MANILA, Philippines – This year's Billboard Music Awards geared up to be one of music's biggest night's and it did deliver with a string of showstoppers from the industry's brightest stars. Hosted by Ludacris and Ciara, the awards night was held at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, USA on Sunday, May 22 (Monday in Manila).
The evening had its big winners, with Adele and Justin Bieber winning the Top Artist awards, while The Weeknd grabbed 8 trophies. However, people all over the globe also tuned in for the spectacles put on by some of the biggest musicians today – legends and up-and-coming ones alike.
There were performances from in-demand stars like Ariana Grande, Justin Bieber, Rihanna, Gwen Stefani, Blake Shelton, Demi Lovato, and more, but these take the cake for being some of the evening's most anticipated moments:
Britney Spears opened the show and staged a stunning comeback – in classic Britney fashion – with a medley of her biggest hits: "Work B*tch," "Womanizer," "I Love Rock 'N' Roll," "Breathe on Me," "I'm A Slave 4 U," "Touch of My Hand," and "Toxic."
She was also honored with the Millennium Award, which "honors artists with exceptional achievements and influence in the music industry."
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Pink delivered a breathtaking performance of "Just Like Fire" (from Alice Through the Looking Glass) for the first time this evening. She gave a spectacular show, as she is known to have done so in the past with gravity-defying stunts and more. This time, she soared high above the crowd, swinging on a clock, and ended mid-air with a fiery finale.
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Kesha had a long legal battle with producer Dr Luke over serious allegations of sexual abuse, and this almost stopped her from taking to the stage as Kemosabe Records had almost barred her from performing.
As planned, she traded her upbeat pop songs for a mellow, heartfelt cover of Bob Dylan's "It Ain't Me Babe." The arena crowd rewarded her a standing ovation for this.
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Adele, who couldn't be at the awards night as she is on tour, premiered her latest music video for "Send My Love (To Your New Lover)" from her album, 25. It features the British diva in a floor-length floral dress, swaying to a tune that is said to be her "musical kiss-off to her ex," as Vogue puts it. (WATCH: New Adele music video for 'Send My Love (To Your New Lover)')
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Celine Dion is the recipient of this year's Icon Award, and this was the first time she performed on TV since the deaths of her husband, René Angélil, and her brother, Daniel Dion– two days apart.
The singer's performance of Queen's "The Show Must Go On" can be said to be an elegiac tribute to her loved ones with wailing guitars and her own powerful pipes. However, it's also a fierce celebration of why she's not only a treasure in her native Canada but a global musical icon. (READ: Celine Dion ready with first new song since husband's death)
Her own son presented her trophy, as she accepted it teary-eyed and thankful.
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Madonna, the Queen of Pop herself, paid tribute to her fellow royalty, Prince, who passed away just last April. Sitting upon a purple throne and wearing a glittery suit of the same color, she honors the late music legend with "Let's Go Crazy," "Nothing Compares 2 U," and "Purple Rain" with Stevie Wonder.
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The 2016 Billboard Music Awards aired on RTL CBS Entertainment in the Philippines. There will be encore broadcasts on Monday, May 23 at 10:50 pm, and Saturday, May 28 at 9:00pm.
Did you tune into this year's Billboard Music Awards? Which performances were your favorites? Let us know in the comments. – Rappler.com