The 2016 Billboard Music Awards was full of memorable performances. It featured the biggest names in the music industry, from Justin Bieber, Rihanna, Adele, to Madonna, Celine Dion and Stevie Wonder. While we were a tad disappointed that Meghan Trainor and Ariana Grande did not win anything, there were still a number of surprising and memorable moments we’d never want to forget.
If you missed the 2016 Billboard Awards, here are our top picks for the night:
Britney’s Erotic Opening Performance
Britney rightly opened the show with a medley of her hits from over the years, “Work Bitch”, “Womanizer”, “Breathe on Me”, “Slave 4 U”, “Toxic”, donning a beaded, red, revealing costume. The performance was studded with Britney’s signature moves, including a pole dance. Despite performing with a headworn-mic, Britney turned out to be lip-syncing, as she had a little glitch towards the end of her performance. Haters gonna hate, but Britney is still the princess of pop!
Kesha’s Tribute That We Thought Wasn’t Going To Happen
Despite many reports that Kesha’s producer had rescinded his approval to allow Kesha to perform at the Billboard Awards, the 29 year-old singer from Los Angeles took the stage to pay tribute to Bob Dylan. Backed by Ben Folds, they performed the Dylan classic “It Ain’t Me Babe”, which received a standing ovation from the crowd. We got your back, Kesha!
The Weeknd’s Massive Sweep of Awards
The Weeknd won Billboard awards for Top Songs Sales Artist award, Top Radio Song award for “Can’t Feel My Face”, Top Hot 100 Artist award, Top Radio Songs Artist award, Top Streaming Song (Audio) award for “The Hills”, Top R&B Artist award, and Top R&B Song award for “The Hills”.
Apart from setting a new record for most awards won in one night by a male artist, the singer also made a touching tribute to Prince in his acceptance speech. “I love him so much. I didn’t know him, but he was so close to me. He will always be an inspiration.”
Teary-Eyed Celine Dion, the Recipient of this year’s Icon Award
After a powerful performance of Queen’s “The Show Must Go On”, Celine Dion’s son, René-Charles, surprised his mom by presenting her with the gold microphone, as she was the recipient of this year’s Icon Award. With tears streaming down her face, she thanked her fans, her team, her label, and lastly, her recently deceased husband, René.
Adele’s New Trippy Music Video
Although Adele couldn’t be at the Billboard Music Awards to receive her award for Top Artist that night, she decided to unveil her brand new video, “Send My Love (To Your New Lover)”. Adele is seen wearing a beautiful Dolce & Gabbana gown in this Patrick Daughters directed music video.
Justin Bieber Who Looked Like A Carbon Copy Eminem
Justin Bieber accepted the award for Top Male Artist in an oversized white T-shirt, matching jacket, and heavily-tattooed arms. The singer also performed “Company” and “Sorry” from his album, Purpose.
Shawn Mendes’ Electrifying Rendition of “Stitches”
One of the most memorable performances of the night, Mendes proved that he is definitely the next big thing in Hollywood. He opened his hit single, “Stitches”, in a creepy bedroom-looking set, with an acoustic guitar and powerful vocals. He took it up a notch when he switched to the piano, and seriously, isn’t he every girl’s dream come true?
The Madonna and Stevie Wonder Combo
Madonna took the stage in glam purple suit for a beautiful performance of “Nothing Compares 2 U”. Before we could recover from that surprise, Stevie Wonder joined her for a jaw-dropping rendition of “Purple Rain”, alongside Madonna. Easily the best performance of the night!
For the full list of winners, access here.
