It was an electrifying night at the 2020 American Music Awards!
Taraji P. Henson hosted the star-studded ceremony on Sunday, Nov. 22, and what an award show it was! During the ceremony, Justin Bieber took the stage to deliver his first performance at the AMAs in four years. He also teamed up with Shawn Mendes for their first-ever performance of their new hit song "Monster." New mom Katy Perry also took the stage to sing "Only Love" with Darius Rucker during the ceremony, which marked her first performance since welcoming daughter Daisy Dove with fiancé Orlando Bloom over the summer.
In addition to all of the amazing performances, there were also a number of stars who appeared (virtually and in person) at the AMAs to accept awards. While Taylor Swift was unable to attend the ceremony, she revealed the exciting reason why in her virtual Artist of the Year acceptance speech. After thanking her fans for their support, Swift explained, "The reason I'm not there tonight is I'm actually re-recording all of my old music, in the studio where we originally recorded it so it's been amazing, and I can't wait for you to hear it. Have a great night. I love you so much."
Cardi B, who also couldn't be at the award show, made AMAs history as the first artist to win Favorite Song in the Rap/Hip Hop category twice. "Ugh if I would have known all this was going down today I would of rescheduled my dentist appointment," Cardi tweeted. "Im so swollen."
And that wasn't the only candid confession of the night! Let's take a look at all of the most memorable 2020 American Music Awards moments in the gallery below!
The Empire star dazzled while hosting the star-studded AMAs ceremony, kicking off the award show with a dance number. But it was one moment during the show that definitely caught the attention of the audience. While introducing The Weeknd and Kenny G's performance, Taraji appeared to accidentally say "sex" instead of "sax." The hilarious moment had the host laughing, but she carried on like a pro!
The "Savage" singer delivered a message of self-love during her performance at the AMAs. In a pre-recorded voiceover for her "Body" performance, the artist could be heard saying, "I love my body. Every curve, every inch. Every mark. Every dimple. It's decoration on my temple."
The new mom delivered a moving performance of "Only Love" alongside Darius Rucker at the AMAs. Ahead of the emotional duet, Perry made a special dedication. Alongside a baby photo, she wrote, "tonight's @amas performance is for my father."
Red carpet official! The superstar couple marked a major moment in their relationship when they posed for photos together on the AMAs red carpet. Later on in the night, Fox also took the AMAs stage to introduce her boyfriend's performance.
While virtually accepting the award for Artist of the Year, T.Swift confessed that she wasn't at the ceremony because she's currently re-recording her music. The singer, who has been in a battle over her early work, teased that she's "in the studio where we originally recorded" some of her biggest hits!
The "Level Up" singer spoke candidly about her third pregnancy while in the AMAs press room. "Oh my goodness, it has been an adventure to say the least because I was also pregnant earlier this year," Ciara, who welcomed son Win with husband Russell Wilson in July, said. "By the way, I learned that I was pregnant this time last year when I was hosting the show. When I went home both Russell and I found out, so a lot of special memories being here. But from a creative perspective, you feel like you have no choice but to be creative because you are in the same four walls every day. And then being pregnant, it felt like time was going really slow."
The Very Cavallari alum, who presented during the AMAs, opened up in the press room about what she's learned from 2020. "I think that's the one thing with COVID is that we've all kind of learned what we're appreciative of," the Laguna Beach star, who shares three kids with ex Jay Cutler, said. "I have to say my kids, of course, my family. I think I just realized what's important in life and it's put everything into perspective."