Taylor Swift at the 2018 Billboard Music Awards at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on May 20, 2018. (Photo by Paul Drinkwater/NBC)
With six prizes each, Ed Sheeran and Kendrick Lamar were the biggest winners at the 2018 Billboard Music Awards, which were presented May 20 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. Sheeran won the awards for Top Artist, Top Male Artist, Top Hot 100 Artist, Top Song Sales Artist, Top Radio Songs Artist, and Top Radio Song (for “Shape of You”). Lamar received the prizes for Top Streaming Songs Artist, Top Billboard 200 Album (for “DAMN.”), Top Hot 100 Song (for “HUMBLE.”), and he won most of the awards in the rap categories. The show was hosted by Kelly Clarkson, who is a judge on NBC’s “The Voice.” Clarkson began the show with an emotional plea to end gun violence: “Instead of doing a moment of silence, why don’t we do a moment of action? Why don’t we do a moment of change? Why don’t we change what’s happening? Because it’s horrible!”
Sheeran, who is on tour, did not attend the show, since he was performing in Ireland, but he did give a pre-recorded acceptance speech that was shown after he was named Top Artist. Lamar also was not at the ceremony.
Bruno Mars won five awards (mostly in the R&B categories), while the collaboration of Luis Fonsi, Daddy Yankee and Justin Beiber on the smash hit single “Despacito” also garnered them five Billboard Music Awards.
Other winners of multiple awards included Taylor Swift, Camila Cabello, Imagine Dragons, the Chainsmokers, Chris Stapleton, Ozuna and Tasha Cobbs Leonard. Sheeran, Lamar and Mars went into the ceremony with the most nominations: 15 each.
Janet Jackson received the 2018 Billboard Music Awards ICON Award and performed for the first time on television in nine years. In her acceptance speech, Jackson referred to God several times as being the origin of everything that is good. Other performers on the show included BTS, Clarkson, Ariana Grande, John Legend, Sheeran (who performed via satellite) and Dua Lipa. Several artists teamed up for their Billboard Music Awards performances, including Christina Aguilera featuring Demi Lovato, Camila Cabello and Pharrell Williams, Khalid & Normani, Jennifer Lopez featuring DJ Khaled, Macklemore and Kesha, Salt-N-Pepa featuring En Vogue, Shawn Mendes & Khalid and Zedd, Maren Morris and Grey.
Presenters included Mars, Hailey Baldwin, Tyra Banks, Alison Brie, The Chainsmokers, Ciara, Andy Cohen, Simon Cowell, Darren Criss, Halsey, Tip “T.I.” Harris, Justin Hartley, Chrissy Metz, Nick Jonas, DJ Mustard, Chloe Kim, Mila Kunis, Padma Lakshmi, Des Linden, Julia Michaels, French Montana, Ne-Yo, Derek Hough, Jenna Dewan, Bebe Rexha, Evan Ross, Ashlee Simpson Ross, Grace VanderWaal and Rebel Wilson.
The Billboard Music Awards nominees are based on key fan interactions with music, including album and digital song sales, streaming, radio airplay, touring and social engagement, tracked by Billboard and its data partners, including Nielsen Music and Next Big Sound. The finalists and award winners are determined using data reflecting a 12-month tracking period. (Exceptions are the Billboard Chart Achievement Award and the Social Award, which are voted for online by fans.)The awards are based on the reporting period of April 8, 2017 through March 31, 2018.
The 2018 Billboard Music Awards were produced by dick clark productions. Allen Shapiro, Mike Mahan, Mark Bracco, Barry Adelman and Robert Deaton were executive producers.
Here are the nominees and winners of the 2018 Billboard Music Awards:
*=winners
ARTIST AWARDS
Top Artist:
Drake
Kendrick Lamar
Bruno Mars Ed Sheeran*
Taylor Swift
Top New Artist:
21 Savage
Camila Cabello
Cardi B Khalid*
Kodak Black
Billboard Chart Achievement Award (voted for by fans): Camila Cabello*
Cardi B
Drake
Sam Hunt
Ed Sheeran
Top Male Artist:
Drake
Kendrick Lamar
Bruno Mars
Post Malone Ed Sheeran*
Top Female Artist:
Camila Cabello
Cardi B
Halsey
Demi Lovato Taylor Swift*
Top Duo/Group:
The Chainsmokers
Coldplay Imagine Dragons*
Migos
U2
Top Billboard 200 Artist: Drake*
Kendrick Lamar
Ed Sheeran
Chris Stapleton
Taylor Swift
Top Hot 100 Artist:
Imagine Dragons
Kendrick Lamar
Bruno Mars
Post Malone Ed Sheeran*
Top Streaming Songs Artist:
Cardi B
Drake Kendrick Lamar*
Post Malone
Ed Sheeran
Top Song Sales Artist:
Imagine Dragons
Kendrick Lamar
Bruno Mars
Post Malone Ed Sheeran*
Top Radio Songs Artist:
Halsey
Imagine Dragons
