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Gemma Peplow, arts and entertainment reporter

Drake cleaned up, Mariah Carey was crowned an icon and a candy-coloured Taylor Swift brought the house down at the Billboard Music Awards 2019.

Other stars who attended the ceremony at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas included Madonna, the Jonas Brothers, Cardi B, Paula Abdul, BTS and Jennifer Hudson, with the event hosted by Kelly Clarkson.

Unlike other awards ceremonies, including the Grammys, there is no body of experts deciding who wins at the Billboards, with prizes instead handed out based on album and digital songs sales, streaming, radio airplay, touring, and social engagement.

Here are the main talking points from the celebrity-filled event.

Drake makes Billboard history - and thanks his mum for piano lessons

The Canadian rapper and singer won the awards for (deep breath): top artist, top male artist, top song sales, top rap artist, top rap male... you get the idea. Basically, a lot of acceptance speeches.

He picked up 12 in total, making him the biggest winner of the night, as well as the most decorated artist in Billboard history, taking the title from Taylor Swift with a career total of 27.

After winning the top prize for best artist, he praised his mother, saying: "I want to thank my mom for all the times you drove me to piano when I didn't want to do piano, all the times you drove me to basketball and hockey - that clearly didn't work out...

"No matter how long it took me to figure out what I wanted to do, you were always there to give me a ride and now we're all on one hell of a ride."

Well done, Mother Drake.

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All hail Mariah Carey, Billboard icon

An emotional Mariah Carey said she "always felt like an outsider" as she was presented with the Billboard icon award, following in the footsteps of the likes of Cher, Prince and Stevie Wonder.

One of the most acclaimed singers of her generation, Carey has shifted hundreds of millions of records and enjoyed success across the world.

The star brought the audience to their feet as she performed a medley of her greatest hits.

"Icon? I really don't think of myself in that way," she said in her speech. "I started making music out of a necessity to survive and to express myself."

With her eight-year-old twins watching in the audience, she said: "I guess I have always felt like an outsider, someone who doesn't quite belong anywhere and I still feel like that lost, inter-racial child who had a lot of nerve to believe I could succeed at anything at all in this world."

The star said music has been her "saving grace" and that her fans have "lifted me out of the depths of hell and brought me back with devotion and love".

She continued: "And to anyone who ever told me that a song I wrote helped save their life, I thank you, because you saved mine and I'll be eternally grateful for that."

Carey also referenced her famous diva reputation, saying: "There have been a few memes."

Taylor Swift and Brendon Urie bring ME! video to life

You can always rely on Taylor to bring her A-game.

Opening the awards, she gave an energetic performance of her comeback single, ME!, a duet with Panic! At The Disco's Brendon Urie.

Wearing matching shimmering outfits, the performance brought to life the song's all-singing, all-dancing, sugar-coated video - which broke viewing records after it was launched earlier this month.

Earlier, Swift had arrived on the red carpet with two of her pet cats, who make a cameo in the video.

Ella Mai wins for the UK

British singer Ella Mai picked up the awards for top R&B female artist, top R&B album and top R&B artist overall, beating the likes of H.E.R, Khalid, The Weeknd and XXXTentacion, who was shot dead last year.

Mai was born in London but moved to New York as a child and has experienced more success in her adopted country, thanks to her number one hit Boo'd Up.

Taking home the first award of the night, she thanked her family, friends and the man who discovered her, DJ Mustard.

"Mustard taking a chance on me, seriously, I appreciate you, more than the world can ever, ever understand," she said.

Ed Sheeran was another British winner, being named top touring artist.

Imagine Dragons highlight LGBTQ issues

Rock band Imagine Dragons called for a ban on conversion therapy as they highlighted LGBTQ issues in their acceptance speech for the top rock group award.

Frontman Dan Reynolds took the opportunity to condemn the pseudo-scientific practice used to change an individual's sexual orientation, which is outlawed on under-18s in 16 states, but legal in the 34 others.

"I just want to take this moment to say that there are 34 states that have no laws banning conversion therapy," he said.

"Thirty-four. And on top of that, 58% of our LGBTQ population live in those states. This can change but it's going to take all of us talking to our state legislation, pushing forward laws to protect our LGBTQ youth."

BTS named top social artists - for third year in a row

K-pop stars BTS took home the prize for top social artists for the third year in a row, seeing off competition from the likes of Ariana Grande and Louis Tomlinson.

With almost 20 million Twitter followers and more than 17 million Instagram fans, their social accounts are certainly not looking too shabby.

However, they've still got a way to go to break Justin Bieber's record; the star won the award for six years in a row before BTS stole his crown, and has more than 100 million Twitter and Insta followers apiece.

The Korean band, who were also named top duo/group, performed at the ceremony, taking to the stage to deafening screams.

Sophie Turner and Joe Jonas host the after-party of all after-parties

If footage by DJ Diplo is anything to go by, Sophie Turner and Joe Jonas are now married.

The pair apparently wed in an Elvis-endorsed Las Vegas ceremony after attending the awards.

Game Of Thrones actress Turner presented a prize at the ceremony, and was also there to support Jonas, who performed with his brothers.

She cheered the Jonas Brothers on alongside Priyanka Chopra, who married Nick Jonas last year, and Danielle Jonas, who has been married to Kevin Jonas since 2009.