As some the Academy Awards and the Grammys pass by, pop enthusiasts begin to eagerly anticipate the Billboard Music Awards. Another opportunity to roll out the Red Carpet and comment on the various celebrities fashion faux pas and triumphs, the three-hour live broadcast from Las Vegas was all about the glitz, the glam and the sparkle.

Top 5 2012 Billboard Music Awards Fashion Highlights

Alicia Keys and Swizz Beatz: Proving that less is more, Keys’ curve-hugging black Azzedine Alaia couture gown was the fashion coup de’etat of the evening. A classic design, the starlet managed to spice up her look with her braided Mohawk hairdo and Repossi earrings. Swizz Beatz held his own alongside his stunning wife in a sharp, crisp white suit. Together the two fashionably represented the music industry’s best of the best, stealing the limelight from usual contenders, Rihanna and Beyonce.   

Miley Cyrus: It goes without saying that Miley’s barely-there stark white blazer garnered more publicity that the actual show. Paired with a gold pendant and strappy black and white heels, the plunging one-piece ensemble was courtesy of French designer Jean-Paul Gaultier. Cyrus’ bare-all Billboard Awards outfit received mixed reviews from the fashion world. Some said the garment was on-trend (and if you have the pins- flash them)! While many commentators gave Miley a thumbs-down for leaving the bottom-half of her twinset in the Limo on the way to the show. 

Usher and Jordon Sparks: Stepping out solo, both Usher and Jordan Sparks wore risky eclectic blue numbers that both hit a fashion bullseye. Usher stepped it up in a bright blue suit with a chambray button-up. Quite a risky move on his part, his minty-fresh perspective left a good impression on the whole. Jordan Sparks on the other hand looked fabulous in a lovely leather and velvet dress that accentuated her trim figure. Singing a tribute to Whitney Houston, Sparks’ pipes matched the upbeat tempo of the Billboard Awards and livened up the three-hour run substantially.  

Carrie Underwood: A cupcake in the making, Carrie Underwood’s princess-themed gown was as ‘Barbie’ as they come. Landing up somewhere between glitz and glam, the starlet left us with nothing but schmaltz. Between her and Natasha Bedingfield’s sea-foam mermaid get-up, the two managed to turn the Billboard Awards’ red carpet into an out-of-place Disney tribute.   

An improvement from the 2011 U.S. Billboard Awards, all contenders managed to stick to the outlandish dress code that is usually encouraged. Pushing the boundaries of good taste and providing some notable looks for the books, the fashion gamut was a mixed basket of the good, the bad, and the ugly- and we expected nothing less. 

Bella Gray is a fashion blogger who has a penchant for ensembles with linen trousers. A lover of couture and all things related, Gray is the perfect go-to-gal for all your fashion titbits and gossip.