American Music Awards 2014: Watch Sam Smith dance awkwardly with Jessie J and Taylor Swift

Video: Swift has a penchant for a boogie at a music ceremony - Smith clearly less so

Taylor Swift dances with Sam Smith and Jessie J at the American Music Awards in Los Angeles. (AP)

Awards ceremonies are never really about the golden idols doled out - they're more about what goes on in between.

And at 21^st century music awards, part and parcel of the ceremony is that weird moment when the camera falls on the audience; a sea of famous faces doing something we're not really used to seeing them do: dancing vaguely awkwardly in a confined seat space.

Not that Taylor Swift is at all fazed by such a task: remember her bopping along to Kendrick Lamar at the Grammy's this year? Front row, with her mate, having the time of her life - while everyone around her stayed routed to their seats.

Thus, it came as no surprise that when Jessie J decided to shimmy into the audience at the American Music Awards she would gravitate towards dance-happy Swift.

Singing "Bang Bang" along with Ariana Grande and Nicky Minaj, Jessie J began by trilling her way along one of the front rows - dressed in an outfit seemingly inspired by cinnamon swirls.

She gives Sam Smith a quick touch before dancing side-by-side with Taylor Swift, who knows a good photo opportunity, as she eyes the camera and sings along.

One can't help but feel slightly sad for Sam Smith through the whole scene, who is not as camera-seeking as either Swift or J and is also more at home with a sensitive ballad than a song with the title "Bang Bang".

He bops along politely until Swift suddenly leans on him and tries to get him to play the dancing game her way. He responds briefly, but returns to his more restrained stance.

Still, one doubts his traumatic dance-off with Swift is something he will remember: he beat Pharrell Williams and John Legend to win favourite male artist.

One Direction and Katy Perry were the big winners at last night’s American Music Awards, taking home three awards each.