “OMG”
Top Afrobeats Song
Ayra Starr “Rush”
Libianca “People”
Oxlade “Ku Lo Sa”
Rema & Selena Gomez “Calm Down” (WINNER)
Victony, Rema, & Tempoe ft. Don Toliver “Soweto”
Top Dance/Electronic Song
Bizarrap & Shakira “Shakira: Bzrp Music Sessions, Vol. 53”
David Guetta, Anne-Marie & Coi Leray “Baby Don’t Hurt Me”
David Guetta & Bebe Rexha “I’m Good (Blue)” (WINNER)
Elton John & Britney Spears “Hold Me Closer”
Tiësto ft. Tate McRae “10:35”
Top Christian Song
Brandon Lake “Gratitude” (WINNER)
Chris Tomlin “Holy Forever”
For King & Country with Jordin Sparks “Love Me Like I Am”
Lauren Daigle “Thank God I Do”
Phil Wickham “This Is Our God”
Top Gospel Song
CeCe Winans “Goodness of God” (WINNER)
Crowder & Dante Bowe ft. Maverick City Music “God Really Loves Us”
Elevation Worship ft. Chandler Moore & Tiffany Hudson “More Than Able”
Maverick City Music & Kirk Franklin ft. Brandon Lake & Chandler Moore “Fear Is Not My Future”
Zacardi Cortez “Lord Do It for Me (Live in Memphis)”
