American Music Awards 2013: The Top 5 Biggest Moments

By Michael Howard November 25, 2013

The 2013 American Music Awards were filled with big moments that had everyone buzzing. Here are 5 of the top moments from Sunday night's show. From Taylor Swift and Justin Timberlake's big win to Rihanna's "cute" mom. Here are the top moments:

2013 AMAs: Complete Winners' List and Highlights

1. Rihanna's "Iconic" Moment

Singer Rihanna was presented with the first ever AMA Icon Award. Bill Maher presented the award to the "Diamonds" singer. Rihanna's mentor, Jay Z, gave her a video message and her mother came out on stage to give the singer her big award.

In an emotional moment her mother, Monica Braithwaite, described Rihanna's rise to "icon" status.

"Rihanna, I am so proud of you tonight," Braithwaite said. "I know the journey in your career has not always been an easy one, but tonight I applaud you and admire you for being so strong and so positive and so humble and so focused."

American Music Awards 2013: Hits and Misses on the Red Carpet

Justin Timberlake even had to comment how "cute" Rihanna's mom was at one point during the night.

Rihanna, 25, has surpassed 10 million albums sold in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

2. Justin Timberlake & Taylor Swift Win Big

Justin Timberlake and Taylor Swift were the big winners of the night. The show started off with Swift presenting Timberlake with the award for Favorite Pop/Rock Male artist. Timberlake thanked the "lovely" Swift for presenting him with the award as they each took home three awards. Swift won the big award of the night Artist of the Year.

3. TLC Reunion + Lil' Mama Pays Tribute to Late Member Left Eye

In another big moment, 90s R&B girl group TLC had a reunion performance. They performed their hit song "Waterfalls" with rapper Lil' Mama, who was helping pay tribute to late member Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes. The group has seen resurgence in the pop music world after a hit VH1 bio-pic that showed the group's rise to fame.

4. Jennifer Lopez Honors Queen of Salsa

Jennifer Lopez paid tribute to a musical legend in a very big way during the show. Lopez's performance honored Cuban singer Celia Cruz. Lopez changed looks three different times in the show-stopping number.

"I know that a lot of fans who will watch the show will know who she was, but we will also educate a lot of people reminding them of the impact she had in the music scene, not just in Latin American countries, but also in the United States," Lopez told The Associated Press.

5. Favorite Rap/Hip-Hop Album Winner Macklemore pays tribute to Trayvon Martin

Macklemore and Ryan Lewis won the award for Favorite Rap/Hip-Hop album and used their platform to address Trayvon Martin's death.

"I want to acknowledge Trayvon Martin and the hundreds and hundreds of kids each year that are dying due to racial profiling and the violence that follows it," Macklemore said.

"This is really happening. These are our friends, our neighbors, our peers, and our fans, and it's time that we look out for the youth and fight against racism and the laws that protect it", Macklemore added.

The shooting death of Trayvon Martin and the circumstances surrounding the case had a profound impact on the hip-hop community. Hip-Hop mogul Jay-Z and his wife Beyonce were among those that attended "Justice for Trayvon" rallies and some rappers wore T-shirts with Martin's face on them.

Bonus: Miley's Crying Cat

No music awards show is complete without something strange/bizarre/outlandish from Miley Cyrus that gets social media buzzing. This time it was a giant animated cat crying diamonds while she performed "Wrecking Ball."