Last night, the 50th annual American Music Awards aired live from the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles, and the show was filled with a mix of up-and-coming talents and a handful of superstars who showed up to push their latest releases or snag some more trophies.
Ticketmaster foe Taylor Swift walked away as the most-awarded musician of the night, collecting half a dozen additional prizes.
Amazingly (or perhaps not so coincidentally), the singer-songwriter came out on top in every category she was nominated in. She even managed to beat Bad Bunny, who went into the evening with eight nods — the most among all acts.
With six new trophies in her collection, Swift beats her own record for the most American Music Award wins in history.
The singer, who currently leads both the Hot 100 and the Billboard 200 with “Anti-Hero” and Midnights, respectively, has now snagged 40 honors throughout her many years as a superstar. That puts her 14 pieces of hardware ahead of the previous record holder, Michael Jackson, who remains in second place.
Swift walked away with all of the following trophies at the 2022 American Music Awards: Artist of the Year, Favorite Music Video (All Too Well: The Short Film), Favorite Female Pop Artist, Favorite Female Country Artist, as well as both Favorite Pop Album and Favorite Country Album (both for Red [Taylor’s Version]).
The show opened with a highly colorful performance by Pink of her new single “Never Gonna Not Dance Again,” which featured dozens of backup dancers and even the singer on rollerskates. The showing was a great way to kick off the ceremony, and it could be the thing that turns the underperforming tune into a proper hit.
Bebe Rexha performed her new smash “I’m Good (Blue),” only DJ and producer David Guetta wasn’t in attendance, so she handled the show herself (to mixed results).
Current Best New Artist Grammy nominee Anitta took to the stage first for her own “Envolver,” but it wasn’t long before Missy Elliott appeared for their duet “Lobby.” Rising rapper GloRilla surprised the crowd by bringing out Cardi B for their quick hit “Tomorrow 2,” complete with an army of similarly-clad dancers and a car that must cost hundreds of thousands of dollars.
The rest of the night included performances by Imagine Dragons with JID, Yola, Lil Baby, Best New Artist winner Dove Cameron, and even Stevie Wonder and Charlie Puth, who honored Icon Award recipient Lionel Ritchie with a medley of some of his most beloved singles.
Swift was the most visible star of the evening, which isn’t shocking, as she was the biggest name to show up. While she may have been competing against fellow chart-toppers like Harry Styles, Adele, Drake, and The Weeknd (to name just a few), none could top the most-awarded musician in the show’s history. With her six new prizes, Swift furthers her lead as the act with the most trophies in the following categories:
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