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Everything You Didn't See on TV at the American Music Awards

No, we're not talking about all those celebrity impressions.

By Seija Rankin, Alli Rosenbloom Nov 21, 2016 11:00 AMTags
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Melania Trump impressions. Donald Trump impressions. Legendary performances by John LegendThe WeekndAriana Grande and The Chainsmokers

Yep, the 2016 American Music Awards had it all. We came to find out whether Selena Gomez would make that rumored appearance (she did, and she looked beautiful), and we stayed for all the hot jams. But that's just the beginning of all the star-studded goings-on at the AMAs. The audience may have been privy to Gigi Hadid and Jay Pharoah's many irreverent jokes, but there were plenty of things that you had to be there to believe. 

Luckily for you, E! News was on hand to bring you the firsthand gossip about everything that went down behind-the-scenes. Buckle your seat belts, because there's gonna be a whole lot of star-on-star fangirling. 

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American Music Awards 2016 Winners: The Complete List

1. Lady Gaga and Karlie Kloss had a dance party to Bruno Mars. While the rocker opened up the show, the two stood up next to each other clapping and dancing along for the entire song. They also shared a few whispers after host Gigi Hadid performed her Melania Trump impression to kick off the monologue. 

2. The crowd gave Drake a standing ovation after he won his first award. And DJ Khaled gets a special prize for most enthusiastic—he stayed standing even after everyone else sat down, so that he could get the best angle to take pictures. What a proud dad!

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2016 AMAs Red Carpet Arrivals

3. Niall Horan took one for the former One Direction team and approached Zayn Malik to say hello. Right after James Bay wrapped up his sensitive performance, Niall walked by Zayn and knelt down to say hello. To say it was quick would be an understatement, but perhaps Zayn's adoring fans were to blame; he kept getting hit up for selfies. 

4. DJ Khaled and Drake really loved The Weeknd's performance. Khaled spent the whole time bobbing his head and dancing, and Drake threw him a peace sign at the end as his sign of approval. 

5. Lady Gaga threw her guitar pick into the crowd after her performance. The singer wrapped up her beautiful rendition of "A Million Reasons" and hung around waiting for Idina Menzel and Mark Cuban to present the next award, and before she stepped off the stage she reached under the LED screen to toss the pick to her fans. 

6. Drake loves his Apple Music commercial. He was seen laughing at himself during the treadmill bit, and his friends gave him pats of approval on the back after the video wrapped. 

Watch: Gigi Hadid and Jay Pharoah Hosting 2016 AMAs!

7. Niall Horan greeted Selena Gomez with a hug. It seems she got a much warmer welcome than his former band member. During the commercial break after Sting's performance, Niall passed the songstress and grabbed her for an embrace. They chatted until the show went live again. 

8. Ariana Grande was the first to start the dance party during DJ Khaled and Nicki Minaj's performance. Her entire family followed suit.