The 2021 American Music Awards, hosted by Cardi B, held an evening full of some of the biggest names in music at the Microsoft Theatre in Los Angeles Sunday night.
To get things started, Silk Sonic — made up of R&B duo Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak — opened up the show draped in matching red velvet suits as they serenaded the crowd with their hit “Smoking Out the Window.”
Megan Thee Stallion was set to perform with BTS but notified her fans the day before the show that she unfortunately wouldn’t make it “due to an unexpected personal matter.” Although she wasn’t at the awards ceremony, she still took home the awards for Favorite Rap/Hip-Hop Album for her debut album Good News, Favorite Rap/Hip-Hop Artist, and Favorite Trending Song for her catchy hit “Body.”
Doja Cat also had a good night in terms of wins, taking home three awards, though she didn’t get to accept any during the broadcast: Collaboration of the Year for “Kiss Me More ft. SZA,” Favorite Female R&B Artist and Favorite R&B Album for Planet Her.
And in addition to hosting, Cardi walked away with a trophy for Favorite Hip-Hop Song for “Up.”
Taking it back to ’80s, the AMAs introduced the Battle of Boston, a back and forth between Boston natives New Kids On The Block and New Edition. Both groups took turns performing some of their biggest records, before it was revealed that they’re going on tour separately.
Other notable acts included Tyler, the Creator, Chloe, and Givēon, who made his AMA performance debut singing his viral TikTok hit “Heartbreak Anniversary.”
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