Skip to content

Drake dominates, Cher reflects at Billboard Music Awards

Drake dominates, Cher reflects at Billboard Music Awards
web1_170522-RDA-M-170523-RDA-ENT-Drake-Billboard-awards
Drake kisses presenter Kate Beckinsale’s hand as he walks on stage to accepts the award for top male artist at the Billboard Music Awards at the T-Mobile Arena on Sunday, May 21, 2017, in Las Vegas. (Photo by Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP)

Drake dominates, Cher reflects at Billboard Music Awards

Drake was a high roller in Las Vegas, beating Adele’s record for most wins at the Billboard Music Awards. Cher and Celine Dion each reflected on their own iconic careers and amazing songs on Sunday night’s awards show, while a moment of silence was held for rocker Chris Cornell, who died Thursday in Detroit. Miley Cyrus delivered an emotional, but low-key performance and Vanessa Hudgens shined as co-host.

These are the top moments from the awards show.

DRAKE’S LUCKY 13

The rapper broke Adele’s record with 13 wins for the night as well as an eye-catching performance in the middle of famous Fountains of Bellagio. With the streams of water and fireworks timed to his song, Gyalchester, the Canadian rapper danced around a platform in the water.

He already had 10 awards by the time the show began, but made sure to give a shout out during his acceptance speeches to his friends in the audience including Nicki Minaj, co-host Ludacris and Lil Wayne. The Chainsmokers, who tied Drake with 22 nominations, won four awards, while other top winners, Beyonce and twenty one pilots, both won five each, but did not attend.

ICONIC CHER

When Cher got up to accept her Icon Award, she wasn’t afraid to do a little bragging. The singer and actress noted that she had been lucky to have a dream career for more than five decades, and at the age of 71, she said she can still hold a plank for five minutes.

She certainly showed off that athletic bod in a revealing outfit with pasties and a blonde wig as she performed her ’90s dance hit Believe, then changed into a teased up curly black mane and leather jacket for her performance of If I Could Turn Back Time.

She noted she was told early on that she never was the most beautiful or the most talented, but she was special and added that “luck has so much to do with my success with a little bit of something thrown in.”

HARD GOODBYE

Rock fans were stunned to learn about the death of rocker Chris Cornell, who was found dead Thursday in his hotel room in Detroit. The lead singer of Soundgarden and Audioslave and leader of the Seattle grunge movement was honoured with a moment of silence during the awards show, which was a shorter than expected tribute to the 52-year-old singer and songwriter.

However, Dan Reynolds of Imagine Dragons summed up his career succinctly, noting he was “a true innovator,” ”a musical architect,” ”a prolific songwriting” and “a legendary performer.”

TITANIC PERFORMANCE

Two decades after a movie and a song captivated the country, Celine Dion revisited her iconic hit My Heart Will Go On, with the same passion as ever.

The Canadian singer returned to celebrate the Oscar-winning song 20 years after it topped the charts as the theme to the blockbuster Titanic.

Under a glittering chandelier and dressed in a Met-worthy white gown, Dion wowed the audience with her performance and earned one of the biggest cheers of the night.