Billboard Music Awards 2016 highlights: Emotional Celine Dion, Rihanna and Kesha's soulful performance and more

The 2016 Billboard Music Awards was aired live from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on 22 May on ABC. Hosted by Ludacris and Ciara, the highly-anticipated BBMAs not only saw some soul-stirring performances, but also some emotional meltdowns as stars paid their tributes and dedicated their achievements to those they loved.

Among the singers who performed during the coveted event, Celine Dion stole the show with her rendition of The Show Must Go On. Decked in a gorgeous silver gown, the 48-year-old songstress swept the audience off their feet as she belted out the Queen's classic at the Billboard Music Awards.

"I think at this moment in her life, the song has many meanings," Mark Bracco told People praising Dion's choice of song for the event.

Later, the teary-eyed mother-of-three accepted the BBMAs Icon Award from her son Rene-Charles Angelil. "René, this one's for you," Dion said fighting tears as she dedicated the award to her late husband Rene Angelil, who passed away just four months back.

"So many people helped me get where I am today ... most especially I want to thank the fans for traveling through music with me in good and bad times," the My Heart Will Go On singer said thanking her fans.

Meanwhile, Work hitmaker Rihanna decided to treat her fans to a soulful performance at the 2016 Billboard Music Awards. Sporting a stylish off-shoulder pants suit, the Barbadian singer performed to Love On The Brain during the Las Vegas event. Rihanna, who also won the Billboard chart achievement award, went on to thank her fans, "I have to thank, obviously, my fans and also my supporters ... who are inspired by the art I do and make."

Kesha crooned to the audience a cover of Bob Dylan's It Ain't Me, Babe. The singer-performer, who was accompanied onstage by songwriter Ben Folds, received a standing ovation from the crowd after the performance.

Singer-couple Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani raised the heat at the Billboard Music Awards as they sang their new duet Go Ahead And Break My Heart. Although they were nervous before unveiling this personal song on The Voice, the couple seemed at ease as they performed together onstage on Sunday night.

In the words of Shelton, the new duet is "about some serious insecurities that we [Shelton and Stefani] had when we first started down this road with each other,"