Rihanna, Swift win at Billboard Awards

After a five-year hiatus, the Billboard Music Awards officially returned in the United States. Two of the big winners at this year's awards were Rihanna and Taylor Swift. But a major indication of the show's popularity came from others such as Beyonce, U2, the Black Eyed Peas, and First Lady Michelle Obama.

This year marks the Billboard Awards' rebirth. The Billboard Awards had been a staple since 1989, but handed out what appeared to be its last award in 2006.

This year the show was brought back in Las Vegas, broadcast live on ABC, and hosted by "The Hangover 2" star Ken Jeong. However, like many other awards shows, the three-hour awarding ceremony served more as a promotional vehicle for today's pop stars than a trophy presentation.

The show was packed with performances - Cee-Lo Green floating in the air with his piano, surprising duets between Rihanna and Britney Spears, and this year's Billboard "Icon" Award winner, Neil Diamond, leading the audience in a sing-a-long to "Sweet Caroline" and "America."

Among Rihanna's wins were for radio artist of the year and top female artist. Taylor Swift won the evening's first award, as top album artist, as well as top country artist.

Taylor Swift said, "I wanna thank my family, my mum, my dad."

Beyonce received a special "Millennium" Award for her career achievements: The 29-year-old phenomenon was lauded in a video by an array of legends and luminaries, including Lady Gaga and Michelle Obama. She also performed her new song, "Run the World".

U2 was also honored for their blockbuster "360" tour as the top touring act of 2010.

The Billboard Music Awards are given out to the most popular artists in the mainstream music scene. The finalists and winners are determined by their rank on the Billboard charts and their "social and streaming activity."

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