Tool triumph at Billboard Music Awards, Metallica lose out to Elton John and Pink

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Tool win ‘Top Rock Album’ category at the 2020 Billboard Music Awards

Tool press shot
(Image credit: Travis Shinn)

Tool’s Fear Innoculum album has bagged the Top Rock Album award at the Billboard Music Awards, which were held in Los Angeles on October 14.

Maynard James Keenan’s band successfully held off challenges from Slipknot (We Are Not Your Kind), Tame Impala (The Slow Rush), The Lumineers (III) and Vampire Weekend (Father Of The Bride) to win the award.

However, the LA quartet lost out to Panic! At The Disco in the Top Rock Artist category, which also saw Tame Impala, Imagine Dragons and Twenty One Pilots nominated.

Metallica lost out in both categories in which they were nominated, being bettered by Pink in the Top Touring Artist category and by Elton John in the Top Rock Tour section.

The big winner on the night was Ozzy Osbourne’s pal Post Malone, who triumphed in nine categories, including the Best Artist section. Billie Eilish picked up three awards, including top female artist and top new artist.

In Metal Hammer’s ranking of the greatest Tool albums, Fear Innoculum didn’t even score a top three placing.

Paul Brannigan
Paul Brannigan
Contributing Editor, Louder

A music writer since 1993, formerly Editor of Kerrang! and Planet Rock magazine (RIP), Paul Brannigan is a Contributing Editor to Louder. Having previously written books on Lemmy, Dave Grohl (the Sunday Times best-seller This Is A Call) and Metallica (Birth School Metallica Death, co-authored with Ian Winwood), his Eddie Van Halen biography (Eruption in the UK, Unchained in the US) emerged in 2021. He has written for Rolling Stone, Mojo and Q, hung out with Fugazi at Dischord House, flown on Ozzy Osbourne's private jet, played Angus Young's Gibson SG, and interviewed everyone from Aerosmith and Beastie Boys to Young Gods and ZZ Top. Born in the North of Ireland, Brannigan lives in North London and supports The Arsenal.