Taylor Swift Makes History as Most Decorated Artist at Billboard Awards
You could easily rename the Billboard Music Awards the Taylor Swift Awards: The pop star has become the most decorated artist in the show’s history, breaking her tie with fellow chart-topper Drake.
Swift won 10 awards on Wednesday night, including top artist and top Billboard 200 album for The Tortured Poets Department. She walked into the event with 17 nominations.
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“This is the nicest early birthday present you could have given me,” Swift, who turns 35 on Friday, said in a taped speech. “It’s exactly what I wanted.”
Her other wins included top female artist, top Hot 100 artist and top Hot 100 songwriter. Earlier this year, Swift set a record at the Grammys when she collected her fourth album of the year trophy. She’s nominated for the top prize, along with five others, at the Feb. 2 event; the Billboard Awards took place a day before final-round voting for the 2025 Grammys begins.
Hosted by comedian-actress Michelle Buteau, the two-hour show featured a number of pre-taped performances and felt more like a recorded music TV special than an awards show. Buteau interviewed some of the winners — there was no announcement of winners in the traditional sense — and others made “special appearances,” aka sent in video acceptance speeches.
Coldplay performed from Australia, Tyla from London, Stray Kids from South Korea and Megan Moroney from Nashville. Jelly Roll, Shaboozey and Teddy Swims even performed twice, while Fuerza Regida and Seventeen were in Los Angeles.
Zach Bryan, who led this year’s nominees with 21 nominations, followed Swift with five wins including top rock artist and top country album for Zach Bryan. Morgan Wallen was named top country artist and won three others, and Shaboozey — who fittingly kicked off the awards show with his history-making, chart-topping anthem, “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” — won three honors including top country song. His worldwide hit recently tied Lil Nas X and Billy Ray Cyrus’ “Old Town Road” record for most weeks at No. 1 — 19 — on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
Drake won three awards and now has 42 Billboard Awards, making him second to Swift. Bad Bunny also won three awards, while Jung Kook, Benson Boone, Teddy Swims, Tyla and Tommy Richman won two awards each.
Beyoncé, who is nominated for 10 Grammys including four in the country genre, was named top country female artist. Other winners included Chappell Roan (top new artist), SZA (top R&B artist), Charli XCX (top dance/electronic artist) and Kendrick Lamar (top rap song for “Not Like Us”).
The Billboard Awards aired on Fox, Paramount+ and Amazon’s Fire TV Channels.
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