2021 Billboard Music Awards: BTS, Duran Duran, The Weeknd, and More To Perform
Drake, P!nk, and Trae Tha Truth will be honored at the event.
The 2021 Billboard Awards are coming this weekend with a set of special performances and appearances. The event will be hosted by Nick Jonas and will honor Drake with the Artist of the Decade Award and Trae Tha Truth with the Billboard Change Maker Award. P!nk will receive the Icon Award – becoming its youngest recipient in BBMAs history – and will also perform at the show.
The Weeknd, twenty one pilots, Glass Animals, AJR Brothers, and DJ Khaled featuring H.E.R. and Migos are also slated to perform, along with BTS – who will make the debut TV performance of their much-anticipated single “Butter” remotely from South Korea.
Duran Duran are also set to perform remotely from the UK as part of their 40th anniversary celebrations. The band will be joined by Blur’s Graham Coxon and will premiere a new single at the awards show.
live music is finally back !! we’re just 9 days away from the #BBMAs sunday, may 23 at 8ET/5PT on nbc 💥 pic.twitter.com/IhpkQDpqvA
— Billboard Music Awards (@BBMAs) May 14, 2021
The BBMAs’ shortlist and winners are selected based on their performance on the Billboard charts, plus fan interactions such as album and digital song sales, streaming, radio airplay, and social engagement. The 2021 awards take into account the chart cycle between March 21, 2020, and April 3, 2021.
As for the Artist of the Decade Award, Billboard analyzed artists’ chart performance from Dec. 5, 2009, through Sept. 28, 2019 – Drake scored the top spot, followed by Taylor Swift, Bruno Mars, Rihanna, and Adele. Earlier this year, the rapper made history when his tracks occupied the three top spots on Billboard Hot 100 at the same instant, a first in the chart’s history. Previous recipients of the award are Eminem, who took the prize for the 2000s, and Mariah Carey, who won for the 1990s.
NBC will broadcast the 2021 Billboard Music Awards live from the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles on May 23 at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT.