2011 Billboard Music Awards


The 2011 Billboard Music Awards were held May 22, 2011 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada and hosted by Ken Jeong. The awards recognized the most popular artists and albums from 2010.

Performances

Winners and nominees

Winners are listed in bold.
Top ArtistTop New Artist

  • Eminem
  • *Justin Bieber
  • *Lady Gaga
  • *Rihanna
  • *Taylor Swift
  • Justin Bieber
  • *Taio Cruz
  • *Ke$ha
  • *Bruno Mars
  • *Nicki Minaj
    • Top Male ArtistTop Female Artist
  • Eminem
  • *Justin Bieber
  • *Drake
  • *Bruno Mars
  • *Usher
  • Rihanna
  • *Ke$ha
  • *Lady Gaga
  • *Katy Perry
  • *Taylor Swift
    • Top Duo/GroupTop Billboard 200 Artist
  • The Black Eyed Peas
  • *Bon Jovi
  • *Lady Antebellum
  • *Linkin Park
  • *U2
  • Taylor Swift
  • *Justin Bieber
  • *Susan Boyle
  • *Eminem
  • *Lady Antebellum
    • Top Billboard 200 AlbumTop Hot 100 Artist
  • Recovery – Eminem
  • *My World 2.0 – Justin Bieber
  • *The Gift – Susan Boyle
  • *Need You Now – Lady Antebellum
  • *Speak Now – Taylor Swift
  • Katy Perry
  • *Ke$ha
  • *Bruno Mars
  • *Rihanna
  • *Usher
    • Top Hot 100 SongTop Touring Artist
  • "Dynamite" – Taio Cruz
  • *"Love the Way You Lie" – Eminem featuring Rihanna
  • *"Just the Way You Are" – Bruno Mars
  • *"California Gurls" – Katy Perry featuring Snoop Dogg
  • *"OMG" – Usher featuring will.i.am
  • U2
  • *Bon Jovi
  • *Michael Bublé
  • *Lady Gaga
  • *Roger Waters
    • Top Digital Songs ArtistTop Digital Song
  • Katy Perry
  • *Eminem
  • *Ke$ha
  • *Bruno Mars
  • *Rihanna
  • "Dynamite" – Taio Cruz
  • *"Airplanes" – B.o.B. featuring Hayley Williams
  • *"Love the Way You Lie" – Eminem featuring Rihanna
  • *"Just the Way You Are" – Bruno Mars
  • *"California Gurls" – Katy Perry featuring Snoop Dogg
    • Top Radio Songs ArtistTop Radio Song
  • Rihanna
  • *Drake
  • *Bruno Mars
  • *Katy Perry
  • *Usher
  • "Just the Way You Are" – Bruno Mars
  • *"Dynamite" – Taio Cruz
  • *"Love the Way You Lie" – Eminem featuring Rihanna
  • *"DJ Got Us Fallin' in Love" – Usher featuring Pitbull
  • *"OMG" – Usher featuring will.i.am
    • Top Streaming ArtistTop Streaming Song
  • Justin Bieber
  • *Eminem
  • *Lady Gaga
  • *Rihanna
  • *Shakira
  • "Just a Dream" – Nelly
  • *"Dynamite" – Taio Cruz
  • *"Love the Way You Lie" – Eminem featuring Rihanna
  • *"Need You Now" – Lady Antebellum
  • *"Just the Way You Are" – Bruno Mars
    • Top Streaming Song Top Digital Media Artist
  • "Baby" – Justin Bieber featuring Ludacris
  • *"Not Afraid" – Eminem
  • *"Love the Way You Lie" – Eminem featuring Rihanna
  • *"Bad Romance" – Lady Gaga
  • *"Waka Waka " – Shakira featuring Freshlyground
  • Justin Bieber
  • *Akon
  • *Eminem
  • *Lady Gaga
  • *Rihanna
    • Top Pop ArtistTop Pop Album
  • Lady Gaga
  • *Justin Bieber
  • *The Black Eyed Peas
  • *Ke$ha
  • *Katy Perry
  • My World 2.0 – Justin Bieber
  • *The E.N.D. – The Black Eyed Peas
  • *Animal – Ke$ha
  • *The Fame – Lady Gaga
  • *Teenage Dream – Katy Perry
    • Top Pop SongTop R&B Artist
  • "Dynamite" – Taio Cruz
  • *"Just the Way You Are" – Bruno Mars
  • *"California Gurls" – Katy Perry featuring Snoop Dogg
  • *"Firework" – Katy Perry
  • *"Teenage Dream" – Katy Perry
  • Usher
  • *Alicia Keys
  • *Monica
  • *Rihanna
  • *Trey Songz
    • Top R&B AlbumTop R&B Song
  • Raymond v. Raymond – Usher
  • *Still Standing – Monica
  • *Loud – Rihanna
  • *Soldier of Love – Sade
  • *Passion, Pain & Pleasure – Trey Songz
  • "OMG" – Usher featuring will.i.am
  • *"Unthinkable " – Alicia Keys
  • *"What's My Name" – Rihanna featuring Drake
  • *"Bottoms Up" – Trey Songz featuring Nicki Minaj
  • *"There Goes My Baby" – Usher
    • Top Rap ArtistTop Rap Album
