Iggy Azalea Beats Eminem & Drake For Best Rap Artist & Album At AMA's

Iggy Azalea beat both Eminem and Drake in the Favorite Rap/Hip Hop Album and Artist categories at the 42nd American Music Awards earlier tonight (November 23). Azalea entered the night as the most nominated artist of the year with six nominations and left with her first American Music Award for The New Classic.

“This award is the first award I’ve ever won in my entire life, and it means so much to me that it is for best Hip Hop because that’s what inspired me to move to America and pursue my dreams, and it’s what helped me when I was a teenager to escape and to get through my life and to better times,” Azalea said in her acceptance speech. “And it means so much that I can stand here against Eminem and Drake and come out with this.”

Azalea’s award wins come just days after she responded to a lyric from Eminem’s song “Vegas” in which the Detroit rapper references Azalea and says, “You don’t wanna blow that rape whistle on me.”

After her win, T.I. introduced Azalea before she performed “Fancy.”

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“Alright guy, like it or not, women can rap,” he said. “And like it or not, regardless of size, color, or nationality women can run Hip Hop. That is the conclusion I came to instantly when I ran into my little sister, the most nominated artist of the evening.”

Pitbull hosted the award show for the second consecutive year and presenters included Aloe Blacc, Jamie Foxx, Rita Ora, and more.

A$AP Rocky performed his feature verse on Sam Smith’s “I’m Not the Only One” remix just after the singer won the award for Favorite Pop/Rock Male Artist.

“Black-ish” stars Anthony Anderson and Tracee Elliss ross introduced both Lil Wayne and Nicki Minaj. Lil Wayne and Christina Milan performed “Start A Fire” and Minaj performed her Pinkprintsong “Bed Of Lies” as Skylar Grey played the piano. Watch the performance below.