Taylor Swift uses Calvin Harris' real name in iHeart Radio Awards acceptance speech
LOS ANGELES -- Taylor Swift and her crew had a winning night at the iHeartRadio Music Awards. Bestie Selena Gomez and boyfriend Calvin Harris each won early awards, while Swift claimed two.
When she accepted the first award of the night Sunday, Female Artist of the Year, Swift thanked "my girlfriends and the women in my life" for encouraging her to turn pop. And when she returned to accept Best Tour honors for "The 1989 World Tour," Swift mentioned Harris (real name: Adam Wiles) specifically.
"For the first time, I had the most amazing person to come home to when the spotlight went out and when the crowds were all gone," Swift said. "So I want to thank my boyfriend, Adam, for that."
Harris won dance artist of the year. Gomez took the "biggest triple threat" award.
U2 was recognized with the Innovator Award by last year's winner, Pharrell Williams. Bono and the Edge accepted the award.
"The thing that might be the most innovative about our band is we are a real band," Edge said. "We are still in our high school band."
Adele won the best song award for "Hello," which she accepted via video from a performance in Birmingham, England.
Other winners included Fetty Wap (best new artist), Pitbull (Latin artist of the year) and Chris Brown (R&B artist of the year). All three men also performed during the show.
Brown thanked "everybody who supported me through all the worst times in my life and the positive times in my life."
"I tend to not have a filter sometimes, and I go off on a lot of people," said Brown, who has been dogged by legal troubles since pleading guilty to felony charges in 2009 for beating then-girlfriend Rihanna. "But the music stays the same."
Justin Bieber and Meghan Trainor were the first artists to take the stage. Bieber showed off his new dreadlocks as he performed a mash-up of "Love Yourself" and "Company." He returned to the stage as a winner later in the night, sharing in the dance song of the year award with Diplo and Skrillex for "Where Are U Now."
Trainor debuted her new single, "No." Demi Lovato sang "Stone Cold" while Brad Paisley accompanied her on guitar. Other performers included DNCE and Bebe Rexha with G-Eazy.
The third annual iHeartRadio Music Awards, where winners are chosen by fan votes, is being broadcast live on TNT and TBS from the Forum in Inglewood, California.