The American Music Awards show on Sunday night was packed with a steady stream of steamy live performances, but the group who came away with the coveted Artist of the Year trophy was One Direction.
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Other big winners of the night included American rapper Nicki Minaj and Canadian R&B act The Weeknd, who swept their respective categories after winning both favorite artist and favorite album awards. When she took to stage to accept her award for best Hip Hop/Rap album she said, “Please find your voice and find your goal before it’s too late”.
Jennifer Lopez danced and sang to kick off the evening.
Louis Tomlinson and Niall Horan thanked their “incredible” fans on the behalf of their other band members and four looked really obliged to be honoured.
Swift was deemed Best Artist Adult Contemporary, while her CD 1989 won for Best Album Pop/Rock and her hit “Blank Space” was voted Song of the Year.
Demi Lovato performs at the American Music Awards at the Microsoft Theater on Sunday, November 22, 2015, in Los Angeles.
Collaboration of the Year went to Skrillex & Diplo Featuring Justin Bieber for “Where Are Ü Now”, while Sam Hunt was named New Artist of the Year.
Charlie Puth, who locked lips with Meghan Trainor for an extended kiss onstage, said he happened to be near the site of the Paris attacks a few weeks before they happened and felt his heart break at the news.
One Direction, who will also hit the stage, is nominated for artist of the year, pitting the group against Grande, Bryan, Minaj and Taylor Swift.
Celine Dion then sang Edith Piaf’s Hymne a L’Amour against a backdrop of Parisian landmarks.
He recalled an impromptu show his band had performed at the Bataclan in Paris, the scene of one of the terrorist attacks 10 days ago.
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Reading out a “thank you” list, she praised arranger and producer Alana Da Fonseca and music director and vocal producer Deke Sharon, adding “you only made me want to kill myself three times”. Following a new clip from Star Wars: The Force Awakens, set to premiere in the United States this December, Pentatonix performed excerpts from the Star Wars soundtrack, composed by John Williams.
