2020 Billboard Music Awards

The 2020 Billboard Music Awards were held on Wednesday October 14, 2020 at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, California. The ceremony was broadcast live from NBC. Hosted by Kelly Clarkson for the third year in a row, the ceremony was sponsored by TikTok and Xfinity. The ceremony was originally scheduled for April 29, 2020, but was later postponed first indefinitely and then to October due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Nominees were announced on September 22, 2020. Voting opened on TikTok on October 1 and closed on October 13. Presenters were announced October 13.

2020 Billboard Music Awards
Date	October 14, 2020 (2020-10-14)
Location	Dolby Theatre Los Angeles, California
Hosted by	Kelly Clarkson
Most awards	Post Malone (9)
Most nominations	Post Malone (16)
Television/radio coverage
Network	NBC
Viewership	3.71 million^[1]
← 2019 Billboard Music Awards 2021 →

Post Malone was the most awarded, with nine awards. Malone was also the most nominated, with 16 nominations. Garth Brooks and Killer Mike received the Icon Award and the inaugural Change Maker Award, respectively.

Background

The 2020 ceremony was originally scheduled to be held April 29, 2020 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.^[2] Kelly Clarkson was announced as the host. She had previously hosted the 2018 and 2019 ceremonies.^[3] On March 17th, NBC and Dick Clark Productions issued a joint statement postponing the ceremony due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In the statement, they stated "[in] accordance with the current guidelines set forth by national and local health officials and in order to ensure the health and safety of our artists, fans, guests and staff, [w]e are postponing the Billboard Music Awards."^[3] On August 14 of the same year, the show was rescheduled for October 14.^[4] On September 22, the nominees for all categories were announced.^[5] The first round of performers were announced September 29. Garth Brooks received the Icon Award, as announced on February 26, 2020; succeeding Mariah Carey, who won the award in 2019.^[6][7] Killer Mike received the inaugural Change Maker Award, as announced two days before the ceremony.^[8] Voting for fan-voted categories opened on dance video platform TikTok on October 1.^[9] TikTok and Xfinity sponsored the ceremony.

Performers

 

Brandy performed a selection of tracks during the show.

 

Country music legend Garth Brooks performed a medley of his hits in celebration of receiving the Icon Award.

List of performers and the songs they performed^[10]

Performer(s)	Song(s)
Kelly Clarkson, Pentatonix and Sheila E.	"Higher Love"
Sia	"Courage to Change"
Kane Brown, Swae Lee, Khalid	"Be Like That"
Alicia Keys	"Love Looks Better"
Luke Combs	"Better Together"
Post Malone and Tyla Yaweh	"Circles" "Tommy Lee"^[a]
Brandy	"Borderline" "Almost Doesn't Count" "No Tomorrow, pt 2." (with Ty Dolla Sign)
John Legend	"Never Break"
Bad Bunny, Ivy Queen and Nesi	"Yo Perreo Sola"
Doja Cat	"Juicy" "Say So" "Like That"
Garth Brooks	Icon Award Medley: "The Thunder Rolls" "Callin' Baton Rouge" "The River" "Standing Outside the Fire" "That Summer" "Dive Bar" "Friends in Low Places" "The Dance"
Saint Jhn	"Roses"
Demi Lovato	"Commander in Chief"
BTS	"Dynamite"^[b]
En Vogue	"Free Your Mind"

Notes

• ^{^[a]} Pre-taped at the P.W. Gillibrand Co. Silver Sand quarry in Simi Valley, California.
• ^{^[b]} Pre-recorded in Seoul, South Korea.

Winners and nominees

Nominees were announced in a series of Twitter statements on September 22, 2020. Post Malone was the most nominated, with 16 nominations, followed by Lil Nas X with 13, and Khalid and Billie Eilish with 12.^[5] Voting for the three fan-voted categories, Billboard Chart Achievement, Top Social Artist and Best Collaboration opened on dance-sharing video app TikTok on October 1, 2020,^[9] and closed on October 13.^[11]

Winners are first and are in bold.

