2022 Billboard Music Awards: The Night's Biggest Viral Moments and Winners

As award shows ratings continue to decline and people on social media question their relevancy anymore, Diddy came out and started the show by talking about how much he hates award shows -- and that's why he agreed to executive producer and host this one.

From the jump, the stage was set for an unorthodox production with a freer and looser energy than most award shows -- think the Golden Globes without all those problems! It did mean the censors had to work hard to keep up with their host, presenters and even winners.

We were dying when Megan Thee Stallion announced that they'd told her it was okay to curse, because we were starting to wonder -- certainly everyone seemed down to do it. She quickly said they hadn't said that, after all, so they just took Diddy's advice to be free straight to their hearts.

Before the show even began, a somber note was struck and a moment of silence as the BBMA and NBC shared a message of solidarity and support for the tragic deaths and victims of violence in Buffaly, NY and Laguna Woods, CA this weekend.

"All of us at the Billboard Music Awards and NBC condemn the horrific events of this weekend. These insane acts of violence in Buffalo, New York and Laguna Woods, California remind us that we have so much work to do if we are to never again be confronted by such unspeakable tragedies. Our hearts and love go out to all those affected in those communities."

It's a stark reminder that the world is sometimes all too real just outside our doors. But maybe it's okay every once in a while to step back from it and enjoy some silliness while we watch famous people win awards and perform for our entertainment.

As always, the BBMAs are filled with some incredible live performances crossing all genres, with Silk Sonic, Bryson Tiller, Jack Harlow and Rauw Alejandro among the night's earliest performers. Diddy's opener also featured him on stage with Teyana Taylor and his son Justin Combs, who dropped into a very impressive splits.

Perhaps the cross-genre brilliance that makes the BBMAs about all music was summed up best when country music artist Lainey Wilson handed Megan Thee Stallion her first trophy during the show -- it was just so beautifully awkward as Megan appeared to have no idea who she was. Lainey went in for the hug and had to settle for an awkward hand on the back. We were cringing right along with her, but loving that cross-genre energy at the same time!

The vast majority of trophies were handed out during a livestream on TikTok, leaving only half a dozen or so awards -- chosen seemingly based on who was in attendance -- for handing out during the show.

The biggest winner on the night, who did not accept an award during the telecast at all, was Olivia Rodrigo, who took home seven awards. She was followed by Kanye West, who wasn't in attendance at all, with six wins.

Doja Cat scored four awards total, and two that she actually picked up during the broadcast. Glass Animals also hit the dais twice -- and seemed absolutely flabbergasted with each award they received.

Diddy set the stage for a wild and unscripted party from the jump. After starring in a multi-artist opening hip-hop extravaganza, the host and executive producer made it clear from the top that he didn't give a f---. And he did so by giving a "f---."

He explained that he only agreed to host and executive producer the show because "I hate awards shows." He went on to say that they're "boring."

"You know why they're boring?" he asked, before answering, "Because of the people at the award shows. We're not having that in here tonight, no, no, no. We're gonna get lit in this f---!"

He went on a long tirade about how this whole evening was going to be a party and not a TV show (even though it's totally a TV show), and even insisted, "I told the producers I'm not doing anything they say. I'm not listening to any of that stuff because I'm the freest (n-word)!" The censors were quick enough to stop this one.

Diddy even addressed the elephant in the room at this and every award show over the next year with a fun little warning. "In the spirit of being free, if you’re feeling a little bit froggy … and you decide to jump on this stage tonight, I do suggest you have your affairs in order, okay?" he said, adding with a smile, "And I say that with love."

Right away, Diddy's promise that this would be more of a party than an awards show came true as City GIrls' Young Miami & JT immediately screwed up their presentation, with JT ready to announce the winner for Top R&B Artist before any nominees had been presented.

"The winner!" she shouted, before her partner could be heard saying quietly, "No." After a pause, the censors proved they were ready to be more on top of things after that f-bomb slipped through, but we could still read her lips as she said, "Oh s---!" and Yung Miami laughed.

At least things quickly got back on track and the montage of nominees was played before Doja Cat picked up the award. They would not stay on track long, though.

And while Twitter spent the better part of the night talking about it, we kind of think the less said about that wardrobe issue the better. The censors were all over any audio slip-ups tonight, but nobody caught a major visual one? Is it so hard to keep the camera at waist-up level?

Hopefully the censors had plenty of coffee and flexed their fingers because the bombs kept coming. Megan Thee Stallion dropped an epic face when she discovered that she'd won Top Female Rap Artist -- and she held it a lo-o-o-ong time.

