Thanks to the worldwide success of her MDNA Tour, Madonna was honored as the Top Touring Artist at the 2013 Billboard Music Awards, held on Sunday night (May 19) at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.
The legendary diva took the stage with a touch of sass, following an introduction by Will.i.am that was set to the tune of "Like a Virgin." Referring to a preceding montage of MDNA footage, she proclaimed, "It took longer to negotiate whether I could show my ass in that trailer than it took to negotiate that tour!"
With that out of the way, Madge delved into a laundry list of thank you's, including choreographers Rich and Tone Talauega, costume designer Arianne Phillips, musical director Kevin Antunes, set designer Mark Fisher, Live Nation's Arthur Fogel, and of course, her fans. She also thanked her four children, two of which accompanied her on the blockbuster tour.
"They say that it takes a village to raise a child," Madonna said, with her notecards humbly visible. "It took several international villages to put my show together."
The 88-show MDNA tour grossed $305 million, according to Billboard Boxscore. It's the pop icon's latest chart landmark in a career full of them, including records for Hot 100 top 10 singles (38 of her overall 56 Hot 100 hits) and Dance Club Songs No. 1s (43).