Top Artist	Top New Artist	Billboard Chart Achievement (fan-voted)
Post Malone Billie Eilish Jonas Brothers Khalid Taylor Swift	Billie Eilish DaBaby Lil Nas X Lizzo Roddy Ricch	Harry Styles Mariah Carey Luke Combs Lil Nas X Taylor Swift
Top Male Artist	Top Female Artist	Top Duo/Group
Post Malone DaBaby Khalid Lil Nas X Ed Sheeran	Billie Eilish Ariana Grande Halsey Lizzo Taylor Swift	Jonas Brothers BTS Dan + Shay Maroon 5 Panic! at the Disco
Top Billboard 200 Artist	Top Hot 100 Artist	Top Streaming Songs Artist
Post Malone Drake Billie Eilish Khalid Taylor Swift	Post Malone DaBaby Billie Eilish Khalid Lil Nas X	Post Malone DaBaby Billie Eilish Lil Nas X Travis Scott
Top Song Sales Artist	Top Radio Songs Artist	Top Social Artist (fan-voted)
Lizzo Billie Eilish Lil Nas X Post Malone Taylor Swift	Jonas Brothers Khalid Lizzo Shawn Mendes Post Malone	BTS Billie Eilish Exo GOT7 Ariana Grande
Top Touring Artist	Top R&B Artist	Top R&B Male Artist
Pink Elton John Metallica The Rolling Stones Ed Sheeran	Khalid Chris Brown Lizzo Summer Walker The Weeknd	Khalid Chris Brown The Weeknd
Top R&B Female Artist	Top R&B Tour	Top Rap Artist
Summer Walker Beyoncé Lizzo	Khalid B2K Janet Jackson	Post Malone DaBaby Juice Wrld Lil Nas X Roddy Ricch
Top Rap Male Artist	Top Rap Female Artist	Top Rap Tour
Post Malone DaBaby Lil Nas X	Cardi B City Girls Megan Thee Stallion	Post Malone Drake Travis Scott
Top Country Artist	Top Country Male Artist	Top Country Female Artist
Luke Combs Kane Brown Dan + Shay Maren Morris Thomas Rhett	Luke Combs Kane Brown Thomas Rhett	Maren Morris Kacey Musgraves Carrie Underwood
Top Country Duo/Group	Top Country Tour	Top Rock Artist
Dan + Shay Florida Georgia Line Old Dominion	George Strait Eric Church Florida Georgia Line	Panic! at the Disco Imagine Dragons Tame Impala Tool Twenty One Pilots
Top Rock Tour	Top Latin Artist	Top Dance/Electronic Artist
Elton John Metallica The Rolling Stones	Bad Bunny Anuel AA J Balvin Ozuna Romeo Santos	The Chainsmokers Avicii DJ Snake Illenium Marshmello
Top Christian Artist	Top Gospel Artist	Top Billboard 200 Album
Lauren Daigle Elevation Worship For King & Country Hillsong United Kanye West	Kanye West Kirk Franklin Koryn Hawthorne Tasha Cobbs Leonard Sunday Service Choir	Billie Eilish – When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? Ariana Grande – Thank U, Next Khalid – Free Spirit Post Malone – Hollywood's Bleeding Taylor Swift - Lover
Top Soundtrack	Top R&B Album	Top Rap Album
Frozen II Aladdin Descendants 3 Melanie Martinez – K-12 Mötley Crüe – The Dirt	Khalid – Free Spirit Beyoncé – Homecoming: The Live Album Justin Bieber – Changes Chris Brown – Indigo Summer Walker – Over It	Post Malone – Hollywood's Bleeding DaBaby – Kirk Juice Wrld – Death Race for Love Roddy Ricch – Please Excuse Me for Being Antisocial Young Thug – So Much Fun
Top Country Album	Top Rock Album	Top Latin Album
Luke Combs – What You See Is What You Get Kane Brown – Experiment Maren Morris – Girl Thomas Rhett – Center Point Road Morgan Wallen – If I Know Me	Tool – Fear Inoculum The Lumineers – III Slipknot – We Are Not Your Kind Tame Impala – The Slow Rush Vampire Weekend – Father of the Bride	J Balvin & Bad Bunny – Oasis Farruko – Gangalee Maluma – 11:11 Romeo Santos – Utopía Sech – Sueños
