Adam Lambert, center, performs during the closing of the Annual American Music Awards on Sunday. (Matt Sayles/Associated Press)Michael Jackson made history by winning four American Music Awards posthumously on Sunday night, but he couldn't beat Taylor Swift as the year's favourite artist.

The 19-year-old took the evening's top award, giving Jackson his only loss of the night, and five trophies in all. She accepted her awards live via satellite from London.

The victories came during a performance-filled show that closed with a sexually charged performance by Adam Lambert.

Jackson's trophies were accepted by his brother Jermaine, who paid tribute to his late brother by wearing a glittery white glove. He accepted two of his brother's awards, thanking "Allah for blessing my entire family" and naming each of his siblings.

Jermaine Jackson accepts the American Music Award for best soul R&B favorite male artist on behalf of his late brother, Michael Jackson. (Matt Sayles/Associated Press)He said the message of Michael, who died in June at age 50, is more important than any award.

"The message that Michael had will live on forever," he said. "He saw good in everyone and he wanted everyone to do good. He always started with love."

Top male artist

Jackson was named favourite male artist in the pop/rock and soul/R&B categories. His 2003 greatest hits album, Number Ones, was named favourite album in both categories.

Jackson's victories were among the highlights of the evening, which also featured a jaw-dropping performance from Lady Gaga and a special award for Whitney Houston.

Lady Gaga, wearing an Alien -inspired headdress and a vest filled with lights, performed songs from her new album, The Fame Monster, due in stores this week.

She used her microphone to break into a glass case where a grand piano stood. It caught fire when she sat down to play.

The American Music Awards honour the year's top-selling artists in eight popular genres. But even more than awards, the AMAs are about performances, and they came back-to-back-to-back on Sunday.

The Black Eyed Peas, voted favourite pop/rock band, energized the crowd when they performed two of the year's most popular hits: I Got a Feeling and Boom Boom Pow.

Dancers wearing outfits made from stereo speakers shared the stage with Fergie, Taboo, apl.de.ap and will.i.am, who wore a pompadour wig. The high-energy medley melted into a Nirvana sample at the end, with will.i.am rocking on guitar.

Rihanna returned to the AMA stage, sporting blond hair, a skintight, white peek-a-boo bodysuit and a tattoo down the front of her neck that read "Rated R," the name of her new album, out this week.

Janet Jackson opened the show with a medley of some of the biggest hits from her long career — all tracks that appear on her new greatest-hits collection, also called Number Ones.

Alicia Keys and Jay-Z sang their ode to New York City. Shakira was flanked by a dozen dancers in tiny black bodysuits as she sang her new single. And Kelly Clarkson performed a stripped-down version of her hit Already Gone, backed by a string quartet.

Jennifer Lopez added a boxing motif to her dance-filled performance, but slipped during a tricky move and landed on her bottom.

Green Day lead singer Billie Joe Armstrong said the show left him star-struck.

"When you see all the talent that's in the room" like Jay-Z and Lady Gaga, he said backstage, "it's like, 'Holy-moly, these are huge people.'"

Rihanna was among the acts who took to the stage for the performance-packed American Music Awards gala in Los Angeles on Sunday. (Matt Sayles/Associated Press)