The Billboard Music Awards is an American annual music awards ceremony sponsored by Billboard magazine honouring winners based on Billboard's year-end music charts, which are based on Nielsen data for sales, downloads and airplay. Awards were given for the top album/artist/single in every genre.
The awards debuted in 1990 and were held annually on Fox until 2006, after which the awards were cancelled due to contractual disputes. They resumed again in 2011 on new network ABC.
The Billboard Music Awards aired for the first time in South Africa on DStv's Channel O on Wednesday 29 June 2011, at 20h30, beginning with the 2011 awards.
The 2014 Billboard Awards - the 21st edition - aired live on Channel O on Monday 19 May 2014, at 02h00, followed by a rebroadcast later that night at 19h00 and a repeat on Saturday, 24 May at 16h30. The ceremony was three hours long.
About the Awards
The Billboard Music Awards honour winners based on Billboard's year-end music charts, which are based on Nielsen data for sales, downloads and airplay. Awards are given for the top album/artist/single in every genre.
Since 1992, the awards also give out a Billboard Century Award - the magazine's highest honour for creative achievement and named for Billboard's centennial in 1994. The award was renamed the Icon Award in 2011.
Billboard has served the entertainment business since 1894.
Beginning as a weekly for the billposting and advertising business, Billboard and its popular music charts have evolved into the primary source of information on trends and innovation in music, serving music fans, artists, top executives, tour promoters, publishers, radio programmers, lawyers, retailers, digital entrepreneurs and many others.