Top Dance/Electronic Album	Top Christian Album	Top Gospel Album
Marshmello – Marshmello: Fortnite Extended Set Avicii – Tim The Chainsmokers – World War Joy Illenium – Ascend Alan Walker – Different World	Kanye West – Jesus Is King Bethel Music – Victory: Recorded Live Casting Crowns – Only Jesus Hillsong United – People Skillet – Victorious	Kanye West – Jesus Is King Kirk Franklin – Long, Live, Love Donald Lawrence & The Tri-City Singers – Goshen William McDowell – The Cry: A Live Worship Experience Sunday Service Choir – Jesus Is Born
Top Hot 100 Song	Top Streaming Song	Top Selling Song
Lil Nas X (featuring Billy Ray Cyrus) – "Old Town Road" Lewis Capaldi – "Someone You Loved" Billie Eilish – "Bad Guy" Lizzo – "Truth Hurts" Shawn Mendes & Camila Cabello – "Señorita"	Lil Nas X (featuring Billy Ray Cyrus) – "Old Town Road" Chris Brown (featuring Drake) – "No Guidance" Billie Eilish – "Bad Guy" Lil Tecca – "Ransom" Post Malone & Swae Lee – "Sunflower"	Lil Nas X (featuring Billy Ray Cyrus) – "Old Town Road" Lewis Capaldi – "Someone You Loved" Billie Eilish – "Bad Guy" Lizzo – "Truth Hurts" Blake Shelton – "God's Country"
Top Radio Song	Top Collaboration (fan-voted)	Top R&B Song
Jonas Brothers – "Sucker" Lewis Capaldi – "Someone You Loved" Khalid – "Talk" Lizzo – "Truth Hurts" Ed Sheeran & Justin Bieber – "I Don't Care"	Shawn Mendes & Camila Cabello – "Señorita" Chris Brown (featuring Drake) – "No Guidance" Lil Nas X (featuring Billy Ray Cyrus) – "Old Town Road" Post Malone & Swae Lee – "Sunflower" Ed Sheeran & Justin Bieber – "I Don't Care"	Khalid – "Talk" Chris Brown (featuring Drake) – "No Guidance" Doja Cat & Tyga – "Juicy" Lizzo – "Good as Hell" The Weeknd – "Heartless"
Top Rap Song	Top Country Song	Top Rock Song
Lil Nas X (featuring Billy Ray Cyrus) – "Old Town Road" Lil Tecca – "Ransom" Lizzo – "Truth Hurts" Post Malone & Swae Lee – "Sunflower" Post Malone – "Wow"	Dan + Shay with Justin Bieber – "10,000 Hours" Maren Morris – "The Bones" Old Dominion – "One Man Band" Blake Shelton – "God's Country" Morgan Wallen – "Whiskey Glasses"	Panic! at the Disco – "Hey Look Ma, I Made It" Imagine Dragons – "Bad Liar" Machine Gun Kelly x Yungblud x Travis Barker – "I Think I'm Okay" Twenty One Pilots – "Chlorine" Twenty One Pilots – "The Hype"
Top Latin Song	Top Dance/Electronic Song	Top Christian Song
Daddy Yankee (featuring Snow) – "Con Calma" Anuel AA, Daddy Yankee, Karol G, Ozuna & J Balvin – "China" Bad Bunny & Tainy – "Callaíta" Jhay Cortez, J Balvin, & Bad Bunny – "No Me Conoce" Sech (featuring Darell, Nicky Jam, Ozuna, Anuel AA) – "Otro Trago"	Ellie Goulding x Diplo (featuring Swae Lee) "Close to Me" Black Eyed Peas x J Balvin - "Ritmo (Bad Boys for Life)" Illenium & Jon Bellion – "Good Things Fall Apart" Kygo x Whitney Houston – "Higher Love" Marshmello (featuring Chvrches) – "Here with Me"	For King & Country – "God Only Knows" Bethel Music, Jonathan David & Melissa Helser – "Raise a Hallelujah" Casting Crowns (featuring Matthew West) – "Nobody" Lauren Daigle – "Rescue" Kanye West – "Follow God"
Top Gospel Song	Icon Award	Change Maker Award
Kanye West – "Follow God" Kirk Franklin – "Love Theory" Kanye West – "Closed on Sunday" Kanye West – "On God" Kanye West — "Selah"	Garth Brooks	Killer Mike

Presenters

Presenters were announced October 13 in a series of Twitter statements.^{[citation needed]}

• Nicole Richie - presented Top Billboard 200 Album
• Julia Michaels - presented Top Hot 100 Song
• Jharrel Jerome - presented Top Female Artist
• Jane Lynch - presented Top Country Artist
• Sheila E. - presented Top Song Sales Artist
• Keisha Bottoms – presented Change Maker Award
• Twitch - presented Top Latin Artist
• Lilly Singh - presented Top Male Artist
• Cher – presented the Icon Award
• Jay Ellis - presented Top R&B Artist
• Addison Rae - presented Billboard Chart Achievement
• Spencer X - presented Top Social Artist
• Garcelle Beauvais - presented Top Christian Artist
• Taraji P. Henson - presented Top Artist

References

1. Porter, Rick (October 15, 2020). "TV Ratings: Billboard Music Awards Slump". Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved October 20, 2020.
2. Kirsten Spruch (December 8, 2019). "The show will air live April 29 from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on NBC". Hollywood Reporter.^{[permanent dead link]}
3. "2020 Billboard Music Awards Postponed". Billboard Music Awards. March 17, 2020. Retrieved September 22, 2020.^{[permanent dead link]}
4. "The 2020 BBMAs Are Set for Wednesday, October 14". Billboard Music Awards. August 14, 2020. Retrieved September 22, 2020.^{[permanent dead link]}
5. "Nominees Announced for the 2020 Billboard Music Awards". Billboard Music Awards. September 22, 2020. Retrieved September 22, 2020.^{[permanent dead link]}
6. "Garth Brooks to Receive Icon Award at the BBMAs". Billboard Music Awards. February 26, 2020. Retrieved September 22, 2020.^{[dead link]}
7. Slater, Georgia (February 26, 2020). "Garth Brooks Will Receive the Icon Award and Perform at 2020 Billboard Music Awards". People. Retrieved September 23, 2020.
8. @BBMAs (October 12, 2020). "We are thrilled to announce that @KillerMike will be the first ever recipient of the Billboard Change Maker Award, presented by the Mayor of Atlanta @KeishaBottoms, during the 2020 #BBMAs" (Tweet). Retrieved October 12, 2020 – via Twitter.
9. Aniftos, Rania (October 1, 2020). "Voting for 2020 Billboard Music Awards' Fan-Voted Categories Begins Today on TikTok". Billboard. Retrieved October 3, 2020.^{[permanent dead link]}
10. Warner, Denise (October 16, 2020). "Watch the Performances From the 2020 Billboard Music Awards". Billboard. Retrieved October 20, 2020.
11. @BBMAs (October 12, 2020). "Experiencing #VOMO (vote or miss out)? It's not too late! Vote closes TOMORROW. Visit @tiktok_us and search #BBMAsVote to vote!" (Tweet). Retrieved October 12, 2020 – via Twitter.