Travis Scott makes first major public appearance since Astroworld at Billboard Music Awards 2022

The rapper has only given one performance since a crowd crush at his Houston festival killed 10 people

Travis Scott made his first major public appearance since the Astroworld tragedy at the Billboard Music Awards 2022 tonight (May 15).

A crowd crush at the Houston festival, which is run by the rapper, left 10 people dead last October.

Scott has only given one performance since the tragedy, appearing at the Miami nightclub E11even earlier this month (May 8). The rapper was on-stage for approximately 45 minutes, performing several of his best-known songs such as ‘Goosebumps’ and ‘Sicko Mode’. MigosQuavo also joined Scott on-stage for a rendition of their 2017 single ‘Dubai Shit’.

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During the BBMAs tonight, the star gave a two-song performance, rapping from inside the set of a box, covered in white on the inside. Scott was also wearing a white t-shirt, alongside beige fur trousers. He aired versions of ‘Mafia’ and his James Blake collaboration ‘Lost Forever’. Watch footage of the performance below.

The BBMAs 2022’s host Diddy said in the days leading up to the ceremony that he was directly involved in Scott getting the gig. “I made a request. I made a demand. I said, ‘My brother Travis Scott has to perform,” he said. “And NBC said yes.”

In an interview with Billboard, the host spoke about both Scott and country star Morgan Wallen being booked for the event. Wallen was banned from last year’s ceremony after footage of him using a racial slur surfaced online.

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“Travis went through a tragedy; Morgan [used the N-word] while talking to his boy. People make mistakes. Now we’re moving on with love and respect for everybody that was hurt or affected. It’s time to forgive,” he explained.

“To have Morgan and Travis be able to come back and touch the stage again with the mindset of getting a second chance at life. Everybody in the room is getting a second chance at life, you know, because we’re back outside with no masks on. We need love and I’m excited about celebrating that.”

The majority of the awards at the Billboard Music Awards 2022 were handed out during a pre-show livestream on TikTok. Going into the ceremony, Olivia Rodrigo and Kanye West lead the winners with six awards each.

The Weeknd had the most nominations at the BBMAs 2022 with 17 nods, with Doja Cat following behind on 14. She has picked up the first award of the main ceremony, taking home the trophy for Top R&B Artist.

Diddy opened the awards show with the help of Bryson Tiller, Jack Harlow and Teyana Taylor, before Silk Sonic brought a cover of Con Funk Shun’s ‘Love’s Train’ to Vegas. Latto also made her debut appearance at the awards ceremony, with a performance of ‘Big Energy’.

Other performances tonight will come from the likes of Machine Gun Kelly, Florence + The Machine, Ed Sheeran and more. Morgan Wallen’s performance was quickly criticised by viewers as “tone deaf”, with him taking to the stage shortly after messages about social justice and anti-racism.

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