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While all the winners of the 2014 Billboard Music Awards, were non-black. The lack of black performers, during the broadcast was even more puzzling. The music industry, and more importantly black artists are suffering from what appears to be a systematic demise. To be honest, I stopped watching after the first 2 hours and came to a few basic assumptions:

 

  • Billboard’s charts changes in 2012 have given pop-oriented artists a distinct advantage over R&B and Hip-Hop.

 

  • ​Iggy Azalea, Robin Thicke, Macklemore and Justin Timberlake are proof that black music is thriving.

 

  • Since Michael Jackson was the only live performance by a black artist in the first two hours, holograms are a great way to include a dying art form.

 

  • Black musicians​ and vocalists are now a thing​ of the past. While other genres of music have bands and​ great live performances, I should assume blacks​ can only rap over samples.​

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  • Beyonce and Jay-Z were not available for the Billboard Music Awards.

 

I expect to be chastised for acknowledging the lack of black artists performing during one of the music industry’s most coveted award shows. I’m also waiting for the exclusion is actually inclusion defense from people of all colors. Maybe, I should fall victim to “the music is crossing barriers” train of thought. Check the list of winners below.

A list of winners at the 2014 Billboard Music Awards:

TOP ARTIST: Justin Timberlake

TOP 100 HOT SONG: “Blurred Lines,” Robin Thicke (featuring T.I. & Pharrell)

TOP BILLBOARD 200 ALBUM: “The 20/20 Experience,” Justin Timberlake

TOP DUO/GROUP: Imagine Dragons

TOP NEW ARTIST: Lorde

TOP TOURING ARTIST: Bon Jovi

TOP MALE ARTIST: Justin Timberlake

TOP FEMALE ARTIST: Katy Perry

TOP HOT 100 ARTIST: Imagine Dragons

TOP BILLBOARD 200 ARTIST: Justin Timberlake

TOP DIGITAL SONGS ARTIST: Katy Perry

TOP RADIO SONGS ARTIST: Justin Timberlake

TOP SOCIAL ARTIST: Justin Bieber

TOP STREAMING ARTIST: Miley Cyrus

TOP R&B ARTIST: Justin Timberlake

TOP RAP ARTIST: Eminem

TOP COUNTRY ARTIST: Luke Bryan

TOP ROCK ARTIST: Imagine Dragons

TOP LATIN ARTIST: Marc Anthony

TOP DANCE/ELECTRONIC ARTIST: Daft Punk

TOP CHRISTIAN ARTIST: Chris Tomlin

TOP R&B ALBUM: “The 20/20 Experience,” Justin Timberlake

TOP RAP ALBUM: “The Marshall Mathers LP2,” Eminem

TOP COUNTRY ALBUM: “Crash My Party,” Luke Bryan

TOP ROCK ALBUM: “Night Visions,” Imagine Dragons

TOP LATIN ALBUM: “3.0,” Marc Anthony

TOP DANCE/ELECTRONIC ALBUM: “Random Access Memories,” Daft Punk

TOP CHRISTIAN ALBUM: “Precious Memories: Volume II,” Alan Jackson

TOP DIGITAL SONG : “Blurred Lines,” Robin Thicke (featuring T.I. & Pharrell)

TOP RADIO SONG: “Blurred Lines,” Robin Thicke (featuring T.I. & Pharrell)

TOP STREAMING SONG (AUDIO): “Radioactive,” Imagine Dragons

TOP STREAMING SONG (VIDEO): “Wrecking Ball,” Miley Cyrus

TOP R&B SONG: “Blurred Lines,” Robin Thicke (featuring T.I. & Pharrell)

TOP RAP SONG: “Can’t Hold Us,” Macklemore & Ryan Lewis (featuring Ray Dalton)

TOP COUNTRY SONG: “Cruise,” Florida Georgia Line (featuring Nelly)

TOP ROCK SONG: “Royals,” Lorde

TOP LATIN SONG: “Vivir Mi Vida,” Marc Anthony

TOP DANCE/ELECTRONIC SONG: “Wake Me Up,” Avicii

TOP CHRISTIAN SONG: “Hello, My Name is,” Matthew West

ICON AWARD: Jennifer Lopez