The Black Eyed Peas (Piya Sinha-Roy)

The awards kicked off with Rihanna’s medley of songs from her latest album, "Loud." Her performance featured snippets of several of her newest songs complete with barely-there outfits and adrenaline-pumping stage presence, although her vocals were less than average.

As predicted, teen sensation Justin Bieber nabbed the awards for TMobile’s Breakthrough Artist, Favorite Pop/Rock Male Artist, Favorite Album and, perhaps most honorably, Artist of the Year.

Bieber not only won all four awards he was nominated for, but also beat out pop sensations Lady Gaga, Ke$ha, and Katy Perry for Artist of the Year. 

He shocked audiences as well with a down-tempo, motivational performance of newest song “Pray,” following his introduction by newest sensation Willow Smith.

Taylor Swift, winner of Favorite Country Female Artist, captivated audiences with her mellow and mature performance of her own hit “Back to December” as well as portions of OneRepublic’s “Apologize.”

Black Eyed Peas received the award for Favorite Pop/Rock Band Duo and later hit the stage to perform their newest single “This Time (Dirty Bit).”

Other hit performances included Katy Perry’s empowering rendition of “Firework” complete with a children’s choir in the background.

Christina Aguilera delivered another flawless performance as she combined impeccable vocals with scandalous attire and dance moves with her performance of “Express” from the upcoming film "Burlesque."

Kid Rock, Miley Cyrus, and Pink also had newsworthy performances although my personal favorite part of the evening: New Kids on the Block AND Backstreet Boys closing the show with a medley to die for in preparation for their reunion tour set to begin next summer.

Overall, the AMAs were a night to remember complete with blasts from the past, memorable speeches, and of course, some fashion do’s and don’ts.

Reach Lauren here.
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