Eminem, Justin Bieber scoop Billboard Music Awards

With Eminem absent, Bieber helped advance the way on date beside some of pop's better accepted stars at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, appearance the music magazine's efforts to animate what was already an anniversary accident afterward a four-year hiatus.

Sporting his now short, annoying beard and a sparkling gold cape jacket, Bieber exhausted accompanist Bruno Mars and rapper Nicki Minaj for best fresh artisan and marvelled to the audience, "I'm 17 ... every day is crazy to me because I see so abounding bodies and I get to accomplish so abounding bodies smile."

The Canadian pop star, who has acquired a huge afterward of "Beliebers" through YouTube and amusing media websites, additionally won awards for top pop album, alive artisan and song, as able-bodied as amusing and agenda media artist. He thanked "everybody who helped me get out of my home boondocks and alive my dream."

Detroit built-in Eminem, who appear the analytical and bartering success "Recovery" aftermost year, including the hit distinct "Love The Way You Lie" featuring accompanist Rihanna, won awards for top macho artist, advance 200 album, rap artist, rap song and rap album.

Rihanna, 23, kicked off the appearance with a achievement of "S&M" from her 2010 fifth flat anthology "Loud," and was abutting on date by Britney Spears afore activity on to win three awards including top changeable and top radio artisan of the year.

She thanked her better fan devotees, who alarm themselves the Rihanna navy, and hailed her built-in Barbados. The aftermost Advance artisan of the year was Rihanna's above admirer Chris Brown, who pleaded accusable to assaulting her in 2009 and did not appear the awards.

Katy Perry won awards for top hot 100 artisan and top agenda songs, while British singer-songwriter Taio Cruz won the top hot 100 song of the year for his hit, "Dynamite."

"Need You Now," by Lady Antebellum won country song of the year. The appellation clue from their additional anthology alien the accumulation from Nashville, Tennessee to audiences common and is now the most-downloaded country song ever, according to Billboard.

Taylor Swift, 21, who has swept music accolade shows in the accomplished several years, won country artisan of the year. She awash 1,047,000 first-week copies of her third anthology "Speak Now" in the United States aftermost November, authoritative it the fastest-selling fresh anthology in bristles years.

Accepting the top duo or accumulation accolade for the Black Eyed Peas, Will.i.Am singled out "technology because after technology we wouldn't be actuality as an industry."

Beyonce was honoured with the Millennium Accolade for her agreeable access and hailed as a role archetypal for women.

Neil Diamond, 70, won the figure accolade afore assuming his 1969 hit, "Sweet Caroline." Other performers included Keith Urban, Nicki Minaj and accompanist Cee Lo Green.

U2 won the top touring accolade for its accepted "U2 360 degrees" tour, which appearance advocate staging and has become the highest-grossing bout of all time.

"You can accomplish archetypal albums in your bedchamber and you can comedy the greatest appearance of your activity on a one-string guitar, but we aloof don't do that," U2 frontman Bono told the audience.

The awards, with accommodation from Feb 28, 2010 to March 1, 2011, were based on assorted factors including blueprint performance, anthology and distinct agenda sales, touring and alive and acceptance on amusing media sites.