Taylor Swift sweeps top prize at American Music Awards

One Direction arrive at the 41st American Music Awards in Los Angeles, California November 24, 2013. [Photo/Agencies]

Photos: 41st American Music Awards

Newcomer hip-hop duo Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, who led the nominees on Sunday with six nods and came away with two wins including best rap/hip-hop artist, used their acceptance speech to address a social issue.

"I want to acknowledge Trayvon Martin and the hundreds and hundreds of kids who die every year due to racial profiling ... it's time we look out for the youth and fight racism and the laws that protect it," Macklemore said. Martin, an unarmed black teenager, was shot dead in Florida in 2012. A jury this year cleared the shooter, George Zimmerman, who is white and Hispanic, of second-degree murder.

The American Music Awards nominees and winners are chosen by the public, who vote online and via Twitter, and the awards are given out during a live three-hour ceremony held at the Nokia Theater in Los Angeles and broadcast on ABC.

British boy band One Direction, whose fans were lined up outside the red carpet to get a glimpse of them, beat Swift and Timberlake for the best pop/rock album for "Take Me Home" and also won favorite pop/rock group. Other winners included Luke Bryan for favorite male country artist, Swedish DJ Avicii as favorite electronic dance music artist, and singer Marc Anthony for favorite Latin artist.