2021 Billboard Music Awards; Here Are All the Winners

The Billboard Music Awards 2021 finally went down, and it was epic. The Weeknd was the main highlight of the event, grabbing 10 awards, followed by Pop Smoke with 5 awards. BTS and Bad Bunny garnered four awards each.

In the Billboard Top Artist category, it’s The Weeknd who stole the show, beating Pop Smoke, Taylor Swift, Drake, and Juice WRLD. In the Top New Artist category, Pop Smoke emerged the winner, beating the other four nominees, Rod Wave, Jack Harlow, Joja Cat, and Gabby Barrett. The Weeknd went ahead and won the Top Male Artist award, beating Drake, Lil Baby, Pop Smoke, and Juice WRLD. In the Top Female Artist category, Taylor Swift scooped the award, shaking off the competition from Billie Eilish, Ariana Grande, Dua Lipa, and Megan Thee Stallion.

Below is a list of winners from the popular categories.

Best Group

• Dan + Shay
• AC/DC
• AJR
• Maroon 5
• BTS – WINNER

Best Billboard 200 Artist

• Taylor Swift – WINNERi>
• Drake
• Juice WRLD
• Post Malone
• Pop Smoke

Best Hot 100 Artist

• Drake
• DaBaby
• Pop Smoke
• The Weeknd – WINNER
• Dua Lipa

Best Streaming Songs Artist

• Pop Smoke
• DaBaby
• Lil Baby
• The Weeknd
• Drake – WINNER

Best R & B Artist

• Jhené Aiko
• Chris Brown
• The Weeknd – WINNER
• Doja Cat
• Justin Bieber

Best R & B Artist (Male)

• Justin Bieber
• The Weeknd – WINNER
• Chris Brown

Best R & B Artist (Female)

• Jhené Aiko
• SZA
• Doja Cat – WINNER

Best Rap Artist

• Lil Baby
• DaBaby
• Drake
• Pop Smoke – WINNER
• Juice WRLD

Best Rap Artist (Male)

• Juice WRLD
• Pop Smoke – WINNER
• Lil Baby

Best Rap Artist (Female)

• Cardi B
• Saweetie
• Megan Thee Stallion – WINNER

Royal Academy of Music to Review Artefacts in a Bid to Free Up Space

Staff at the Royal Music Academy have confirmed that the institution will be reviewing the conservatoire’s 200-year-old collection. This move is aimed at freeing up space that will be used for learning at the London premises. Founded in 1922, the Royal Academy of Music holds over 22,000 artifacts

Besides freeing up space, the institution wants to scrutinize artifacts linked to Baroque composer George Frideric Handel who repeatedly invested in the transatlantic slave trade. These include displayed portraits and sculptures of the composer. While most artifacts linked to Handel will likely be disposed of, the institution stated that Handel will not be erased from the syllabus.

Other artifacts that will be put under the lens in the UK’s oldest conservatoire include rare 18th C violins and pianos that have fingerboards and keys made from colonial ebony and ivory. Furniture and portraits of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, the son of Leopold who is also linked to the slave trade, will be scrutinized, and probably dumped alongside other problematic artifacts.

So far, the institution has not started the process but plans are underway to start the decolonization process in the next 12 to 18 months.