Sisqo steals Billboard show

Destiny's Child perform at the show

Pop stars Sisqo and Destiny's Child led the winners at the Billboard Music Awards in Las Vegas on Tuesday.

Sisqo, whose track The Thong Song was a worldwide hit earlier this year, won male artist of the year, new artist of the year and four other prizes at the ceremony.

Destiny's Child, who scored their first number one in the UK with Independent Women last month, took four awards including artist of the year and group of the year.

Boy band 'N Sync also took home four prizes, along with country act Dixie Chicks.

Sisqo's album Unleash The Dragon has made the 22-year-old one of the US music industry's biggest names in less than a year, after he split from soul group Dru Hill.

Sisqo's solo career has made him a US superstar

He pulled out a black thong as he told reporters: "I wasn't expecting to win that many."

The singer - whose real name is Mark Andrews - said he was most proud of his male artist of the year prize, saing it was "giving homage to you as an artist".

Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera also took home awards, with Spears receiving a noisy reception from fans shouting "your boyfriend drives me crazy" - a reference to N' Sync singer Justin Timberlake.

"This year has been, like, a dream come true for me," Spears said when she collected her award for albums artist of the year.

The awards are determined by Billboard magazine's year-end charts, which are based on sales and radio airplay.

Britney Spears thanks fans for her prize

Sharing the limelight with the pop stars was country singer Faith Hill, who won Hot 100 single of the year for Breathe, and two other prizes.

"I love singing Breathe, I've never gotten tired of singing that song," she said backstage at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.

Baha Men took world music album and artist of the year prizes for Who Let The Dogs Out - and dogs came running down the aisles of the arena when the group performed the album's title song.