That gave the censors plenty of time to prepare, because when she hit the stage and awkwardly had no idea what to do with this excited country artist (Lainey Wilson) trying to give her an award and a hug, she was ready to bring that "hot girl" energy to the mic.

She even gave them a false sense of security, first saying that this was "real hot girl stuff," before correcting herself and saying, "hot girl s---."

"They said we could curse," she laughed, before quickly adding, "They didn't say that." But it hadn't stopped almost everyone who'd hit the stage before her, so why should it stop her?

"When I told the people that I wasn’t gonna do what they wanted me to do, I didn’t tell them about this," Diddy said about an hour into the show, before bringing up activist Tamika Mallory to give her an award for all of her work fighting against racism and discrimination.

He told her that the show supported him in this decision, though, "because you are one of the most fearless people that I know, you fight for us on the front lines, and we just pay so much respect for you, queen. We love you."

"Just yesterday, 10 people lost their live because of a racist act," Tamika told the audience, referencing the aforementioned tragedy in Buffalo. "And while they arrested the person who did the killing, they haven't arrested the hate, they haven't arrested the harm and the pain."

She went on to urge everyone in the audience and at home to get involved in the fight for justice. "If you are not doing anything at this time, you're actually doing something by being silent," she said.

Glass Animals were stunned to win Top Rock Artist as they figured they were the least rocking among the nominees. But they were even more stunned later in the show when they picked up their second award of the broadcast -- for being so slow!

Shenseea explained that for the first time ever, the BBMAs had partnered with Pepsi to honor a Mic Drop moment. And for the first honoree, they chose a "moment" that was 59 weeks in the making. That's how long it took the band's "Heatwave" to rise to number one on the charts.

The song started at number 100 and stayed on the charts continuously from January 2021 before it reached its peak at March 2022, making it the longest sustained rise up the charts to culminate at the top.

"I think I can say that never in the history of the world has anyone been given an award for doing something the slowest, but we will take it," said Dave Bayley of what has to be the slowest mic drop in history, too.

A recipient herself of the Icon Award in 2018, the audience was stunned into silence, followed by euphoric applause, when Janet Jackson walked casually out to introduce and honor her friend, and this year's recipient, Mary J. Blige. To say it was a surprise would be an understatement.

Jackson was looking incredible, as always, and she tried to give the crowd enough time to calm down before she began speaking -- but even so, she had to stop and wait after she asked, "What makes an icon?" Clearly the answer was looking out from the stage at all of those smiling faces.

it was also Blige herself, who came up to a thunderous applause of her own and a warm hug from her friend. And Blige had a message for every generation. For the youngest among us who think viral fame can create instant legends, Blige had a reality check that it doesn't work that way. "It takes a lot of time and hard work, and a lot of surviving trial and error to achieve greatness," she explained.

She spoke about the struggles she's endured in her life, and how that informs her music. "God helped me to channel those emotions and experiences into my music," she said. She spoke, too, of being ahead of her time by decades, rising to the top of hip-hop while it was still fighting for a spot at the mainstream music table.

"I was ghetto fabulous, and I still am," she said. "And people were threatened by that. And now everyone wants to be ghetto fabulous."

Perhaps the best summary of her story and the whole story of her music came when she said. "The message of my music has always been, we are not alone in our struggles. I spent a long time looking for real love. I finally found my real love, and that real love is me."

Diddy said he was going to "un-cancel" Travis Scott by having him perform, and that's exactly what happened. Travis took to the stage with a very surreal performance of "Mafia." There was no mention of the tragedy.

It was a fully immersive, visually intense experience, with a unique camera filter being used through half the performance that almost cast Travis alone in an icy black void as his backing dances appeared briefly in flashes before fading out again.

The effect was very cool and so convincing we found ourselves wondering if it was really live -- at least until the final camera shot saw it flip over and point out at the crowd.

Earlier in the night, Morgan Wallen also performed live before later coming onstage to accept the award for Top Country Male Artist. which was presented to him by Pusha T. Considering Wallen was "canceled" for using the n-word in a social setting, it was an interesting choice of presenter.

Pusha did shake his hand when he ascended to the stage. His controversy wasn't addressed, either ... at least not on stage.

Machine Gun Kelly took the stage to perform his song "twin flame," dedicating the track to his wife Megan Fox, who he explained he wrote the song about. He also gave her a birthday shout-out. Fox's birthday is May 16.

It was a subdued performance most of the way, with gentle guitar licks and a soft vocal performance by MGK. About halfway through, before he started really rocking out, he dedicated the performance as well to his unborn child with Fox.

At the end, the camera cut to Fox, watching and looking clearly moved, from the audience.

Was there anyone more excited than this 14-year-old activist when she picked up the 2022 Change Maker Award? Mari Copeny was only nine when she first gained national attention by speaking out against the clean water crisis in Flint, Michigan. Her voice got her heard by President Obama, and then her activism expanded.

She looked radiant in bright colors with a smile beaming across her face as she came on stage to accept the award from Teyana Taylor in front of the biggest names in music. And they were standing up for her, recognizing that her years of tireless work went beyond her age. She inspires them and all of us.

She was thrilled to be the first female and youngest person ever to win the award. She was clearly nervous, having the cutest response to a simple slip-up in her speech (bigger stars have done far worse!).

Hers was a powerful speech, calling out people not taking elections seriously, and talking about government failing marginalized communities over and over again. She even got in some commentary about the likelihood of Roe v. Wade being soon overturned.

Clearly, she is knowledgeable and passionate about all the things that matter in this country, and all the things that are going against the will of the majority, and against its very own citizens.

Huge props to Diddy for putting her at ease by telling her that he messes up all the time -- and then hilariously doing just that while talking about the charter schools he'd started. "See, I do it, too," he shouted out to her.

You can check out all the winners at the 2022 Billboard Music Awards below:

ARTIST AWARDS

Top Artist
Doja Cat
WINNER: Drake
Olivia Rodrigo
Taylor Swift
The Weeknd

Top New Artist
Givēon
Masked Wolf
WINNER: Olivia Rodrigo
Pooh Shiesty
The Kid LAROI

Top Male Artist
WINNER: Drake
Ed Sheeran
Justin Bieber
Lil Nas X
The Weeknd

Top Female Artist
Adele
Doja Cat
Dua Lipa
WINNER: Olivia Rodrigo
Taylor Swift

Top Duo/Group
WINNER: BTS
Glass Animals
Imagine Dragons
Migos
Silk Sonic (Bruno Mars, Anderson .Paak)

Top Billboard 200 Artist
Adele
Drake
Juice WRLD
Morgan Wallen
WINNER: Taylor Swift

Top Hot 100 Artist
Doja Cat
Drake
Justin Bieber
WINNER: Olivia Rodrigo
The Weeknd

Top Streaming Songs Artist
Doja Cat
Drake
Lil Nas X
WINNER: Olivia Rodrigo
The Weeknd

Top Song Sales Artist
Adele
WINNER: BTS
Dua Lipa
Ed Sheeran
Walker Hayes

Top Radio Songs Artist
Doja Cat
Ed Sheeran
Justin Bieber
WINNER: Olivia Rodrigo
The Weeknd

Top Billboard Global 200 Artist (NEW)
Doja Cat
Ed Sheeran
Justin Bieber
WINNER: Olivia Rodrigo
The Weeknd

Top Billboard Global (Excl. U.S.) Artist (NEW)
BTS
Dua Lipa
WINNER: Ed Sheeran
Olivia Rodrigo
The Weeknd

Top Tour
Eagles (Hotel California Tour)
Genesis (The Last Domino? Tour)
Green Day, Fall Out Boy & Weezer (The Hella Mega Tour)
Harry Styles (Love on Tour)
WINNER: The Rolling Stones (No Filter Tour)

Top R&B Artist
WINNER: Doja Cat
Givēon
Silk Sonic (Bruno Mars, Anderson .Paak)
Summer Walker
The Weeknd

Top R&B Male Artist
Givēon
Khalid
WINNER: The Weeknd

Top R&B Female Artist
WINNER: Doja Cat
Summer Walker
SZA

Top R&B Tour
WINNER: Bruno Mars (Bruno Mars at Park MGM)
Omarion & Bow Wow (The Millennium Tour 2021)
Usher (The Vegas Residency)

Top Rap Artist
WINNER: Drake
Juice WRLD
Lil Baby
Moneybagg Yo
Polo G

Top Rap Male Artist
WINNER: Drake
Juice WRLD
Polo G

Top Rap Female Artist
Cardi B
Latto
WINNER: Megan Thee Stallion

Top Rap Tour
J. Cole (The Off-Season Tour)
Lil Baby (The Back Outside Tour)
WINNER: Omarion & Bow Wow (The Millennium Tour 2021)

