At the 2017 American Music Awards, many actors and artists took the opportunity to share uplifting messages during their acts. Throughout the year, the media has been filled with news of devastating natural disasters, hate crimes, and tumultuous politics. While there were many performances honoring those affected by these tragic events, there was a theme of positivity throughout the night.

Pink and Kelly Clarkson started the night with a tribute to natural disaster victims. They then went on to sing a duet of R.E.M’s 1992 track “Everybody Hurts,” which set the tone for the rest of the award show. Being a song that was originally written about teenage suicide, the song gets very serious. However, the core message of the song is about how nobody is ever alone, which contributed to the sense of unity throughout the night.

Black-ish actress Tracee Ellis Ross hosted the event. Although she is not a singer herself, Ellis Ross came across as an apparent fan of music throughout the show. Ellis Ross’s positive energy was also very apparent throughout the show. Not only is she a well known actress, but she is also the daughter of Diana Ross, who was awarded the lifetime achievement award this year. Diana Ross was honored with a montage of all her precious American Music Award appearances. The night felt like a family event, especially when Diana Ross invited her entire family on stage when accepting the award.

Many artists gave amazing performances throughout the night. Christina Aguilera paid tribute to Whitney Houston by singing a few of her famous hits including “I will Always Love you,” “I Have Nothing,” “Run to You,” and “I’m Every Woman.” Selena Gomez also appeared on stage for the first time since her kidney transplant.

As far as award winners, Bruno Mars was the big winner of the night, winning a total of seven American Music Awards. However, he was unable to attend the event. Record breaking “Despacito” was awarded a total of two awards. Fonsi was also not there to accept the award in person, however he gave his acceptance speech via video.

Overall, this year’s American Music Awards will be remembered for its many tributes and positive messages.