Australian Christian group Hillsong Worship joined Ed Sheeran, Taylor Swift, Kendrick Lamar and Bruno Mars as winners at the Billboard Music Awards in Las Vegas.
Hillsong Worship won the top Christian song category for What A Beautiful Name.
The ceremony, at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas on Sunday, started on a sombre note with host Kelly Clarkson dismissing a planned moment of silence for the victims of last week's Santa Fe, Texas, school shooting and instead called for action to end gun violence.
"I'm so sick of moments of silence," a weeping Texas-born Clarkson told the audience.
"It's not working so why don't we do a moment of action or a moment of change and change what is happening because it is horrible."
The ceremony also included survivors of Florida's recent Marjory Stoneman Douglas high school shooting tragedy singing their song, Youth, with artists Shawn Mendes and Khalid.
Hillsong Worship and another offshoot group from Sydney's globally popular Hillsong Church, Hillsong UNITED, were nominated against each other in two other Billboard categories, top Christian artist and Christian album.
Both missed out.
MercyMe won top Christian artist and Alan Jackson, for Precious Memories Collection, took the Christian album award.
Hillsong Worship were not in Las Vegas for the awards.
"So honoured to receive this award for #WhatABeautifulName," the group wrote in a tweet.
"It's not about awards, it's all about #JESUS #RememberWhyWeDoThis."
Sheeran took Billboard's biggest honour, top artist, as well as wins for top male artist, Hot 100 artist, song sales artist, radio songs artist and radio Song.
Swift won the top female artist and top selling album awards.
Lamar collected the top Billboard 200 album, rap artist, rap male artist and rap album.
Mars won top R&B artist, R&B male artist, R&B tour, R&B album and R&B song.
Imagine Dragons also received wins for top duo/group, rock artist, rock album and rock song.
The Billboard nominees and winners are based on key fan interactions with music, including album and digital song sales, streaming, radio airplay, touring and social engagement based on the chart period of April 8, 2017 through March 31 this year.
Australian Associated Press