Top Country Artist
Chris Stapleton
Luke Combs
Morgan Wallen
WINNER: Taylor Swift
Walker Hayes

Top Country Male Artist
Chris Stapleton
Luke Combs
WINNER: Morgan Wallen

Top Country Female Artist
Carrie Underwood
Miranda Lambert
WINNER: Taylor Swift

Top Country Duo/Group
WINNER: Dan + Shay
Florida Georgia Line
Zac Brown Band

Top Country Tour
Luke Bryan (Proud to Be Right Here Tour)
WINNER: Eric Church (Gather Again Tour)
Chris Stapleton (All-American Road Show Tour)

Top Rock Artist
WINNER: Glass Animals
Imagine Dragons
Machine Gun Kelly
Måneskin
twenty one pilots

Top Rock Tour
Genesis (The Last Domino? Tour)
Green Day, Fall Out Boy & Weezer (The Hella Mega Tour)
WINNER: The Rolling Stones (No Filter Tour)

Top Latin Artist
WINNER: Bad Bunny
Farruko
Kali Uchis
Karol G
Rauw Alejandro

Top Latin Male Artist
WINNER: Bad Bunny
Farruko
Rauw Alejandro

Top Latin Female Artist
WINNER: Kali Uchis
Karol G
Rosalía

Top Latin Duo/Group
Calibre 50
WINNER: Eslabon Armado
Grupo Firme

Top Latin Tour
Bad Bunny (El Último Tour Del Mundo)
Enrique Iglesias & Ricky Martin (Live in Concert)
WINNER: Los Bukis (Una Historia Cantada Tour)

Top Dance/Electronic Artist
Calvin Harris
David Guetta
WINNER: Lady Gaga
Marshmello
Tiësto

Top Christian Artist
Carrie Underwood
Elevation Worship
for King & Country
Lauren Daigle
WINNER: Ye

Top Gospel Artist
CeCe Winans
Elevation Worship
Kirk Franklin
Maverick City Music
WINNER: Ye

ALBUM AWARDS

Top Billboard 200 Album
Adele, 30
Doja Cat, Planet Her
Drake, Certified Lover Boy
Morgan Wallen, Dangerous: The Double Album
WINNER: Olivia Rodrigo, SOUR

Top Soundtrack
Arcane League of Legends
WINNER: Encanto
In The Heights
Sing 2
tick, tick…BOOM!

Top R&B Album
WINNER: Doja Cat, Planet Her
Givēon, When It’s All Said and Done…Take Time
Silk Sonic (Bruno Mars, Anderson .Paak), An Evening With Silk Sonic
Summer Walker, Still Over It
The Weeknd, Dawn FM

Top Rap Album
WINNER: Drake, Certified Lover Boy
Moneybagg Yo, A Gangsta’s Pain
Rod Wave, SoulFly
The Kid LAROI, F*ck Love
Ye, Donda

Top Country Album
Florida Georgia Line, Life Rolls On
Lee Brice, Hey World
Taylor Swift, Fearless (Taylor’s Version)
WINNER: Taylor Swift, Red (Taylor’s Version)
Walker Hayes, Country Stuff: The Album

Top Rock Album
AJR, OK Orchestra
Coldplay, Music of the Spheres
Imagine Dragons, Mercury – Act 1
John Mayer, Sob Rock
WINNER: twenty one pilots, Scaled and Icy

Top Latin Album
Eslabon Armado, Corta Venas
J Balvin, Jose
Kali Uchis, Sin Miedo (del Amor y Otros Demonios) ∞
WINNER: Karol G, KG0516
Rauw Alejandro, Vice Versa

Top Dance/Electronic Album
C418, Minecraft – Volume Alpha
FKA twigs, Caprisongs
WINNER: Illenium, Fallen Embers
Porter Robinson, Nurture
Rüfüs Du Sol, Surrender

Top Christian Album
Carrie Underwood, My Savior
CeCe Winans, Believe for It
Elevation Worship & Maverick City Music, Old Church Basement
Phil Wickham, Hymn of Heaven
WINNER - Ye, Donda

Top Gospel Album
CeCe Winans, Believe for It
Elevation Worship & Maverick City Music, Old Church Basement
Maverick City Music, Jubilee: Juneteenth Edition
Maverick City Music & Upperroom, move your heart.
WINNER: Ye, Donda

SONG AWARDS

Top Hot 100 Song
Doja Cat ft. SZA, “Kiss Me More”
Dua Lipa, “Levitating”
Olivia Rodrigo, “good 4 u”
WINNER: The Kid LAROI & Justin Bieber, “Stay”
The Weeknd & Ariana Grande, “Save Your Tears”

Top Streaming Song
Dua Lipa, “Levitating”
Glass Animals, “Heat Waves”
Olivia Rodrigo, “good 4 u”
WINNER: The Kid LAROI & Justin Bieber, “Stay”
The Weeknd & Ariana Grande, “Save Your Tears”

Top Selling Song
WINNER: BTS, “Butter”
BTS, “Permission to Dance”
Dua Lipa, “Levitating”
Ed Sheeran, “Bad Habits”
Walker Hayes, “Fancy Like”

Top Radio Song
WINNER: Dua Lipa, “Levitating”
Ed Sheeran, “Bad Habits”
Olivia Rodrigo, “good 4 u”
The Kid LAROI & Justin Bieber, “Stay”
The Weeknd & Ariana Grande, “Save Your Tears”

Top Collaboration
Doja Cat ft. SZA, “Kiss Me More”
Justin Bieber ft. Daniel Caesar & GIVĒON, “Peaches”
Lil Nas X ft. Jack Harlow, “Industry Baby”
WINNER: The Kid LAROI & Justin Bieber, “Stay”
The Weeknd & Ariana Grande, “Save Your Tears”

Top Billboard Global 200 Song (NEW)
Dua Lipa, “Levitating”
Ed Sheeran, “Bad Habits”
Olivia Rodrigo, “good 4 u”
WINNER: The Kid LAROI & Justin Bieber, “Stay”
The Weeknd & Ariana Grande, “Save Your Tears”

Top Billboard Global (Excl. U.S.) Song (NEW)
BTS, “Butter”
Ed Sheeran, “Bad Habits”
Lil Nas X, “Montero (Call Me by Your Name)”
WINNER: The Kid LAROI & Justin Bieber, “Stay”
The Weeknd & Ariana Grande, “Save Your Tears”

Top Viral Song (NEW)
WINNER: Doja Cat ft. SZA, “Kiss Me More”
Gayle, “abcdefu”
Glass Animals, “Heat Waves”
Masked Wolf, “Astronaut In The Ocean”
Walker Hayes, “Fancy Like”

Top R&B Song
Doja Cat & The Weeknd, “You Right”
Givēon, “Heartbreak Anniversary”
Justin Bieber ft. Daniel Caesar & Givēon, “Peaches”
WINNER: Silk Sonic (Bruno Mars, Anderson .Paak), “Leave The Door Open”
WizKid ft. Justin Bieber & Tems, “Essence”

Top Rap Song
Drake ft. 21 Savage, Project Pat, “Knife Talk”
Drake ft. Future & Young Thug, “Way 2 Sexy”
WINNER: Lil Nas X ft. Jack Harlow, “Industry Baby”
Masked Wolf, “Astronaut In The Ocean”
Polo G, “Rapstar”

Top Country Song
Chris Stapleton, “You Should Probably Leave”
Jason Aldean & Carrie Underwood, “If I Didn’t Love You”
Jordan Davis ft. Luke Bryan, “Buy Dirt”
Luke Combs, “Forever After All”
WINNER: Walker Hayes, “Fancy Like”

Top Rock Song
Coldplay X BTS, “My Universe”
Elle King & Miranda Lambert, “Drunk (And I Don’t Wanna Go Home)”
Imagine Dragons, “Follow You”
WINNER: Måneskin, “Beggin’”
The Anxiety: Willow & Tyler Cole, “Meet Me at Our Spot”

Top Latin Song
Aventura x Bad Bunny, “Volví”
Bad Bunny, “Yonaguni”
Farruko, “Pepas”
WINNER: Kali Uchis, “telepatía”
Rauw Alejandro, “Todo De Ti”

Top Dance/Electronic Song
WINNER: Elton John & Dua Lipa, “Cold Heart – PNAU Remix”
Farruko, “Pepas”
Regard x Troye Sivan x Tate McRae, “You”
Tiësto, “The Business”
Travis Scott & HVME, “Goosebumps”

Top Christian Song
Anne Wilson, “My Jesus”
WINNER: Ye, “Hurricane”
Ye, “Moon”
Ye, “Off The Grid”
Ye, “Praise God”

Top Gospel Song
Elevation Worship & Maverick City Music ft. Chandler Moore & Naomi Raine, “Jireh”
WINNER: Ye, “Hurricane”
Ye, “Moon”
Ye, “Off the Grid”
Ye, “Praise God”