Justin Bieber takes home 4 American Music Awards

The boys were back in town at the 38th American Music Awards Sunday night, or at least the boy was, as 16-year-old Justin Bieber took home his four AMA glass pyramids at the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles - including for Artist of the Year, making him the youngest person to win that award. When he did so, he invited his "mentor, best friend and big brother" Usher up to the stage with him.

Usher himself took two awards, for Soul/R&B Album and Soul/R&B Male Artist - the second-most number of awards in a wide array that was only tied by rapper Eminem. Among the nominees, country trio Lady Antebellum tied with Eminem for the most nominations, with five each.

Eminem, whose nods included Artist of the Year, won for Favorite Rap/Hip-Hop Male Artist and Favorite Rap/Hip-Hop Album (for "Recovery"). His "Love the Way You Lie," a duet with Rihanna, opened the show in style, with the R&B babe performing with a forest of fiber optics and tribal drums in a medley of her own hits "What's My Name?" and "Only Girl."

Other performers included the Black Eyed Peas in a spectacular number with black-clad dancers wearing glowing white cube-heads, and the band itself in four glass elevators, performed "The Time"; Pink in a rousing "Raise Your Glass," with a cast of thousands that made it seem like a mini jukebox-musical; Ne-Yo and a sultry solo female dancer, set to his "Champagne Life," "Telekinesis" and "Beautiful Monster"; Taylor Swift at an elevated piano singing her just-released "Back to December," which is rumored to be about "Twilight's" Taylor Lautner; and Ke$ha, performing "Take It Off" in what appeared to be a very cool homage to '80s sci-fi-inspired music videos.

The show closed with a reunion of the Backstreet Boys and New Kids on the Block, together in an oddly nostalgic but upbeat number with old-school arena pyrotechnics.