Best and worst moments of the 2016 American Music Awards

Yes, Green Day's Trump condemnation makes the cut.
 By 
Erin Strecker
 on 
Best and worst moments of the 2016 American Music Awards
Musicians Billie Joe Armstrong, Tre Cool and Mike Dirnt of Green Day perform onstage during the 2016 American Music Awards Credit: Kevin Winter/Getty Images

Thank goodness for Green Day.

Despite this being a fairly tumultuous time in America, for the most part the performers kept things strictly about the music at the 2016 American Music Awards Sunday night, eschewing the chance to publicly address the president-elect -- save for a powerful chant from the punk rockers late in the broadcast.

Additionally, fans got a taste of Lady Gaga's powerful pipes, Drake remembered where he came from and more.


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Check out the best and worst moments of the American Music Awards below.

BEST: Niall Horan's solo performance He doesn't get the headlines of fellow former One Directioners Harry Styles and Zayn Malik, but his guitar-heavy performance of first single "This Town" was a nice, Ed Sheeran-esque slow burner. Teens are bound to get something right occasionally!

WORST: Gigi Hadid's Melania Trump impression No one needed this.

BEST: Drake Shouts Out Degrassi While accepting the award for best hip-hop album, a smiling Drake gave a shout out to presenter Nina Debrov, noting the two go way back to their time on Degrassi. JIMMY FOREVER.

WORST: The Chainsmokers After an embarrassing performance of their hit "Closer" at the VMAs, the duo were looking to redeem themselves. They were fine, but nothing special. Halsey, who soared, deserves better from her duet partners.

BEST: Drake's Apple Commercial We should have seen it coming. After Taylor Swift's "Jumpman" Apple commercial, it was only a matter of time before Drake made his own. Cut to him lifting weights and singing along to "Bad Blood." Honestly, it was pretty cute.

WORST: Fifth Harmony Channels The Hunger Games Fifth Harmony's "That's My Girl" is a great workout jam... but their take on Sexy Dystopia (similar to the official video) is always going to be eye roll-y.

BEST: Lady Gaga Sings When your vocals are in a whole other category as everyone else performing tonight, it shows. Gaga broke out a guitar and got in touch with her country roots for a low-key performance of Joanne's ballad "Million Reasons."

WORST: Jay Pharoah's Kanye Rant Pharoah is an excellent impressionist, so it's too bad the material -- particularly a bit where he read off "Kanye's" pre-written rant -- wasn't as funny as many fans were hoping.

BEST: Green Day Takes on Trump The band that gave us American Idiot were the exact right people to deliver a political moment -- and midway through a performance of "Bang! Bang!" they sure did, repeatedly chanting, "NO TRUMP, NO KKK, NO FASCIT USA."

Your 2004-era crush on Billie Joe Armstrong remains justified.

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Erin Strecker

I'm the Entertainment Editor at Mashable. Reach me at [email protected]

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