Though plenty of stars shined at the 2013 American Music Awards, the night belonged most of all to Taylor Swift and Justin Timberlake. Both were tied for most awards won on the night — three each — until the “Red” star took home the most coveted of all — Artist of the Year.
A grateful Swift referenced her devoted following in all her acceptance speeches, as AMAs are awarded based on online voting. “The fact that you voted for my music means we’re on the same page,” she beamed, while accepting the grand prize to cap off the night. “I’m 23 and I have no idea what’s going to happen with my life!”
Swift and her album “Red” also took home awards for Favorite Country Album, Favorite Female Country Artist, and Favorite Female Pop/Rock Artist.
Justin Timberlake and his “20/20 Experience” series also continued their dominance of 2013’s pop music landscape, as they captured three awards. Timberlake and his 2013 opus took home the awards for Favorite Male Pop/Rock Artist, Favorite Soul/R&B Album, and Favorite Male Soul/R&B Artist.
Along with his band, the Tennessee Kids, Timberlake added one of the evening’s standout performances — a guitar-heavy rendition of “Drink You Away,” complete with a bartender serving drinks at a makeshift bar onstage.
Timberlake’s winnings also included one of the evening’s most memorable award announcements. Introducing the finalists for Favorite Soul/R&B Album, comedian Sarah Silverman joked that the Barbadian-born Rihanna was going up against “a white guy from ‘The Mickey Mouse Club’ (Timberlake) and the son of the dad from ‘Growing Pains’ (Robin Thicke)” for the prize. Further proving the scope of JT’s appeal, the former “Mickey Mouse Club” star picked up the Soul/R&B award, along with the male artist prize for Pop/Rock. Afterwards, he quipped, “I think that’s the first time I’ve ever been racially profiled by a white woman’, billboard informs.
