American Music Awards celebrate artists

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Bella Lee, Staff writer

It is known without a doubt that the U.S. loves their awards shows. From the Grammys and Tonys to the Emmys and Oscars, it feels like it is always award show season. This time around, it was the American Music Awards, or the AMAs, that took place on Nov. 20. Actor, comedian and singer Wayne Brady hosted the event, with Meghan Trainor, Liza Koshy, Ellie Goulding, Dan and Shay and Smokey Robinson being among the presenters. Cardi B, Bebe Rexha, Carrie Underwood, Imagine Dragons and Pink were some of the performers over the course of the ceremony, with Pink doing a tribute to Olivia Newton-John and Stevie Wonder and Charlie Puth doing a Lionel Richie tribute. Richie would go on to win the Icon Award that evening.

Taylor Swift was this year’s giant at the AMAs, winning a total of five awards (Artist of the Year, Favorite Music Video, Favorite Pop Album, Favorite Female Country Artist and Favorite Country Album). This brings the total number of awards she has won to 40, nearly twice as much as Michael Jackson, who has the second-most AMAs won with 26. Other big winners this year included BTS, Harry Styles and Morgan Wallen. Dove Cameron, known for her roles in Disney shows like “Liv and Maddie” prior to her music career, won New Artist of the Year, beating out Gayle, Steve Lacy, Latto and Måneskin. Coldplay, still popular since its formation in 1996, continues to win awards, taking out Bad Bunny, Elton John, The Rolling Stones and Ed Sheeran to win Favorite Touring Artist. Beating The Rolling Stones at anything is a feat, so it was undeniably a big night for the British band.

It was quite the interesting take that Swift won Favorite Female Country Artist, winning against Miranda Lambert, Maren Morris, Carrie Underwood and Lainey Wilson. The win was a bit controversial as Swift has not been in the country genre since the beginning of her career while the other nominees have been in country their entire careers. However, her talent is undeniable, and fans were excited nonetheless. Other notable names that won in their respective categories included Kendrick Lamar for Favorite Male Hip-Hop Artist, Nicki Minaj for Favorite Female Hip-Hop Artist, Chris Brown for Favorite Male R&B Artist and Beyoncé for Favorite Female R&B Artist. Chris Brown’s win was also met with controversy as many people disagree with his inclusion in the industry following his criminal activities in the past. However, he was awarded and had his moment alongside music royalty nonetheless.

Beyoncé additionally won Favorite R&B Album for “Renaissance.” Also, Machine Gun Kelly won Favorite Rock Artist, while Måneskin’s “Beggin’” won Favorite Rock Song and Swedish rock band Ghost won Favorite Rock Album for “Impera.” Rounding out some of the popular favorites included Bad Bunny for Favorite Male Latin Artist, Marshmello for Favorite Dance/Electronic Artist, BTS for Favorite K-Pop Artist and Elton John and Dua Lipa for Collaboration of the Year for “Cold Heart.”

Overall, the AMAs were a sight to behold this year. Taylor Swift’s music career is once again on the rise, proven by the sheer number of awards she won on this night. A variety of artists were awarded, which provided an enjoyable event for fans of all genres. Next year will hopefully be just as exciting, as new artists emerge and old artists make a comeback, like Kate Bush’s “Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God)” being nominated for Favorite Rock Song over 35 years after its initial release. Next year’s AMAs could not come any sooner!