In a night filled with music, glamour, and excitement, Morgan Wallen stole the spotlight at the 2023 Billboard Music Awards held at Truist Park in Atlanta, Georgia. Wallen clinched an impressive 11 awards, marking the highest one-year tally by any artist since Drake’s 2019 record of 12 awards. The ceremony, aired on bbmas.watch on November 19, 2023, witnessed Wallen making history as the first artist in nearly two decades to secure victories in both the top Billboard 200 album and top Hot 100 song categories.
Wallen’s triumphs included recognition for his top Billboard 200 album, “One Thing at a Time,” and the top Hot 100 song, “Last Night.” This achievement hasn’t been seen since Usher’s dual victories in 2004 with “Confessions” and “Yeah!” featuring Lil Jon & Ludacris.
Adding to his previous four wins, Wallen’s new career total of 15 awards places him second only to Garth Brooks among country artists, who holds 20 BBMAs. Meanwhile, Taylor Swift, with her 10 wins this year, tied with Drake for the most BBMAs of all time at 39.
Swift’s victories included the prestigious top artist award for the third time, top Billboard 200 artist for a record-extending sixth time, and top female artist for a record-extending fifth time. Wallen, on the other hand, dominated the country categories, securing top country artist, top country album, top country song, and top country tour.
Drake showcased his dominance in the rap field by winning top rap artist for the fifth time, top rap tour for the second time, and securing both top rap album (“Her Loss”) and top rap song (“Rich Flex”) in collaboration with 21 Savage.
SZA and Zach Bryan also shone in their respective genres, with SZA winning top R&B female artist, top R&B album (“SOS”), and top R&B song (“Kill Bill”), while Bryan claimed top rock artist, top rock album (“American Heartbreak”), and top rock song (“Something in the Orange”).
Other notable winners included Beyoncé, Bad Bunny, and Miley Cyrus, each taking home three awards. Beyoncé’s total now stands at 16, tying her with Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey for the most BBMAs by a woman of color.
The 2023 Billboard Music Awards showcased the diversity and talent within the music industry, proving that artists from various genres continue to leave a lasting impact on the charts. With a night full of unforgettable moments, the awards ceremony celebrated the outstanding achievements of artists who continue to shape the world of music.
