Taylor Swift, Adele, Nicki Minaj Win Big at American Music Awards

Selena Gomez, Nicki Minaj, Katy Perry and Taylor Swift in the audience at the 2011 American Music Awards at the Nokia Theatre

Jeff Kravitz/AMA2011/FilmMagic

Taylor Swift won the American Music Award for Artist of the Year, edging out stiff competition from Adele and Katy Perry to earn the 10th American Music Award of her career. Earlier in the night, the singer won for Country Female Artist and Country Album for her most recent set, Speak Now.

Adele was also a big winner at the show, taking home awards for Pop/Rock Female Artist, Adult Contemporary Artist and Pop/Rock Album for her smash hit 21. Nicki Minaj won for Rap/Hip-Hop Artist and Rap/Hip-Hop Album for Pink Friday, and Hot Chelle Rae were honored as New Artist of the Year. Other winners included Foo Fighters for Alternative Rock Band, Beyoncé for Soul/R&B Female Artist, Bruno Mars for Pop/Rock Male Artist, Maroon 5 for Pop/Rock Band, Rihanna for Soul/R&B Album and Jennifer Lopez for Latin Music Artist.

In addition to all the awards, the show featured performances from Nicki Minaj and David Guetta, Maroon 5 with Christina Aguilera, Drake, Katy Perry and more.

Related
• Photos: 2011 American Music Award Performances
• Photos: Rolling Stone's American Music Awards Afterparty
• American Music Awards Red Carpet Coverage
 

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Song Stories

“Piano Man”

Billy Joel | 1973

Billy Joel’s first hit, “Piano Man,” was – ironically – an autobiographical lament about how his first album wasn’t a hit. When Cold Spring Harbor didn’t take off, Joel briefly became a lounge pianist in Los Angeles, and this song, about that experience, expressed his frustrations and fears at the time: “And they sit at the bar and put bread in my jar/And say, ‘Man, what are you doing here?’” “It was all right,” Joel said later, about the gig. “I got free drinks and union scale, which was the first steady money I’d made in a long time.”

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