The first Billboard Music Awards were held in 1990.
The inaugural ceremony took place on December 10, 1990, at the Barker Hangar in Santa Monica, California. It was broadcast on Fox and recognized artists whose success was reflected in Billboard’s year-end chart performance. The first show was hosted by Paul Shaffer, Morris Day, and Jerome Benton.
The awards differed from voting-based honors such as the Grammys because Billboard categories were built around measurable chart achievements. Depending on the category, those measurements included record sales, radio airplay, album performance, and later streaming and social activity.
A common mix-up is assuming the event began in 1991 or 1992 because those ceremonies are also widely documented and the awards have changed substantially over time. The show was held annually from 1990 through 2006, then paused from 2007 to 2010 before returning in 2011. Its category names also evolved: many original “Number One” or “Artist of the Year” titles were changed to the modern “Top” format in 2011.