  • Eminem
  • *Drake
  • *Lil Wayne
  • *Ludacris
  • *Nicki Minaj
  • Recovery – Eminem
  • *Thank Me Later – Drake
  • *Pink Friday – Nicki Minaj
  • *I Am Not a Human Being – Lil Wayne
  • *My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy – Kanye West
    • Top Rap SongTop Country Artist
  • "Love the Way You Lie" – Eminem featuring Rihanna
  • *"Airplanes" – B.o.B. featuring Hayley Williams
  • *"Nothin' on You" – B.o.B. featuring Bruno Mars
  • *"Just a Dream" – Nelly
  • *"Like a G6" - Far*East Movement featuring Dev & The Cataracs
  • Taylor Swift
  • *Jason Aldean
  • *Kenny Chesney
  • *Lady Antebellum
  • *Zac Brown Band
    • Top Country AlbumTop Country Song
  • Speak Now – Taylor Swift
  • *My Kinda Party – Jason Aldean
  • *Need You Now – Lady Antebellum
  • *The Incredible Machine – Sugarland
  • *The Foundation – Zac Brown Band
  • "Need You Now" – Lady Antebellum
  • *"If I Die Young" – The Band Perry
  • *"The House That Built Me" – Miranda Lambert
  • *"Stuck Like Glue" – Sugarland
  • *"Mine" – Taylor Swift
    • Top Rock ArtistTop Rock Album
  • Train
  • *Kings of Leon
  • *Linkin Park
  • *Mumford & Sons
  • *Muse
  • Sigh No More – Mumford & Sons
  • *Brothers – The Black Keys
  • *To the Sea – Jack Johnson
  • *Born Free – Kid Rock
  • *A Thousand Suns – Linkin Park
    • Top Rock SongTop Latin Artist
  • "Hey, Soul Sister" – Train
  • *"Someone like You" – The Dirty Heads featuring Rome
  • *"Dog Days Are Over" – Florence + The Machine
  • *"Little Lion Man" – Mumford & Sons
  • *"Animal" – Neon Trees
  • Shakira
  • *Enrique Iglesias
  • *Pitbull
  • *Prince Royce
  • *Wisin & Yandel
    • Top Latin AlbumTop Latin Song
  • Euphoria – Enrique Iglesias
  • *Iconos – Marc Anthony
  • *Dejarte de Amar – Camila
  • *Prince Royce – Prince Royce
  • *Sale el Sol – Shakira
  • "Waka Waka " – Shakira featuring Freshlyground
  • *"Cuando Me Enamoro" – Enrique Iglesias featuring Juan Luis Guerra
  • *"Bon Bon" – Pitbull
  • *"Gypsy" – Shakira
  • *"Loca" – Shakira featuring El Cata
    • Top Dance ArtistTop Dance Album
  • Lady Gaga
  • *The Black Eyed Peas
  • *David Guetta
  • *Rihanna
  • *La Roux
  • The Fame – Lady Gaga
  • *' – Daft Punk
  • *The Fame Monster – Lady Gaga
  • *The Remix – Lady Gaga
  • *Ocean Eyes – Owl City
    • Top Dance SongTop Alternative Artist
  • "Stereo Love" – Edward Maya & Vika Jigulina
  • *"Bad Romance" – Lady Gaga
  • *"Telephone " – Lady Gaga featuring Beyoncé
  • *"Bulletproof" – La Roux
  • *"We No Speak Americano" – Yolanda Be Cool & Dcup
  • Mumford & Sons
  • *The Black Keys
  • *Kings of Leon
  • *Linkin Park
  • *Muse
    • Top Alternative AlbumTop Alternative Song
  • Sigh No More – Mumford & Sons
  • *Brothers – The Black Keys
  • *To the Sea – Jack Johnson
  • *Come Around Sundown – Kings of Leon
  • *A Thousand Suns – Linkin Park
  • "Animal" – Neon Trees
  • *"Dog Days Are Over" – Florence + The Machine
  • *"Waiting for the End" – Linkin Park
  • *"The Cave" – Mumford & Sons
  • *"Little Lion Man" – Mumford & Sons
    • Top Christian ArtistTop Christian Album
  • Chris Tomlin
  • *Casting Crowns
  • *MercyMe
  • *Skillet
  • *tobyMac
  • Awake – Skillet
  • *The Generous Mr. Lovewell – MercyMe
  • *Tonight – tobyMac
  • *And If Our God Is for Us – Laura Story
  • *WOW Hits 2011 – Various Artists
    • Top Christian SongTop Social Artist
  • "Our God" – Chris Tomlin
  • *"Live Like We're Dying" – Kris Allen
  • *"All of Creation" – MercyMe
  • *"Lead Me" – Sanctus Real
  • *"Get Back Up" – tobyMac
  • Justin Bieber'
  • *Akon
  • *Eminem
  • *Lady Gaga
  • *Rihanna
    • Icon AwardMillennium Award
    Neil DiamondBeyoncé
    Billboard.com'' Fan FavoriteViral Innovator of the Year
    Justin BieberCee Lo Green

