Billboard Music Awards Defend Madonna's Prince Tribute Following Backlash

The executive producer of the US Billboard Music Awards has defended the decision for Madonna to perform in honour of Prince this weekend after a petition was launched week protesting the pop star's performance. 

The Change.org petiton has garnered over 8000 signatures with a target of 10,000.

"We cannot let Madonna be the main and only artist tributing Prince during the 2016 Billboard Awards," the petition reads.

"He is more than worthy of a better choice as a main performer."

In a interview with The Associated Press (via Billboard), executive producer Mark Bracco said the tribute would be "respectful".

"Listen, I think everybody is entitled to their opinion and everyone can have their own opinion, but I will say that we are honored and could not be more excited for Madonna to be on the show and to pay tribute to someone that was her friend and her peer and her colleague," Bracco said.

"I think it's going to be fantastic."

At this stage it is not yet known what Madonna will perform for the tribute. 

"It's going to be very, very intimate and very respectful, and I think it's something that is really going to pay tribute to Prince as the incredible, groundbreaking artist that he was and the influence that he had on music," Bracco continued.

"Honestly her team gave a call and inquired about what we might be thinking about and it led to many conversations about what would she want to do and how would we want to shape it creatively.

"And after everyone (got) comfortable with exactly what the direction was, we all collectively wanted to go into Madonna, that she would do this and she has been very, very involved in how this will all unfold creatively."

Madonna worked with Prince on the track Love Song, which featured on her 1989 album Like A Prayer. 

The Billboard Awards take place this Sunday in Las Vegas.

Following Prince's death on 21 April, officers have told USA Today that autopsy results are still a week or two away.

"It'll be done when it’s done…the goal has always been to do it right, not fast," Chief Deputy Jason Kamerud said.

Police are currently investigating whether painkiller medication played a role in the singer's death and who prescribed the medication to him. 

In the meantime, a number of siblings have publicly stated their claim as the heir to Prince's estate, most recently the family of his deceased half-brother Duane Nelson Sr, who was not included in Prince's sister Tyka Nelson's list of known siblings and half-siblings .

According to legal documents, Prince "publicly acknowledged Duane Nelson Sr as his brother" and "employed him for years as his head of security".

As Nelson Sr has passed away, the estate would reportedly go to his daughter and granddaughter if he is the rightful heir.