Drake, Justin Bieber, Selena Gomez, Bruno Mars turn heads at 2016 AMAs (Flashback)

Written by Giavanna Foster

The American Music Awards is globally popular because it honors today’s most famous and influential artists. On November 20, ABC broadcasted the 2016 American Music Awards live. This year’s event took place at the Microsoft Theater. According to ABC projections, 8.8 million people tuned in to watch the American Music Awards this year. Drake, Justin Bieber, Selena Gomez, and Bruno Mars are among the standouts because they turned heads with their outstanding achievements.

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This year’s A-list performers included Maroon 5/ Kendrick Lamar, Lady Gaga, Shawn Mendes and Fifth Harmony. Each performance was impressive because of its authenticity and effort. Drake and Bieber won 4 AMAs, Gomez inspired many with her AMAs speech, and Mars moved the crowd with his dance routine. Also, musical icon Sting performed his greatest hits at the AMAs before receiving the Merit Award.

Bruno Mars opened the show with his “24k Magic” performance. It featured synchronized choreography, matching outfits, and strategic lighting. The performance featured blue lighting and special effects that included fireworks. “24k Magic” brought a refreshing 90’s vibe, where flashy bling and partying were the cool new trends. Mars and his squad sported track suits with navy, white, and yellow stripes. Ciara and others were seen singing along. Mars’ hard work paid off, as “24k Magic” remains in the top 10 iTunes charts. “24k Magic” reached #1 in the following iTunes categories: top songs, top albums, and top music videos.

Drake’s Apple Music commercial premiere was another highlight at the AMAs. Drake is seen talking with friends and listening to Taylor Swift’s “Bad Blood” while lifting a heavy weight. Then, the “Distractingly good.” tagline appeared at the end of the commercial. It now has over 100k YouTube views. To watch Drake’s Apple Music commercial, click here.

Selena Gomez earned the “Favorite Female Artist – Pop/ Rock” AMA award. Gomez, who has 46M Twitter followers, moved the audience with her empowering speech. Selena thanked her loyal fans by saying this: “All I can say from the bottom of my heart is I am so grateful that I have the opportunity to be able to share what I love every single day with people that I love.” A poised Gomez received overwhelming applause from the audience. She also received support from a long list of celebrities that include Taylor Swift, Niall Horan, Ariana Grande, and Lady GaGa. Selena Gomez is truly a respectable inspiration. Click the icon (above) to watch Clevver News’ coverage of the speech and celebrity support.

Justin Bieber made record-breaking history at the 2016 AMAs. Bieber received 4 AMAs, including Video of the Year for his smash hit “Sorry” and Favorite Pop/ Rock Album for Purpose. Justin Bieber is now one of the top 10 all-time AMA winners. Bieber sits at #7 and is currently tied with Willie Nelson. Bieber and Nelson have received 12 AMA awards. At 22, Bieber is one of the youngest people to make the top 10 AMAs winners list.

Maroon 5 and Kendrick Lamar performed the closing number, “Don’t Wanna Know”. Click the icon (above) to watch the performance. This smooth performance featured Adam Levine’s falsetto and Kendrick Lamar’s effortless freestyling. “Don’t Wanna Know” is about feelings of nostalgia and hopes to get back together with an ex-lover. The audience danced along to this performance. “Don’t Wanna Know” is a smash hit, as it has earned over 1 million YouTube views. The 2016 AMAs is a celebration of hard work, well-deserved awards, and recognition.