2023 Billboard Music Awards Won’t Be on TV, Winners to Be Announced on Social & Livestream Instead

The 2023 Billboard Music Awards will announce its winners exclusively on social media and through a livestream on BBMASwatch.com, Dick Clark Productions and Billboard announced on Thursday, October 19. The reimagined awards show will take place on Sunday, November 19. It’s not clear if the show will also go on without a host with this new format. In 2022, the awards show aired on NBC and was hosted by Sean “Diddy” Combs.

According to a press release, the new BBMAs format will be a “fresh award show concept” that aims to entertain fans with hours of music and exclusive content, including winner celebrations, behind-the-scenes moments, and performances created by the world’s biggest chart-topping artists. The BBMAs will roll out performances and awards across BBMAs and Billboard social channels, as well as via BBMAs.watch. Performances and award celebrations will take place in global locations, in the midst of sold-out tours, and in custom venues — all with bespoke BBMAs creative.

The event will also feature a new collaboration with Spotify called “Fans First” that will bring fans up close and personal with their favorite artists. The BBMAs and Spotify have teamed up to identify fans who have consumed the most hours of music over the past year and helped drive their favorite artists to the top spots on the Billboard charts. Selected fans will receive a “golden ticket” granting them access to attend a once-in-a-lifetime performance curated by their favorite artists, expressly for the 2023 BBMAs.

Fans First is Spotify’s program that offers exclusive rewards and privileges like one-of-a-kind concerts; personal artist experiences; merch drops; and first-in-line presales to an artist’s most devoted Spotify listeners. Maddy Mesevage, SVP of Marketing for Dick Clark Productions, said these changes were made to cater to fans.

“We’ve heard the fans loud and clear, and we’re excited to meet them where they are, and everywhere they want to consume music and content,” she said in a statement on Thursday. “This year’s show is an epic celebration of the fans who propelled their favorite artists to the top of the Billboard charts. To thank them, we are thrilled to work with Spotify and the artists themselves to offer their most loyal fans an experience they’ll never forget.”

Winners of Billboard Music Awards are determined by year-end performance metrics on the Billboard charts. The eligibility dates for this year’s awards are aligned with Billboard’s Year-End Charts tracking period, which measures music consumption from the charts dated November 19, 2022 through October 21, 2023.