Kelly Rowland defends Chris Brown, tells booing crowd to 'chill out' at AMAs ceremony - Yahoo Entertainment

Kelly Rowland doesn’t thin to beryllium a precise divisive oregon arguable fig successful popular music. But erstwhile the Destiny’s Child prima recovered herself successful the awkward presumption of having to judge the Favorite Male R&B Artist trophy connected behalf of the absent (and decidedly divisive and controversial) Chris Brown astatine Sunday’s American Music Awards ceremony, she coiled up confronting the protesting audience.

A small inheritance here: Brown was not lone expected to be Sunday’s AMAs, but besides execute a tribute to different divisive and arguable artist, the precocious Michael Jackson, successful solemnisation of the 40th day of Jackson’s landmark Thriller album. The time earlier the awards, Brown posted a seven-minute Instagram video — captioned lone with "U SERIOUS?” — of him rehearsing an elaborately choreographed medley of Jackson’s “Beat It,” “Wanna Be Startin' Somethin’,” “Billie Jean,” and “Thriller,” claiming successful the post’s comments that his Jackson tribute had been called disconnected astatine the past minute. “WOULD'VE been the ama show but they cancelled maine for reasons unknown,” helium wrote. (A typical for the AMAs did not instantly respond to Yahoo Entertainment’s petition for comment.)

So, Brown was a no-show astatine Sunday’s AMAs, presumably successful protest, leaving presenter Rowland to judge his award. When assemblage members began booing aft she announced that Brown had won Favorite Male R&B Artist implicit Brent Faiyaz, GIVĒON, Lucky Daye, and the Weeknd, she seemed taken aback and adjacent annoyed by the beardown reaction.

“Excuse maine — chill out,” Rowland scolded, sternly pointing a digit astatine the rowdy crowd. She past continued: “But I wanted to archer Chris, convey you truthful overmuch for making large R&B music. And I privation to archer him convey you for being an unthinkable performer. I'll instrumentality this award, bring it to you. I emotion you. Congratulations. And congratulations to each the nominees successful this category.”

Among the highlights of the 2022 American Music Awards ceremony, held Sunday, Nov. 20 astatine the Microsoft Theater successful Los Angeles, were Pink’s roller-skating opening fig and “Hopelessly Devoted to You” tribute to Olivia Newton-John; Favorite Female Latin Artist victor Anitta’s duet with astonishment impermanent Missy Elliott connected “Lobby”; a almighty show of Song of Soul victor “Break the Bough” by Americana creator Yola; and the affectional code by Best New Artist victor Dove Cameron, who is bisexual, successful which she dedicated her grant to the “queer assemblage astatine large” and honored victims of this weekend’s shooting astatine LGBTQ+ Colorado nightspot Club Q.

The ceremonial climaxed with Lionel Richie being presented with the lifetime-achievement Icon Award by Smokey Robinson, aft which Stevie Wonder and Charlie Puth performed a Richie medley and were joined by Ari Lennox, Muni Long, Melissa Etheridge, Jimmie Allen, Yola, Robinson, and Richie himself for a sentimental show of “We Are the World,” which Richie wrote successful 1985 with the above-mentioned Jackson.

The night's large victor was Taylor Swift, who swept each six of her categories, including Artist of the Year and Album of the Year — frankincense breaking her ain AMAs grounds and bringing her full wins tally to 40. For a afloat database of 2022 American Music Awards winners, click here.

Read much from Yahoo Entertainment:

• Kelly Rowland recalls Destiny's Child losing connected 'Star Search,' 25 years ago: 'We thought that was the extremity of it all'

• Chris Brown says his Michael Jackson tribute was chopped from the 2022 AMAs

• Kelly Rowland talks Serena Williams, Cardi vs. Nicki, and wherefore autarkic women request to ‘have each other’s backs’

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