Another day, another domination for Taylor Swift: She was the red hot winner at the Billboard Music Awards.
Swift won eight of 11 awards, including top artist and top Billboard 200 album for “Red.” She told the crowd: “You are the longest and best relationship I ever had.”
She also had a colorful performance of her hit “22″ — starting backstage and working her way to the main stage on the back of a bike with help from a dozen background dancers and a flurry of red balloons.
Justin Bieber also performed — twice — and was also a multiple winner with three awards, including top male artist, social artist and the fan-voted milestone award, beating out Swift and Bruno Mars. When accepting the latter — where boos were heard — he alluded to the tumultuous weeks he’s had in the public eye.
“I’m 19 years old; I think I’m doing a pretty good job. And basically from my heart I really just want to say it should really be about the music, it should be about the craft that I’m making. This is not a gimmick,” he said. “I’m an artist and I should be taken seriously and all this other bull should not be spoken.”
Bieber performed with will.i.am and solo when he sang “Take You” in leather pants, a leather vest and a black shirt that had one sleeve, as blue laser lights beamed.
Miguel, too, had a show-stopping performance, though he seemed to kick a fan when he jumped over the crowd while singing his hit “Adorn.” The R&B singer seemed to have landed part of his body on one woman, who walked away, and kicked another, who held her head low.
Maroon 5 and fun. were also nominated for 11 awards and walked away with one win each in pre-telecast announcements. Gotye and Rihanna had the second-most wins with four awards each.
But the awards show, airing live from MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on ABC, is less about the trophies — which reflect success on the Billboard charts — and more about the performances. Selena Gomez sang her seductive new hit, “Come & Get It,” while Chris Brown danced around the stage to his latest single, “Fine China,” though his voice began to crack during the performance. Duo Macklemore & Ryan Lewis also performed their massive hit, “Thrift Shop,” which won top rap song.
“First and foremost, gotta thank Goodwill, gotta thank Value Village,” Macklemore said to laughs.
Mars and his band kicked off the show in silky red suits that matched their silky dance moves, with bright gold disco balls hanging above them during a performance of the upbeat and old-school flavored “Treasure.”
Nicki Minaj won the first award in the live telecast for top rap artist, beating out Drake, Flo Rida, Pitbull and Psy.
“I definitely did not expect this one,” she said, wearing a bright red dress.
She performed “High School” with Lil Wayne and gave the rapper a provocative lap dance onstage.
Prince, who received the icon award, closed the awards show with a melody of his jams in a turquoise and purple ensemble. He sang, dance and rocked on the guitar.
Madonna won top touring artist, dance artist and dance album for “MDNA.”
“Thank you for supporting me for three decades. Without you I truly wouldn’t be here,” she said.
Pitbull made two appearances, one with Jennifer Lopez and another with Christina Aguilera. His hit with Aguilera, “Feel This Moment,” samples A-Ha’s “Take On Me” and Morten Harket came out to sing a line from the song.
Comedian-actor Tracy Morgan was the show’s host, and he dressed as Psy in a bright yellow suit when the rapper-singer was onstage to present an award. They had a dance battle to Psy’s new single, “Gentleman.”
Diet Coke and Taylor are partnering with Target for their Young Designers Challenge – you have until May 31st to enter HERE. The winner will receive a monetary prize along with having their shirt in Target stores this fall!
Taylor was interviewed by Fifi and Jules about her upcoming Australian and New Zealand tour. Their DJ Byron came to Club Red to chat with Taylor about Meredith, the tour, and her love for Hanson.
A promo for the New Girl season finale guest starring Taylor has been released! She stars as Elaine and will be attending a wedding. You can check out the video below:
Check out the music video for Tim McGraw and Taylor Swift’s ‘Highway Don’t Care’. Also, check out some behind-the-scenes footage below.
TAYLOR Swift is set to become the first female act since Madonna to play stadium shows in Australia.
The country/pop superstar will tour stadiums in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth this December, playing to around 180,000 Australian fans in just ten days.
It is the biggest Australian tour by a solo female performer since Madonna’s 1993 visit.
