Real Biz Magazine: BillBoard Awards Hits and Misses

THE BILLBOARD AWARDS

Music royalty came out in full force to watch the Billboard Awards and celebrate musical icons of the past, present and future. There were a few fashion ans well as melodious hits and misses but here are the TOP TWELVE THINGS SEEN AND HEARD THIS YEARS AWARDS:

And now, ~~ten~~ twelve things seen, heard -- and inhaled -- backstage at the Billboard Music Awards, courtesy of the editors of Billboard.com (M. Tye Comer) and Billboard.biz (Jem Aswad).

1) Before the show started, Katy Perry and Zooey Deschanel -- who could not look more like sisters -- having a quick catch-up chat on the ramp leading to the stage, while Katy's grandmother was wheeled up it to her seat.   
BBMA Winners List 2) Nearly everyone backstage stops what they're doing when Jordin Sparks sings "I Will Always Love You" as part of the Whitney Houston tribute -- and bursts into rapturous applause when she finishes -- the only full-on applause of the night.

3) The rapport between Stevie Wonder and Alicia Keys existed beyond their on-stage chemistry. The pair joked with each other like old friends during rehearsal breaks. At one point, Alicia told Stevie that she would put his award on the piano so he could look at it. Stevie simply threw his head back and laughed.

4) No one seemed to enjoy Wonder’s show-closing performance more than The Wanted. The members of the British boy band was giggling like schoolgirls and almost literally bouncing off the backstage walls after the soul icon's medley of hits. "Did you see how he was just jamming on the keyboards? I had tears in my eyes," one member said. Clearly, it was the highlight of their night.

5) Heads turn when Nelly Furtado's band and dancers engage in their warm-up ritual: a kind of tribal chant and circling dance. "People never know what to make of that," manager Chris Smith laughs.  

6) About halfway through the show, the unmistakable smell of marijuana began to permeate the backstage area. Several inquiries were made about where it was coming from, though no one could positively identify the source.

7) Speaking of Wiz Khalifa, he decided to crash the party as Downtown Julie Brown was chatting with LMFAO during our backstage livestream. Not only did the rapper jump in front of the cameras with Red Foo and SkyBlu, he joined the duo for a spontaneous freestyle that prompted many in earshot to name it the performance of the night.

8) Cherry Tree's Martin Kierszenbaum talks about LMFAO's forthcoming tour with Far East Movement, Sidney Samson and Eva Simons, and also brings some promising Robyn news: she's in the studio working on new material with Klaus Ahlund in between tours -- hopefully a new EP by the end of the year.

9) Every superstar brought some sort of entourage to the Billboard Music Awards, but no one’s crew rolled deeper than Justin Bieber’s. The pint-sized singer seemed to be escorted by at least 25 people everywhere he went, and his arrivals were always preceded by a buzz of commotion and flashing cameras. Even in a room full of chart-toppers and legends, Bieber fever remained as contagious as ever.

10) The after-party at the 1 Oak club at the Mirage was almost as star-studded as the Billboard Music Awards ceremony that preceded it: Wiz Khalifa, Jordin Sparks, Carly Rae Jepsen, Chris Brown, CeeLo Green, Brandy, LMFAO and Alicia Keys were just a few of the celebs hanging out at the spot. But no one could match the star power of Stevie Wonder, who strolled in around midnight and got a path cleared for him in the VIP section of the club. Swizz Beatz gave the legend several shout-outs from the DJ booth, and it was clear that the winner of the night's Icon Award was the icon at the after-party too.

11) Given the sometimes jaded nature of media types, it's not uncommon to hear a snarky comment or two to help while away the hours spent in a press room. Overhead during the three hours of the BBMA telecast:

1. "She's off to a bad start with that Dr. Dray joke," referring to a quip made early in the show by co-host Julie Bowen.

2. "Someone needs to tell that kid that he's white," made while Justin Bieber was accepting his award for top social artist.

3. Carrie Underwood's gown was voted best dress by one reporter, while another called Miley Cyrus' outfit "scandalous."

12) Robin Thicke spoke on Robin Gibbs' death: "My family has been friends with the Gibbs for many years. Robin's death is obviously a tragedy. The other day I did 'Staying Alive' as one of my duets songs; My first single I released as an artist was 'Fifth of Beethoven' from the Bee Gees' soundtrack. I've always been a fan. My heart and soul goes out to the family but their legacy lives on."

Adele had another one of those nights at the 2012 Billboard Music Awards in Las Vegas on Sunday, taking home a whopping twelve awards including Top Artist and Top Billboard 200 Album during an evening of scorching performances by the likes of Katy Perry and Justin Bieber, a tribute to the late Whitney Houston, and a once-in-a-generation Icon Award for Stevie Wonder.

BELOW ARE A FEW PICS FROM THE NIGHT: