Since 1990, the Billboard Music Award show has celebrated top artists and their accomplishments throughout the year. Finalists are based on fundamental interactions with music fans, digital album and song sales, radio airplay, streaming, touring and social engagement, each tracked by Billboard and its data partners , including Nielsen Music and Next Big Sound.

At the awards ceremony, 15 artists performed with lots of dancing and lights, backed by cheers from the audience. The Weeknd, a popular artist who has won 10 awards and 16 nominations, stole the show. “I was so happy that Weeknd won so many awards. He had such a great year with several amazing songs and a great album. There was no way he wasn’t winning multiple awards and in my opinion, he deserved them all,” rookie Connor Jackson said.

The awards include Best Artist, Best New Artist, Best Male Artist, and Best Female Artist. These awards went to The Weeknd, Pop Smoke, The Weeknd and Taylor Swift respectively. In addition to these winners, the show rewarded the best artists in different categories. “I think the people who got these awards definitely deserved them. Personally, I didn’t think there was competition for The Weeknd and Taylor Swift because they are by far the best artists right now. Also, I was so happy Drake won Best Rap Artist because his music is the best,” sophomore Travon Moorer said.

The next category celebrated songs with awards like a radio song, which was won by Dua Lipa for her song “Levitating”, the best-selling song won by BTS for her song “Butter”, the best streaming song won by Kid Laroi and Justin Bieber for “Stay” and best radio artist won by Olivia Rodrigo. These awards are won by fan votes and data illustrating how much a song has been listened to or how often it plays on the radio. This is a special award for artists because among the endless songs of an ever-changing musical landscape, their work is recognized.

The Billboard Music Awards are a way to celebrate all types of artists, from pop to country. Top performers are recognized for their accomplishments and talents. Although this awards show doesn’t carry the same cultural weight as the Grammys or the Oscars, it still has incredible performances and great awards handed out throughout the show.

Fans have the opportunity to vote for their favorite artists, which engages fans and shows how much fans support an artist. “The Billboard Music Awards always exposes me to new music in a fun way, every performer has a different style and it introduces me to new types of music that I might like. my favorite artist has won or is nominated for, so I can support them by voting,” said junior Josh Mirsky.