By Mesfin Fekadu, Music Writer
LOS ANGELES (AP) --Taylor Swift has moonwalked past Michael Jackson's record at the 2019 American Music Awards, taking home six honors including artist of the year and artist of the decade.
The pop star, who walked into Sunday night's show with 23 AMAs, surpassed the King of Pop's 24 wins at the fan-voted show. She rambled onstage as she won the final award of the night — artist of the year — and repeatedly thanked her fans for always showing up — during both the good and bad times.
"This year has been a lot of good, a lot of really complicated, so behalf of my family and me, thank you so much for being there and caring," said Swift, who now has 29 AMAs.
It was a family affair at the AMAs: Swift's father and teary-eyed mom sang along as the singer performed a medley of her hit songs — a performance Swift said in a Nov. 15 social media post was put in jeopardy by Scott Borchetta and Scooter Braun, the owners of her master recordings.
She didn't mention the men during her acceptance speeches at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles, but this did thank her new label for allowing her to freely express herself as an artist.
"This album really felt like a new beginning, and I also really love my record label, Universal and Republic. Monte Lipman, Lucian Grainge, thank you for being so generous to me and allowing me to make whatever music I want to make," Swift said after winning favorite pop/rock album for "Lover," her first album not released on Borchetta's Big Machine Label Group. "As a songwriter it's so thrilling to me that I get to keep doing that."
Swift's other wins include favorite female pop/rock artist, favorite adult contemporary artist and favorite music video for "You Need to Calm Down."
Other big winners at the AMAs included Khalid and BTS — neither act attended the show but won three prizes.
Billie Eilish picked up two awards — new artist of the year and favorite alternative artist. She also took the stage — surrounded by fire — to perform her song, "All the Good Girls Go to Hell."
Lizzo, who was nominated for three honors but walked away empty handed, screamed at the top of her lungs while performing the ballad "Jerome," one of several songs from her album that earned her a leading eight Grammy nominations.
Christina Aguilera was a vocal powerhouse when she took the stage alongside A Great Big World and rock icon Ozzy Osbourne — who has been recovering from a bad fall that took place earlier this year — was a highlight as he performed with Post Malone and Travis Scott.
Shania Twain closed the night with a memorable performance. Other nostalgic performances included Toni Braxton and Green Day.
Shawn Mendes and Camila Cabello heated up the stage as they stood close together while singing "Senorita," staring in each other's eyes as they sang from one microphone at times. They even rubbed noses at the end.
The pair won collaboration of the year for their No. 1 hit song. Other winners included Dan + Shay, Halsey and Lil Nas X. Top nominee Post Malone took home favorite rap/hip-hip album for "Hollywood's Bleeding" and Carrie Underwood was appropriately teary-eyed as she won favorite country album for "Cry Pretty."
"It's been a wonderful year," Underwood said.
Selena Gomez kicked off the AMAs as Swift and Halsey got out of their seats to cheer their pal on. R&B singer Ciara hosted the show, which aired live on ABC.
Here's a list of the winners at the 2019 American Music Awards:
— Artist of the year: Taylor Swift
— New artist of the year: Billie Eilish
— Collaboration of the year: Shawn Mendes and Camila Cabello, "Senorita"
— Favorite pop/rock female artist: Taylor Swift
— Favorite pop/rock male artist: Khalid
— Favorite pop/rock duo or group: BTS
— Favorite pop/rock song: Halsey, "Without Me"
— Favorite pop/rock album: Taylor Swift, "Lover"
— Favorite rap/hip-hop artist: Cardi B
— Favorite rap/hip-hop song: Lil Nas X featuring Billy Ray Cyrus, "Old Town Road"
— Favorite rap/hip-hop album: Post Malone, "Hollywood's Bleeding"
— Favorite soul/R&B female artist: Beyoncé
— Favorite soul/R&B male artist: Bruno Mars
— Favorite soul/R&B song: Khalid, "Talk"
— Favorite soul/R&B album: Khalid, "Free Spirit"
— Favorite country female artist: Carrie Underwood
— Favorite country male artist: Kane Brown
— Favorite country duo or group: Dan + Shay
— Favorite country song: Dan + Shay, "Speechless"
— Favorite country album: Carrie Underwood, "Cry Pretty"
— Favorite alternative rock artist: Billie Eilish
— Favorite adult contemporary artist: Taylor Swift
— Favorite Latin artist: J Balvin
— Favorite contemporary inspirational artist: Lauren Daigle
— Favorite electronic dance music artist: Marshmello
— Favorite social artist: BTS
— Favorite music video: Taylor Swift, "You Need to Calm Down"
— Artist of the decade: Taylor Swift
— Tour of the year: BTS
— Favorite soundtrack: "Bohemian Rhapsody"
Rom-Com Mainstay Hugh Grant Shifts To The Dark Side and He’s Never Been Happier
After some difficulties connecting to a Zoom, Hugh Grant eventually opts to just phone instead.
"Sorry about that," he apologizes. "Tech hell." Grant is no lover of technology. Smart phones, for example, he calls the "devil's tinderbox."
"I think they're killing us. I hate them," he says. "I go on long holidays from them, three or four days at at time. Marvelous."
Hell, and our proximity to it, is a not unrelated topic to Grant's new film, "Heretic." In it, two young Mormon missionaries (Chloe East, Sophie Thatcher) come knocking on a door they'll soon regret visiting. They're welcomed in by Mr. Reed (Grant), an initially charming man who tests their faith in theological debate, and then, in much worse things.
After decades in romantic comedies, Grant has spent the last few years playing narcissists, weirdos and murders, often to the greatest acclaim of his career. But in "Heretic," a horror thriller from A24, Grant's turn to the dark side reaches a new extreme. The actor who once charmingly stammered in "Four Weddings and a Funeral" and who danced to the Pointer Sisters in "Love Actually" is now doing heinous things to young people in a basement.
"It was a challenge," Grant says. "I think human beings need challenges. It makes your beer taste better in the evening if you've climbed a mountain. He was just so wonderfully (expletive)-up."
"Heretic," which opens in theaters Friday, is directed by Scott Beck and Bryan Woods, co-writers of "A Quiet Place." In Grant's hands, Mr. Reed is a divinely good baddie — a scholarly creep whose wry monologues pull from a wide range of references, including, fittingly, Radiohead's "Creep."
In an interview, Grant spoke about these and other facets of his character, his journey... Read More