Shawn Mendes wins big at MTV awards

Shawn Mendes was in the spotlight at the 2017 MTV EMAs, as the Canadian singer took home three of the five prizes for which he was nominated.

In addition to being named best artist, beating out Taylor Swift and Ed Sheeran, Mendes also won the award for best song for his hit "There's Nothing Holdin' Me Back" and the prize for having the best fans.

The latter award was determined via social media by counting trending hashtags on Twitter and Instagram in the run-up to Sunday's ceremony.

The 19-year-old Mendes, who brought his grandmother along to London's SSE Arena to celebrate his great success, is already considered a fixture on the pop music landscape, having launched his career in 2013 posting song covers online.

This year's award for best newcomer, meanwhile, went to 22-year-old British singer-songwriter Dua Lipa, who found success with her record-breaking single, "New Rules."

'Blank Space' for Swift

Swift, who had nominations in six categories, was left empty-handed by the end of the evening, much to the surprise of those who had expected her to be the big winner. Katy Perry, Swift's sworn rival, also failed to bag any awards.

Other favorites included rapper Kendrick Lamar, who won the award for best video for his hit single "Humble" but failed to show up to receive his prize. Cuban singer Camila Cabello was named best pop artist.

French DJ and music producer David Guetta, who recently celebrated his 50th birthday, was named best electronic artist while British band Coldplay celebrated their comeback, winning best rock artist.

Also marking a long-awaited comeback was Eminem, who performed at the top of the show and was later singled out as best hip-hop artist. The 45-year-old rapper was, however, admittedly surprised about the win, having only released a single this year.

"I don't know how I got this because I haven't had an album out in a few years," he said.

'Beautiful Day' for U2

Rock legends U2 were honored for their four decades of groundbreaking work with the Global Icon award. The Irish band performed at London's Trafalgar Square on Saturday evening, celebrating the landmark honor in advance.

The award came just days after U2 frontman Bono was among the figures named in a leak of tax-haven documents known as the Paradise Papers.

US actor Jared Leto, whose band 30 Seconds to Mars took home the award for best alternative artist, presented the award to U2, saying the band had changed his life.

"Their songs are prayers, their concerts a church," he said. "They challenge us, they inspire us."

In a first for the EMAs, which were created in 1994 and formerly known as the MTV Europe Music Awards, the categories were stripped of gender in a bid to "break barriers." The event takes place in a different city each year, with London playing host for the first time since 1996.