Taylor Swift Picked Up Most Trophies At The America Movie Award

Singer Taylor Swift has been voted the American Music Awards' artist of the year for a third time.

The 23-year-old also won country album of the year for Red and favourite female country artist and pop/rock artist, giving her four trophies altogether.

"My lucky number is 13, and so far you guys have made 2013 the most magical year of my life," she told the audience at the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles.

"I cannot thank you enough. This validates that if you voted for this, that we are heartbroken the same way and we fall in love the same way and we're happy the same way.

"And the fact that you would listen to my music means ... we're pretty much in it together, aren't we?"

Justin Timberlake was the next most successful artist with three wins - soul/R&B album, soul/R&B male artist and pop/rock male artist.

One Direction and Macklemore & Ryan Lewis won two awards, and Rihanna was given the AMA's first Icon Award to go with her favourite soul/R&B female artist trophy.

Miley Cyrus brought the show to a close

Macklemore and Lewis, who appeared via live satellite from Miami, used their acceptance speech to raise concerns about racism.

Rapper Macklemore - real name Ben Haggerty - said: "Due to the fact that we are in Florida tonight accepting this award 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.

"This is really happening. These are our friends, our neighbours, 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."

Nickelodeon star Ariana Grande was named favourite new artist, while Florida Georgia Line won single of the year for Cruise featuring Nelly.

The show was opened by Katy Perry who performed Unconditionally from her Prism album dressed as a Japanese princess.

There were also performances by Jennifer Lopez and Lady Gaga and R Kelly who played an American president and a woman resembling Marilyn Monroe for the number Do What U Want.

Rihanna appeared with her mother and Miley Cyrus closed the show with the song Wrecking Ball assisted by a giant lip-syncing CGI cat.

The performance ended with the tabby winking and sticking out its tongue - Cyrus' signature move.