Flavor Flav shows off his bling as fans cheer his arrival at the Billboard Music Awards at the MGM Grand Garden arena on Monday. Photos by Jane Kalinowsky. Dave Navarro leans in to kiss Corey Millington, 8, at Monday's Billboard Music Awards at the MGM Grand Garden arena.

There Def Leppard was, mingling with Boyz II Men, while Dave Navarro talked up his chest hair.

"Don't ever get a wax, dude," Navarro advised on the crowded red carpet to the Billboard Music Awards on Monday afternoon, his shirt unbuttoned to reveal a few patches of pectoral fuzz.

"I did it once," he added with a wince.

The scene encapsulated the night that would follow: It was loose, eclectic and occasionally embarrassing.

Unlike most awards ceremonies, this one is pretty much a gaudy, go-for-broke spectacle with little suspense.

There were cameos from Charo, livestock onstage at one point and a strange homage to cult musical "The Wiz," but not a whole lot of plot twists.

The awards are based on album sales and radio airplay, so it's really no big surprise who's going to win each category.

Just read the charts, and you'll have a pretty good idea.

"It's not politically motivated," Kenny Chesney said of the show backstage.

Indeed, the awards almost seem like an afterthought, and only a handful of them are handed out during the actual ceremony. Instead, the show leans more towards performances, which were a mixed bag this year.

Janet Jackson opened the night, baring her midriff and her weathered voice.

Still, she fared better than Fergie from the Black Eyed Peas, who delivered a rough take on her hit "Fergalicious," struggling to keep up with the beat, showing off her toned body, which suggested that she's more adept at doing sit-ups than rapping.

Rappers Ludacris and Young Jeezy took the stage together for the aforementioned tribute to "The Wiz," while Gwen Stefani performed her latest single, "Wind It Up," accompanied by sheep.

"There was a sheep onstage. Did you see that?" comedian Chris Katan asked afterwards as he was presenting an award with Carmen Electra.

"Are you gonna hook up with it later?" Electra then asked on cue, trying to be funny, but not trying hard enough.

As for the awards that did get handed out, the night's big winner was steely R&B star Mary J. Blige, who took home a whopping nine trophies, including R&B/Hip-Hop Artist of the Year and Female R&B/Hip-Hop Artist of the Year.

"I've never won this many awards ever in my career," she said after the show.

Other repeat winners included rapper T.I., who won for Rap Artist of the Year, Rap Album of the Year and topped three other categories. Country songstress Carrie Underwood also landed five awards, including Album of the Year and Country Album of the Year.

Young R&B crooner Chris Brown took home the biggest award of the night for Artist of the Year, while also winning for Male Artist of the Year and New Artist of the Year.

"I didn't ever expect this," Brown said of his Artist of the Year win. "I was looking at the other nominees, like Nickelback, and they're big artists. I'm little Chris Brown."

Rising rockers The Fray, radio staples Nickelback and Barbados-born popster Rihanna also earned three awards apiece.

Chesney took home a pair of trophies for Male Country Artist of the Year and Country Songs Artist of the Year. Nelly Furtado won Pop Single of the Year for "Promiscuous."

Stevie Wonder paid tribute to Tony Bennett, who was awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award.

Las Vegas native Ne-Yo was named Best New R&B/Hip-Hop Act, returning to the town where he grew up.

"I'm definitely planning on going to mom's house," Ne-Yo said of his stop in Vegas. "I haven't had a home-cooked meal in a minute."

Las Vegas' The Killers were scheduled to perform at the show, but the band had to cancel after frontman Brandon Flowers lost his voice. The band did make an appearance, however, presenting the Artist of the Year award with Courtney Love.

The night then ended with a ragged all-star jam session where Kid Rock, Nickelback's Chad Kroeger and ZZ Top's Billy Gibbons teamed up to mangle Top's "Tush."

Only Gibbons seemed to know how to play the song, while Rock croaked through the tune haphazardly, hitting notes seemingly at random, wheezing like a winded water buffalo.

It was an odd, perplexing, slightly nonsensical moment -- meaning that it was a suitable climax for this night.