News

19 Nov 2023

After the 2023 Billboard Music Awards, Who Is the All-Time Biggest Winner?

Taylor Swift and Drake both had good nights at the 2023 Billboard Music Awards on Sunday (Nov. 19). Swift won 10 awards, which brought her career total to 39. Drake won five awards, which brought his career total to – would you believe? – also 39. As a result, the two chart titans are tied for the most career wins at the BBMAs.

Swift won top artist for the third time at this year’s BBMAs, having previously won in 2013 and 2015. That ties Drake for the most wins in this category. He took that title in 2017, 2019 and 2022.

Swift won top Billboard 200 artist for a record-extending sixth time. Drake has won that award three times.

Both artists have won top Billboard 200 album twice. Swift won that award with Red in 2013 and 1989 in 2015. Drake won with Views in 2017 and Scorpion in 2019.

Swift’s 10 awards this year constitutes her best showing at the BBMAs to date. She previously won eight awards in both 2013 and 2015.

Drake’s best year at the BBMAs to date was in 2017, when he won 13 awards. He came close to that mark in 2019, when he won 12 awards. This is the second year in a row in which he has won five awards.

The two artists have been chart rivals since they debuted in the 2000s. Swift first hit the Billboard 200 in November 2006, nearly three years before Drake made his debut in October 2009.

On the Billboard 200, their stats are pretty evenly matched. Both have had 13 No. 1 albums and 16 top 10 albums. If you look at total weeks at No. 1 on that chart, Swift is far ahead: 65 weeks to 35 weeks.

On the Billboard Hot 100, Drake is ahead, with 13 No. 1 hits, compared to 11 for Swift, and 76 top 10 hits, compared to 49 for Swift. If you look at total weeks at No. 1 on that chart, Drake is way ahead: 56 weeks to 33 weeks for Swift.

Drake acknowledged Swift’s chart potency in the lyrics to “Red Button,” the opening track from his surprise Scary Hours 3 EP, which dropped on Friday (Nov. 17) as part of an expanded edition of his recent For All the Dogs album.

“Taylor Swift the only n—a that I ever rated/ Only one could make me drop the album just a little later/ Rest of y’all I treat you like you never made it/ Leave your label devastated/ Even when you pad the stats, period, I never hated,” he raps on the song.

Last year, Drake bumped the release of Her Loss, his collab album with 21 Savage, which was originally scheduled for Oct. 28, 2022, to Nov. 4, seemingly to avoid competing with the second week of Swift’s Midnights. The strategy worked: Her Loss bumped Midnights out of the No. 1 spot on the Billboard 200 – though Swift, being Swift, reclaimed the top spot the following week (and held it for six nonconsecutive weeks, compared to just that solitary week for Her Loss).

Will Swift or Drake break their tie and pull ahead at next year’s BBMAs? Stay tuned. It’s unlikely that any other artist will overtake them anytime soon. The No. 3 artist on the all-time BBMAs leaderboard is Justin Bieber with 26 wins, followed by The Weeknd with 22 and Garth Brooks with 20.

19 Nov 2023

Taylor Swift Says ‘Thank You 10 Million Times’ for 10 Wins at 2023 Billboard Music Awards

On Sunday night (Nov. 19), Taylor Swift added to her already-impressive career win total at the Billboard Music Awards with 10 brand-new wins — and she’s thanking the Swifties for making it all happen.

“Well this is unreal,” she said in her acceptance speech, shot backstage at her blockbuster Eras Tour. “The fact that you guys have given me 10 Billboard Awards — I’m talking to the fans specifically. None of this happens without you. The Billboards base everything off of what you are listening to and what you’re passionate about, and I’m so honored that this year you made The Eras Tour so magical. You went and saw the movie, you cared about my re-recordings. I just love you so much.

“I feel like the luckiest person in the world to have you in my corner and caring about the music that I make,” she concluded. “So thank you — thank you, thank you, thank you 10 million times — for this.”