Swift’s meteoric rise in popularity in Australia has seen her accelerate from club shows in 2009 playing to around 1000 people to stadium venues of up to 50,000 fans just four years later.
Swift’s four albums have sold over one million units in Australia since 2008.
“It’s a sign of the achievements of Taylor Swift and the loyal fanbase she’s built up that she will be the first woman to play stadiums nationally here since Madonna,” promoter Michael Gudinski said yesterday.
Swift was thrilled with the news.
“That’s mindblowing and a real honour,” the singer, 23, said.
“One of my favorite things about the connection between myself and the fans on this tour is that it’s a very emotional one,” Swift said.
“They’re there because they’ve felt the same things I’m singing about at one point in their lives. They’re singing all the words. When you look out at a sea of people in a stadium and 60,000 people are singing back to you it’s an incredible connection.”
Australia is the first territory outside of the US where Swift will play stadiums as part of her Red tour.
“In order to get Taylor to Australia with her commitments around the world she’s playing stadiums, but this show has been built for stadiums,” Gudinski said.
“It’s an enormous production. But Taylor and her people have insisted on the ticket price being very reasonable.
“Apart from some VIP packages the ticket prices are around the same as her last arena tour here. A lot of artists have a say in their ticket prices and Taylor is one of them.
“The amount of love she gives to her fans, and what she gets back from them, is quite unique. The respect and communication between her and her audience comes from the fact she’s so brave and open in her lyrics.”
Tickets will range from around $85 to around $150, with the pricing of VIP moshpit packages yet to be confirmed.
Due to Swift’s young fanbase, Frontier will put seating on the ground at each concert.
Swift’s US tour, with collaborator Ed Sheeran as opening act, will wind up in late September.
The country star will take a break while the production is shipped from the US in time for a show in Auckland on November 29.
Swift then plays Sydney’s Allianz Stadium on December 4, Brisbane’s Suncorp Stadium on December 7, Perth’s NIB Stadium December 11 and Etihad Stadium in Melbourne on December 14.
Tickets go on sale 9am on May 21, with a presale beginning on May 14.
Swift’s latest album Red has sold over six million copies worldwide since its release last year, spawning the crossover hits We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together, I Knew You Were Trouble and 22. Her next single, Everything Has Changed, is a duet with Ed Sheeran.
Swift will celebrate her 24th birthday – on December 13 – during her Australian visit.
I’ve added 69HQ’s of Taylor at the Met Gala a couple of nights ago. Check them out in the gallery:
I’ve added some HQ candids of Taylor at the gym on the 28th of April. Enjoy!
There are many signs summer is on the way – warmer weather, leaves on the trees and crazy people wearing next to no clothes when the temperature increases a tiny amount.
But in celeb land it’s time to get excited about the best season of the year when it’s revealed which amazing stars will perform at the Capital FM Summertime Ball.
Buy Capital FM Summertime Ball tickets now with Mirror Tickets
So prepare to let out loud ear-destroying screams of delight because an announcement has been made and the legendary Robbie Williams and Taylor Swift are in the line-up.
Former Take That star Robbie will take to the Summertime Ball stage at Wembley Stadium in June with Harry Styles’ ex Taylor making her first UK appearance of the year at the event.
The show will be hosted by Justin Trousersnake Timberlake who will keep the crowd of 80,000 music lovers entertained.
Other acts set to perform include will.i.am, Jessie J, Lawson, The Saturdays, Ellie Goulding, Labrinth, Olly Murs and The Wanted.
Hopefully the sicko that is The Wanted’s Nathan Sykes will have recovered following his voice-saving throat surgery and will be well enough to sing by then.
Fans of The Voice are also in luck as two stars from the show will also be performing at the massive concert which is set to be bigger than any of its previous years.
More acts are to be announced in due course and tickets for the show, which is on June 9, go on sale on Friday 26 April.
Taylor has been nominated for ELEVEN 2013 Billboard Music Awards including Top Artist and Top Country Album! She is also a finalist for the fan voted Billboard Milestone Award – vote now HERE. Congratulations to Taylor!