    Artists with multiple wins and nominations

    NominationsArtist
    18Rihanna
    17Eminem
    15Lady Gaga
    11Justin Bieber
    11Bruno Mars
    11Katy Perry
    10Usher
    7Taio Cruz
    7Lady Antebellum
    7Mumford & Sons
    7Shakira
    7Taylor Swift
    6Ke$ha
    6Linkin Park
    5Drake
    4The Black Eyed Peas
    4Nicki Minaj
    3B.o.B.
    3The Black Keys
    3Enrique Iglesias
    3Kings of Leon
    3Mercy Me
    3Pitbull
    3Snoop Dogg
    3tobyMac
    3Trey Songz
    3will.i.am
    2Akon
    2Jason Aldean
    2Bon Jovi
    2Susan Boyle
    2Florence + The Machine
    2Freshlyground
    2Jack Johnson
    2Alicia Keys
    2Lil Wayne
    2Ludacris
    2Monica
    2Muse
    2Nelly
    2Neon Trees
    2Prince Royce
    2La Roux
    2Skillet
    2Sugarland
    2Chris Tomlin
    2Train
    2U2
    2Hayley Williams
    2Zac Brown Band

    WinsArtist
    6Justin Bieber
    6Eminem
    4Taio Cruz
    3Lady Gaga
    3Mumford & Sons
    3Rihanna
    3Taylor Swift
    3Usher
    2Katy Perry
    2Shakira
    2Chris Tomlin
    2Train

    Critical reception and controversy

    Overall, critics praised the performances in whole. Critics, however, noted Beyoncé as the standout performer of the night. However, some controversy was generated from the show. The Parents Television Council criticized Rihanna and Britney Spears's Performance of S&M, calling it "explicit", with PTC president saying "I cannot imagine what would possibly lead the ABC television network to air a profanity-laced, S&M sex show on primetime broadcast television", while criticizing the choice to air the performance first, on what they claim is a normally family targeted time slot.