2014 Billboard Music Awards - Roaming Show

It may have been five years since the King of Pop, Michael Jackson, tragically passed away but he’s still commanding an audience thanks to an amazingly realistic hologram, which debuted at last night’s Billboard Music Awards. Performing his new hit, Slave To The Rhythm with 16 real backing dancers, the music icon’s projection even moonwalked across the stage much to the audience’s delight.

The previously unheard track will be the first release from Jackson’s posthumous album Xscape, which features a compilation of unreleased songs from the artist. Cultivated and produced by rapper Timbaland and Epic Records chairman L.A Reid, who previously worked on several hits with the late singer, the album has already shot to Number One in several countries worldwide.

Wearing red trousers and a sparkling gold jacket, the hologram proved to be so lifelike it had many audience members in tears and later on their feet for a standing ovation. However, it was a moment that almost didn’t happen thanks to a large amount of controversy surrounding the computer rendering. Leading up to the show the evening was promoted as a ‘history-making performance’ rather than the digital resurrection of Jackson as American company Hologram USA Inc. took the awards show to court in an attempt to block the performance, claiming it violated the technology patents they owned.

While this may have been the first time an audience has heard anything from the Xscape album, fans of the late star have been able to catch a digital rendering of the singer for the past year at Cirque du Soleil’s show Michael Jackson ONE, who are also being sued by Hologram USA Inc. for the same reasons as the Billboard Music Awards. Having taken over six months of planning, filming and choreography to make, even with the last minute controversy, the spectacular performance most definitely did not disappoint.

 

And the Billboard Music Awards winners were…

Top Artist

Justin Timberlake

Top New Artist
Lorde
Top Male Artist
Justin Timberlake

Top Female Artist
Katy Perry

Top Duo/Group
Imagine Dragons

Top Billboard 200 Artist
Justin Timberlake

Top Hot 100 Artist
Imagine Dragons

Top Digital Songs Artist
Katy Perry

Top Radio Songs Artist
Justin Timberlake

Top Touring Artist
Bon Jovi

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

 

 

ALBUM AWARDS

Top Billboard 200 Album
Justin Timberlake, The 20/20 Experience

Top R&B Album
Justin Timberlake, The 20/20 Experience

Top Rap Album
Eminem, The Marshall Mathers LP 2

Top Country Album
Luke Bryan, Crash My Party

Top Rock Album
Imagine Dragons, Night Visions

Top Latin Album

Marc Anthony, 3.0
Top Dance/Electronic Album
Daft Punk, Random Access Memories

Top Christian Album
Alan Jackson, Precious Memories: Volume II

 

SONG AWARDS
Top Hot 100 Song
Robin Thicke Featuring T.I. & Pharrell, Blurred Lines

Top Digital Song
Robin Thicke, Featuring T.I. & Pharrell Blurred Lines

 

Top Radio Song

Robin Thicke Featuring T.I. & Pharrell, Blurred Lines

Top Streaming Song (Audio)
Imagine Dragons, Radioactive

Top Streaming Song (Video)
Miley Cyrus, Wrecking Ball

Top R&B Song
Robin Thicke Feat. T.I. & Pharrell, Blurred Lines

Top Rap Song
Macklemore & Ryan Lewis Featuring Ray Dalton, Can’t Hold Us 

Top Country Song
Florida Georgia Line Featuring Nelly, Cruise

Top Rock Song
Lorde, Royals

Top Latin Song
Marc Anthony, Vivir Mi Vida

Top Dance/Electronic Song
Avicii, Wake Me Up!

Top Christian Song

Matthew West, Hello, My Name Is

 

Image: Getty