Undeterred, the "Beauty and the Beat" singer pressed on with his speech, which hinted at some of his recent public controversies. "I'm 19 years old. I think I'm doing a pretty good job," he argued, adding that it all comes back to his craft.
As boos continued from some corners, he said, "Basically from my heart I really just want to say it really should be about the music. It should be about the craft that I'm making. This is not a gimmick, and I'm an artist, and I should be taken seriously."
The night's host, Tracy Morgan, later chastised the mean-spirited crowd. "Don't be booin' nobody, this ain't Showtime at the Apollo!"
Bieber was philosophical about the night via Twitter. "2 performances and 2 awards. Grateful to my #Beliebers . Our awards. Love u," he wrote. "I love music, my fans, my family, my friends.. And I love The Lord . . . Blessed."