It didn’t come as much of a surprise at the end of the 2024 Billboard Music Awards on Dec. 12 that Taylor Swift was the big winner. After all, her album “The Tortured Poets Department” spent 15 weeks at number-one, more than any other album this year, and in its debut week it secured all of the top 14 spots on the Hot 100 singles chart, an all-time record. Based on Billboard‘s chart metrics, it made sense that Swift would be named Top Artist. But in doing so she — you guessed it — broke another record.
Swift entered the awards with 39 BBMAs. That tied her with Drake as the most awarded artist in the award’s history. Drake did win a few trophies on Thursday night, including Top Rap Artist, but Swift won a lot more. She claimed 10 trophies, bringing her all-time total to a new-record 49. In addition to Top Artist, she was named Top Female Artist, Top Billboard 200 Artist, Top Hot 100 Artist, Top Hot 100 Songwriter, Top Streaming Songs Artist, Top Radio Songs Artist, Top Billboard Global 200 Artist, Top Billboard Global (excl. U.S.) Artist, and Top Billboard 200 Album (“Tortured Poets Department”).
Country rocker Zach Bryan actually had more citations than Swift when the finalists were announced, but while he didn’t match Swift’s total, he had a pretty good night himself with five trophies: Top Country Touring Artist, Top Rock Artist, Top Country Album (“Zach Bryan”), Top Streaming Song (“I Remember Everything” with Kacey Musgraves), and Top Rock Song (“I Remember Everything”). Fellow country star Morgan Wallen was close behind with four victories: Top Male Artist, Top Country Artist, Top Country Male Artist, and Top Collaboration (“I Had Some Help” with Post Malone).
Other multiple winners included Shaboozey, who prevailed three times but surprisingly didn’t win Top Hot 100 Song despite “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” spending a record-tying 19 weeks at No. 1. Instead, the Hot 100 Song award went to Teddy Swims for his chart mainstay “Lose Control.” Latin band Fuerza Regida won twice, as did breakout Benson Boone. Bad Bunny was a triple champ including Top Latin Artist. Chappell Roan was the Top New Artist after surging up the charts all year with her album “The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess.”
Many other artists prevailed over 72 total categories that were decided by the same metrics that Billboard uses to determine its weekly charts. Who were your favorites?
Note: Billboard Music Awards producer Dick Clark Productions is owned by Penske Media Eldridge, a joint venture between Eldridge and Penske Media Corporation, which owns Gold Derby.