Swift was the biggest female winner of the night, and second only to Morgan Wallen’s 11 wins for overall leader. But when it comes to historic wins, Swift’s 10 new prizes plus Drake’s five new prizes put the superstar artists in a tie for the all-time winningest artists at the Billboard Music Awards with 39 awards apiece.

On Sunday night, Swift was victorious in these 10 categories: top artist, top female artist, top Billboard 200 artist, top Hot 100 songwriter, top Radio Songs artist, top Song Sales artist, top Billboard Global 200 artist, top Billboard Global Excl. U.S. artist, top country female artist, and top selling song for “Anti-Hero.”

Heading into Sunday’s show — which was presented by Marriott Bonvoy — Swift was the leading finalist, with nods in 20 categories.

Swift is currently on the international leg of her Eras Tour, performing shows Sunday night and a makeup show Monday night in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, before heading across the country to São Paulo next weekend.

19 Nov 2023

Taylor Swift Accepts 10 Billboard Music Awards, Including Top Artist | Billboard Music Awards 2023

Taylor Swift accepts 10 Billboard Music Awards including the Top Artist Award during the 2023 Billboard Music Awards.

Taylor Swift:
Well, this is unreal. This is the fact, that you guys have given me ten Billboard Awards, I’m talking to the fans specifically, none of this happens without you. Billboards base everything off of what you are listening to, and what you’re passionate about and I’m so honored that this year you made the tour, the era’s tour, so magical. You went and saw the movie, you cared about my recordings. I just like, I love you so much. I feel like the luckiest person in the world to have you in my corner and caring about the music that I make. So thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you 10 million times, for this

19 Nov 2023

Morgan Wallen Is the Top Winner at 2023 Billboard Music Awards: ‘I Don’t Have Enough Hands for Them All’

Morgan Wallen was the top winner at Sunday night’s (Nov. 19) 2023 Billboard Music Awards, taking home 11 trophies.

He also performed his fan-favorite song “’98 Braves,” from One Thing at a Time, and in a nod to the song, Wallen performed — and accepted his trophies — at Atlanta’s Truist Park, home of the Atlanta Braves baseball team. The performance and acceptance speech were filmed amid Wallen’s two-night run of sold-out shows at the venue on Nov. 10-11, as part of his current One Night at a Time world tour.

Just before Wallen offered his acceptance speech, the camera zoomed in on the 11 trophies he took home this year, including top male artist, top Hot 100 artist, top streaming songs artist, top country artist, top country male artist and top country tour.

Wallen’s One Thing at a Time project, which spent 16 weeks atop the Billboard 200 this year, won for top Billboard 200 album and top country album, while his song “Last Night,” which spent 16 nonconsecutive weeks atop the Hot 100, was named top Hot 100 song, top streaming song and top country song.

The evening was made extra special, as Wallen was introduced by ’98 Braves pitchers Tom Glavine and John Smoltz.

“We may have come close in ’98, but this guy really hit it out of the park tonight,” Smoltz said.

Wallen began his acceptance speech by referencing “’98 Braves,” written by Josh Miller, John Byron and Travis Wood.

“Like the song says, ‘You win some, you lose some,’” Wallen said, going on to reference this year’s CMA Awards, where he was nominated three honors and got shut out. “The last awards show I went to, we came home empty-handed. This one, I don’t have enough hands for them all. So either way, I promise I’m gonna stay the same, whether we come home with 10 or zero. I’m gonna give y’all my all, every single night and every time I go into the studio. … All these awards are really, it’s for my fans. So thank you guys so much.”

He continued: “You took a boy from east Tennessee, driving a two-door Toyota Tacoma, and turned me into one of Billboard‘s top artists. God bless y’all.”

Morgan Wallen

Morgan Wallen at the 2023 Billboard Music Awards at Truist Park in Atlanta, Georgia. The show will air on November 19, 2023 on BBMA.watch.

Christopher Polk

19 Nov 2023

Morgan Wallen Accepts 11 Billboard Music Awards at Billboard Music Awards 2023 | Billboard Music Awards 2023

Morgan Wallen accepts the awards for Top Male Artist, Top Hot 100 Artist, Top Streaming Songs Artist, Top Country Artist, Top Country Male Artist, Top Country Tour, Top Billboard 200 Album for “One Thing At a Time,” Top Country Album for One Thing At a Time, Top Hot 100 Song for “Last Night,” Top Streaming Song for “Last Night” and Top Country Song for “Last Night” at the 2023 Billboard Music Awards Presented by Marriott Bonvoy.

John Smoltz:
We may have come close in ’98 but this guy really hit it out of the park tonight.

Tom Glavine:
Winner of 11 Billboard Music Awards, give it up for Morgan Wallen.

Morgan Wallen:
Well, you know, like the song says “win some, you lose some.” Last award show I went to we came home empty-handed and this one I don’t have enough hands for them all. Either way, I promise I’m going to stay the same regardless if we come home with ten or zero. I’m gonna give ya’ll my all every single night, every single time I go into the studio, so thank you! This award, all these awards, are really for my fans, man. Thank you guys so much. Thank you.

You took a boy from East Tennessee driving a two-door Toyota Tacoma and turned me into one of Billboard’s top artists so God bless ya’ll.

Watch the full video above!

19 Nov 2023

Morgan Wallen Scores a Home Run With ‘’98 Braves’ Performance From Atlanta Ballpark at 2023 Billboard Music Awards

Morgan Wallen was the night’s biggest winner — taking home 11 awards — during Sunday’s (Nov. 19) 2023 Billboard Music Awards, and he was the final performer of the night as well.

Instead of offering up one of his massive 2023 hits — such as “Last Night,” which dominated radio over the past year — Wallen instead paid homage to the evening’s performance venue by singing a fan favorite. Wallen performed “’98 Braves” from Atlanta’s Truist Park, home of the Atlanta Braves baseball team. The performance came during Wallen’s headlining One Night at a Time tour, which has been extended into 2024.

“’98 Braves” serves as a bittersweet tribute to Major League Baseball’s Atlanta Braves, who won 106 regular-season games in 1998 – but failed to triumph in the World Series that year. “If we were a team and love was a game/ We’d been the ’98 Braves,” Wallen sings in the chorus. “’98 Braves” debuted at No. 27 on the Billboard Hot 100 (and No. 11 on the Hot Country Songs chart) upon the release of Wallen’s One Thing at a Time album earlier this year.

The crowd was filled with Wallen fans and baseball fans, with many wearing Braves hats and shirts. Also in the audience were ’98 Braves pitchers John Smoltz and Tom Glavine, who introduced Wallen when he accepted his 11 Billboard Music Awards trophies following the performance.

Wallen was named the Billboard Music Awards’ top male artist, top Hot 100 artist, top streaming songs artist, top country artist and top country male artist, and also earned top country tour. Wallen’s One Thing at a Time album was also named top Billboard 200 album and top country album, while “Last Night” was celebrated as the top Hot 100 song, top streaming song and top country song.

The 2023 Billboard Music Awards Presented by Marriott Bonvoy took place Sunday night on BBMAs.watch and across BBMA and Billboard social channels.

19 Nov 2023

Morgan Wallen Performs ‘‘98 Braves’ | Billboard Music Awards 2023

Morgan Wallen performs “98 Braves” at the 2023 Billboard Music Awards Presented by Marriott Bonvoy, filmed at the Atlanta Braves’ home field, Truist Park, in Atlanta, in the midst of his sold-out tour. Wallen is a finalist for 17 BBMAs at this year’s show. The 2023 BBMAs feature performances from artists whose music dominated the Billboard charts between November 19, 2022, and October 21, 2023. This performance is courtesy of Billboard and Dick Clark Productions. 

