Swift hat-trick at American Music Awards

­Taylor Swift was crowned artist of the year at the American Music Awards for a second time in Los Angeles this week. “This is so crazy!” the country superstar said after beating contenders such as Adele, Lady Gaga and Katy Perry to capture all three...

­Taylor Swift was crowned artist of the year at the American Music Awards for a second time in Los Angeles this week.

“This is so crazy!” the country superstar said after beating contenders such as Adele, Lady Gaga and Katy Perry to capture all three awards she was nominated for, including artist of the year, the show’s highest accolade. She previously won in 2009.

“I ended up writing the record by myself, so the fact that you would honour it this way, you have no idea what this means to me,” said Ms Swift after winning the trophy for favourite country album for Speak Now. She was also awarded the prize for favourite country female artist.

Nicki Minaj, the pink-loving hip-hop diva, won two awards: favourite rap/hip-hop artist and favourite rap/hip-hop album for Pink Friday.

Adele had been the night’s leading nominee with four nods, but was absent because she is recovering from recent throat surgery.

The ceremony inside the Nokia Theatre in an unusually rainy Los Angeles was drenched with 17 musical performances.

Justin Bieber got in the holiday spirit with Under the Mistletoe, and Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony shared custody of rapper Pitbull, who joined the former couple in a pair of separate performances.

Ms Lopez performed a live version of a car commercial starring the Idol judge set to Papi – with the car on stage – before launching into her hit On the Floor.

Full list of winners

Contemporary inspirational artist: Casting Crowns
Country female artist: Taylor Swift
Country male artist: Blake Shelton
Country band, duo or group: Lady Antebellum
Country album: Taylor Swift, Speak Now
Latin artist: Jennifer Lopez
Pop/rock female artist: Adele
Pop/rock male artist: Bruno Mars
Pop/rock band,duo or group: Maroon 5
Pop/rock album: Adele, 21
Rap/hip-hop artist: Nicki Minaj
Rap/hip-hop album: Nicki Minaj, Pink Friday
Soul/R&B female artist: Beyonce
Soul/R&B male artist: Usher
Soul/R&B album: Rihanna, Loud
Artist of the Year: Taylor Swift
Sprint new artist of the year: Hot Chelle Rae

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