Held almost every year since 1990, the Billboard Music Awards “honors the hottest names in music today” through performance on the Billboard Music Charts. The award ceremony has normally been held in May, but due to the coronavirus pandemic, the 2020 Billboard Music Awards were held virtually on October 14. 

The nominees for the 2020 awards were announced on September 22. Voting was held from October 1-October 13, and the winners were announced the following day. The nominees for the awards are based on a 12-month reporting period in which interactions with fans, album and digital song sales, radio play, streaming, social engagement, and touring are all calculated and monitored. 

The ceremony was hosted by Kelly Clarkson at the Dolby Theater in Los Angeles, California. Before the ceremony, there were performances by many artists including Kelly Clarkson, Post Malone, Kane Brown, Sia, Garth Brooks, Doja Cat, and John Legend, some of which won a few awards. Post Malone went into the awards with the most nominations, 16, and came out the biggest winner with nine total. He won Top Artist and Top Male Artist, Top Billboard 200 Artist, Top Hot 100 Artist, Top Streaming Songs Artist, Top Rap Artist and Top Male Rap Artist, and Top Rap Album. Lil Nas X followed in number of nominations with 13 and received awards for Top Hot 100 Song, Top Streaming Song, Top Selling Song, and Top Rap Song for his song “Old Town Road” with Billy Ray Cyrus. Following Lil Nas X in nomination was Billie Eilish and Khalid, who both had 12. Billie Eilish won Top New Artist, Top Female Artist, and Top Billboard 200 Album with When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? Khalid won Top R&B Album for his Free Spirit album, Top R&B Artist and Top R&B Male Artist, and Top R&B Tour. In the country genre, Luke Combs took home the Top Country Artist and Top Male Country Artist as well as Top Country Album for his album What You See Is What You Get. Maren Morris was Top Female Country Artist, George Strait had the Top Country Tour, Dan + Shay won Top Country Duo/Group and their song with Justin Beiber “10,000 hours” won Top Country Song.

Taking place just over a week ago, Billboard has already begun planning what the 2021 Grammys will look like. They have confirmed a date and location, but nominations have yet to be announced, but nominations have changed since the award ceremony and will continue to change as artists continue to release new songs and albums.