Read the lyrics below and stay tuned for more Morgan Wallen news.

I remember sittin’ at that house
Livin’ room couch
Thinkin’ no way them boys wouldn’t win
Between them big three pitchers
Andruw and Chipper
It was gonna be hard to keep up with the Joneses
But as fate would have it
That Atlanta magic got put out by them damn Padres
And I guess destiny ain’t always meant to be
Kinda like you and me that day

We got close, but close doesn’t cut it
Had a good run to end up with nothin’
But a 3×5 that you hide in a drawer
We swung for the fences and came up short
Yeah, you win some, you lose some
It ain’t always home runs
And that’s just the way life plays
If we were a team and love was a game
Then we’d have been the ’98 Braves

Had that whole town believin’
Damn, girl, I even had that talk
To your dad man to man
But just like that season
Girl, you and me didn’t end with a ring on a hand

We got close but close doesn’t cut it
Had a good run to end up with nothin’
But a 3×5 that you hide in a drawer
We swung for the fences and came up short
Yeah, you win some, you lose some
It ain’t always home runs
And that’s just the way life plays
If we were a team and love was a game
Then we’d have been the ’98 Braves
’98 Braves

You win some, you lose some
It ain’t always home runs
Girl, it coulda gone either way
But if we were a team and love was a game
We’d have been the ’98 Braves
If we were a team and love was a game
We’d have been the ’98 Braves
’98 Braves
Oh yeah, girl, we’d have been the ’98 Braves
’98 Braves
We’d have been the ’98 Braves

I remember sittin’ at that house
Livin’ room couch
Thinkin’ no way them boys wouldn’t win

Lyrics licensed & provided by LyricFind

Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.

Written by: Joshua Miller, Travis Wood, John Calton

19 Nov 2023

Stray Kids Light Up the Stage With ‘S-Class’ & ‘LALALALA’ Performances at Billboard Music Awards

Stray Kids is on fire — literally. This year, the group sent its album 5-Star to No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and has become one of the hottest K-pop groups on the scene, appearing at Lollapalooza and the VMAs — and now, the 2023 Billboard Music Awards Presented by Marriott Bonvoy.

The group — which consists of members Bang Chan, Lee Know, Changbin, Hyunjin, Han, Felix, Seungmin and I.N — delivered a pyrotechnics-filled performance of singles “S-Class” and “LALALALA” for their BBMAs debut on Sunday (Nov. 19). The showcase kicked off with “S-Class,” which saw the K-pop idols wearing military-inspired ensembles as they hit the track’s viral choreography.

A few members had their chance to shine during the performance’s transition moment into “LALALALA,” with Hyunjin stepping up to the plate for an energetic solo dance break complete with a fleet of background dancers. Bang Chan hinted at the larger than life set design before expertly hitting intricate dance moves alongside Changbin and Felix, the latter of whom grabbed the camera to take the boys up to a white elevated stage, where they all continued into “LALALALA.”

Stray Kids’ performance wasn’t the only highlight of the group’s evening. The K-pop stars also took home the top K-pop album award for 5-Star. The set was up against finalists FACE by BTS’ Jimin, 2nd EP ‘Get Up’ by NewJeans, The Name Chapter: Temptation by TOMORROW X TOGETHER and Ready to Be by TWICE.

5-Star crowned the Billboard 200 in June and spent a total of 16 weeks on the chart. While accepting the award, the group made sure to thank its devoted fans, STAY, for their unwavering support throughout the years.

“We would like to thank all of our STAYs and all the Stray Kids everywhere all around the world. Without the love and support from everyone, we would probably not have made it this far, and if wasn’t for the people that have been running by our side this whole time, the music that we create would not have been able to reach the people in need,” Bang Chan said on behalf of the group. “So us, Stray Kids, would like to say thank you to STAY and Billboard for giving us an unforgettable gift. We promise to return the favor with our upcoming music, performances and love.”

