Taylor Swift surpasses Drake for most Billboard Music Award wins ever

Taylor Swift has surpassed Drake to become the artist with the most wins at the Billboard Music Awards.

• READ MORE: Taylor Swift live in Edinburgh: The Eras tour finally hits the UK

The pop star cleared up at the 2024 edition of the ceremony, which was held in the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas last night (December 12) and broadcast on Fox. Straight off the back of her massive ‘Eras Tour’ coming to an end – having been confirmed as the highest-grossing tour of all time’ – Swift added an impressive 10 more awards to her collection.

This included Top Artist, Top Billboard 200, Top Hot 100 Artist, Top Hot 100 Songwriter, Top Radio Songs Artist, Top Billboard 200 Global Artist, Top Billboard Global (Excl. U.S.) Artist, Top Streaming Songs Artist and Top Billboard 200 Album for ‘The Tortured Poets Department’.

Heading into this year’s ceremony, the ‘Midnights’ singer was initially tied with Drake as the most decorated artists at the Billboard Music Awards, with each having 39 trophies to their names. Now, she has surpassed that figure and now sits with 49 BBMAs to her name – the most of any artist.

Drake went on to collect three more awards on the night, winning in the Top Rap Artist, Top Rap Male Artist, and Top Rap Album categories. The latter came in celebration of his 2023 record, ‘For All the Dogs’.

In her virtual awards speech, Swift went on to thank the awards for giving her the “nicest early birthday present” – she turns 35 today (December 13) – and for the fans who voted to show what her music meant to them.

“Everything that has happened with ‘The Eras Tour’ and ‘The Tortured Poets Department’, I just have to say thank you. It means the world to me that you guys have embraced the things I have made,” she said. “And the fact that you’ve cared so much about my music… This is the nicest early birthday present you could have given me. So, thank you very much, I love it. It’s exactly what I wanted.”

Elsewhere on the night, country star Morgan Wallen won four awards, meaning he is just one trophy short of tying with Garth Brooks, who currently holds the record as the country artist with the most wins.

Shaboozey, Christian music group Elevation Worship, and Bad Bunny joined Drake as the winners of three awards each on the night. Others taking home trophies at the 2024 edition included Beyoncé, Post Malone, Benson Boone, Charli XCX, Jung Kook, Kacey Musgraves, Linkin Park, SZA, Teddy Swims, Tyla and SZA. Find out a full list below.

Winners at the 2024 Billboard Music Awards were:

Top artist: Taylor Swift

Top new artist: Chappell Roan

Top male artist: Morgan Wallen

Top female artist: Taylor Swift

Top duo/group: Fuerza Regida

Top Billboard 200 artist: Taylor Swift

Top Hot 100 song: ‘Lose Control’ – Teddy Swims

Top radio song: ‘Lose Control’ – Teddy Swims

Top Hot 100 artist: Taylor Swift

Top Hot 100 songwriter: Taylor Swift

Top streaming songs artist: Taylor Swift

Top Hot 100 producer: Jack Antonoff

Top Billboard Global (excl. U.S.) artist: Taylor Swift

Top Billboard 200 album: ‘The Tortured Poems Department’ – Taylor Swift

Top radio songs artist: Taylor Swift

Top Billboard Global 200 artist: Taylor Swift

Top R’n’B male artist: Tommy Richman

Top R’n’B female artist: SZA

Top R’n’B touring artist: Bruno Mars

Top rap artist: Drake

Top rap album: Drake – ‘For All the Dogs’

Top rap male artist: Drake

Top rap female artist: Doja Cat

Top rap touring artist: Travis Scott

Top R’n’B song: Tommy Richman – ‘MILLION DOLLAR BABY’

Top rock touring artist: Coldplay

Top Latin duo/group: Fuerza Regida

Top hard rock song: Falling In Reverse feat. Jelly Roll – ‘All My Life’

Top dance/electronic song: ‘Houdini’ – Dua Lipa

Top country artist: Morgan Wallen

Top country male artist: Morgan Wallen

Top country female artist: Beyoncé

Top K-Pop touring artist: Seventeen

Top global K-Pop artist: Stray Kids

Top collaboration: Post Malone feat. Morgan Wallen ‘I Had Some Help’

Top country song: ‘A Bar Song (Tipsy)’ – Shaboozey

Top song sales artist: Shaboozey

Top-selling song: ‘A Bar Song (Tipsy)’ – Shaboozey

Top rock album: ‘Stick Season’ – Noah Khan

Top Billboard Global 200 song: ‘Beautiful Things’ – Benson Boone

Top Billboard Global (excl. U.S.) song: ‘Beautiful Things’ – Benson Boone

Top Afrobeats artist: Tyla

Top Afrobeats song: ‘Water’ – Tyla

Top hard rock artist: Linkin Park

Top rock duo/group: Linkin Park

As well as Drake and Taylor Swift being some of the most decorated artists at the BBMAs, others with an impressive number of trophies to their name include Beyoncé, whose win in the Top Country Female Artist category marked her 17th award, and Post Malone who landed his 11th BBMA win for Top Collaboration for ‘I Had Some Help’ which he recorded with Morgan Wallen.

In other Taylor Swift news, the singer’s colossal tour ended last week (December 8) in Vancouver, after 149 shows that took place across 21 months. It was soon revealed that in total, the worldwide trek sold $2,077,618,725 (£1.6billion) worth of tickets, per the New York Times.

Then, according to People, the ‘Bejeweled’ singer allegedly gave out roughly $197million in total bonuses to those who worked on the tour, including the likes of truck drivers, caterers, instrument techs, merch team, lighting, sound, production staff and assistants, carpenters, dancers, band members, security personnel, choreographers, pyrotechnics, riggers, hair stylists, make-up artist, wardrobe stylists, physical therapists, and members of her video team.