Changbin delivered the rest of the group’s acceptance speech in Korean and stated that winning the award was a result of the “tremendous love that STAY has shown us.” He continued, “Thank you for loving the albums, music and performances that shows our group’s unwavering color. We have a lot in store, so please keep an eye out for us and all of the amazing things that we have ready.”

Watch Stray Kids’ performance of “S-Class” and “LALALALA” at the 2023 Billboard Music Awards Presented by Marriott Bonvoy above, as well as the group’s top K-pop album acceptance speech below.

19 Nov 2023

Stray Kids Accepts Top K-Pop Album Award for ‘5-Star’ | Billboard Music Awards 2023

Stray Kids accepts the award for Top K-Pop Album Award for 5-Star at the 2023 Billboard Music Awards Presented by Marriott Bonvoy.

Stray Kids:
Let’s do our intro, 1, 2, Step Out!

Hello everyone, we are Stray Kids. First and foremost, we would like to thank all of our STAYs and all the Stray Kids everywhere, all around the world. Without the love and support from everyone, we would probably not have made it this far. If it wasn’t for the people that have been running by our side this whole time the music that we create would not have been able to reach the people in need. So, us, Stray Kids, would like to say thank you to STAY and Billboard for giving us an unforgettable gift. We promise to return the favor with our upcoming music, performances and love. Thank you, guys. Thank you STAY!

Thank you!

STAY, thank you so much, we have received such an amazing, valuable award. It’s all thanks to the tremendous love that STAY has shown us that has allowed us to return with even better music and a better album that has enabled us to reach our fans. Thank you for loving the albums, music and performances that show our group’s unwavering color. We have a lot in store, so please keep an eye out for us and all of the amazing things we have ready.

Thank you everyone!

1, 2, Step Out! This was Stray Kids!

Watch the full video above!

19 Nov 2023

Mariah Carey’s 12-Year-Old Twins Present Her With a Special Billboard Music Award After Mom’s Festive Holiday Performance

It’s officially the holiday season, and the Queen of Christmas has defrosted.

Mariah Carey took the stage at the 2023 Billboard Music Awards on Sunday (Nov. 19) to deliver a festive performance of her holiday classic “All I Want for Christmas Is You.” Dressed in a white figure skater dress, complete with matching go-go boots and sunglasses, the legendary vocalist performed the track in the middle of an “ice-skating rink,” as her dancers on wheels glided around on the white floor surrounding her in a Debbie Allen-choreographed sequence.

The fans in the audience were chosen in a first-of-its-kind collaboration between the BBMAs and Spotify Fans First, who teamed up to identify fans who have consumed the most hours of music over the past year and helped drive their favorite artists to the top spots on the Billboard charts.

Carey was also honored with the Billboard Chart Achievement Award for the holiday classic, and the award was presented to her by her 12-year-old twins, Monroe and Moroccan.

“Billboard has been an integral part of my life for a very long time now,” Carey said in her acceptance speech. “Even though I don’t acknowledge time, I kind of have to admit that some of my most memorable times in my career are connected to Billboard and the BBMAs. One thing I really have to say that I’m really grateful for is the fact that my fans have been here with me through the hits, through the misses, the No. 1s and the Bubbling Unders.”

Mariah Carey

Mariah Carey performs at the 2023 Billboard Music Awards at Culver Studios in Culver City, California. The show will air on November 19, 2023 on BBMA.watch.

Gilbert Flores

“All I Want for Christmas Is You,” which has climbed to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 every year since 2019, has thus far spent 12 weeks at No. 1 on Billboard’s flagship chart, becoming one of three Carey hits to log 10 or more weeks in the top spot. It joins “One Sweet Day,” a collab with Boyz II Men that spent a then-record 16 weeks at No. 1 in 1995-96, and “We Belong Together,” which spent 14 weeks on top in 2005.