Bruno Mars
Charlie Puth Ed Sheeran*
Top Social Artist (voted for by fans):
Justin Bieber BTS*
Ariana Grande
Demi Lovato
Shawn Mendes
Top Touring Artist:
Coldplay
Guns N’ Roses
Bruno Mars
Ed Sheeran U2*
Top R&B Artist:
Chris Brown
Khalid Bruno Mars*
SZA
The Weeknd
Top R&B Male Artist:
Khalid Bruno Mars*
The Weeknd
Top R&B Female Artist:
Beyoncé
Rihanna SZA*
Top R&B Tour: Bruno Mars*
Lionel Richie
The Weeknd
Top Rap Artist:
Drake Kendrick Lamar*
Lil Uzi Vert
Migos
Post Malone
Top Rap Male Artist:
Drake Kendrick Lamar*
Post Malone
Top Rap Female Artist:
Bhad Bhabie Cardi B*
Nicki Minaj
Top Rap Tour:
J. Cole JAY-Z*
Kendrick Lamar
Top Country Artist:
Kane Brown
Luke Combs
Sam Hunt
Thomas Rhett Chris Stapleton*
Top Country Male Artist:
Sam Hunt
Thomas Rhett Chris Stapleton*
Top Country Female Artist:
Kelsea Ballerini
Miranda Lambert Maren Morris*
Top Country Duo/Group Artist: Florida Georgia Line*
Old Dominion
Zac Brown Band
Top Country Tour: Luke Bryan*
Florida Georgia Line
Tim McGraw & Faith Hill
Top Rock Artist: Imagine Dragons*
Linkin Park
Portugal. The Man
Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers
twenty one pilots
Top Rock Tour:
Coldplay
Guns N’ Roses U2*
Top Latin Artist:
J Balvin
Daddy Yankee
Luis Fonsi Ozuna*
Romeo Santos
Top Dance/Electronic Artist: The Chainsmokers*
Calvin Harris
Kygo
Marshmello
ODESZA
Top Christian Artist:
Elevation Worship
Hillsong UNITED
Hillsong Worship MercyMe*
Zach Williams
Top Gospel Artist:
Anthony Brown & group therAPy
Travis Greene
J.J. Hairston & Youthful Praise Tasha Cobbs Leonard*
Tamela Mann
ALBUM AWARDS
Top Billboard 200 Album:
Drake “More Life” Kendrick Lamar “DAMN.”*
Post Malone “Stoney”
Ed Sheeran “÷ (Divide)”
Taylor Swift “reputation”
Top Selling Album:
Kendrick Lamar “DAMN.”
P!nk “Beautiful Trauma”
Ed Sheeran “÷ (Divide)”
Chris Stapleton “From A Room: Volume 1” Taylor Swift “reputation”*
Top Soundtrack:
“Black Panther”
“The Fate of the Furious: The Album”
“The Greatest Showman”
“Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2: Awesome Mix Vol. 2” “Moana”*
Top R&B Album:
Khalid “American Teen” Bruno Mars “24K Magic”*
SZA “Ctrl”
The Weeknd “Starboy”
XXXTENTACION “17”
Top Rap Album:
Drake “More Life” Kendrick Lamar “DAMN.”*
Lil Uzi Vert “Luv Is Rage 2”
Migos “Culture”
Post Malone “Stoney”
Top Country Album:
Kane Brown “Kane Brown”
Luke Combs “This One’s For You”
Thomas Rhett “Life Changes” Chris Stapleton “From A Room: Volume 1”*
Brett Young “Brett Young”
Top Rock Album: Imagine Dragons “Evolve”*
Linkin Park “One More Light”
Panic! At The Disco “Death Of A Bachelor”
Portugal. The Man “Woodstock”
U2 “Songs of Experience”
Top Latin Album:
Nicky Jam “Fénix”
Christian Nodal “Me Dejé Llevar” Ozuna “Odisea”*
Romeo Santos “Golden”
Shakira “El Dorado”
Top Dance/Electronic Album:
Avicii “AVĪCI (01)” The Chainsmokers “Memories…Do Not Open”*
Calvin Harris “Funk Wav Bounces Vol. 1”
Kygo “Stargazing”
ODESZA “A Moment Apart”
Top Christian Album:
Elevation Worship “There Is A Cloud”
Hillsong UNITED “Wonder”
Hillsong Worship “Let There Be Light” Alan Jackson “Precious Memories Collection”*
MercyMe “Lifer”
Top Gospel Album:
Anthony Brown & group therAPy “A Long Way From Sunday”
Travis Greene “Crossover: Live From Music City”
J.J. Hairston & Youthful Praise “You Deserve It” Tasha Cobbs Leonard “Heart. Passion. Pursuit.”*
Marvin Sapp “Close”
SONG AWARDS
Top Hot 100 Song:
Luis Fonsi & Daddy Yankee ft. Justin Bieber “Despacito” Kendrick Lamar “HUMBLE.”*
Bruno Mars “That’s What I Like”
Post Malone ft. 21 Savage “Rockstar”
Ed Sheeran “Shape Of You”
Top Streaming Song (Audio): Luis Fonsi & Daddy Yankee ft. Justin Bieber “Despacito”*
Kendrick Lamar “HUMBLE.”
Lil Uzi Vert “XO TOUR Llif3”
Post Malone ft. 21 Savage “Rockstar”
Post Malone ft. Quavo “Congratulations”
Top Streaming Song (Video):
Cardi B “Bodak Yellow (Money Moves)” Luis Fonsi & Daddy Yankee ft. Justin Bieber “Despacito”*
Lil Pump “Gucci Gang”
Bruno Mars “That’s What I Like”
Ed Sheeran “Shape of You”
Top Selling Song: Luis Fonsi & Daddy Yankee ft. Justin Bieber “Despacito”*
Sam Hunt “Body Like A Back Road”
Imagine Dragons “Believer”
Imagine Dragons “Thunder”
Ed Sheeran “Perfect”
Top Radio Song:
The Chainsmokers & Coldplay “Something Just Like This”
Imagine Dragons “Believer”
Bruno Mars “That’s What I Like”
Charlie Puth “Attention” Ed Sheeran “Shape of You”*
Top Collaboration:
Camila Cabello ft. Young Thug “Havana”
The Chainsmokers & Coldplay “Something Just Like This” Luis Fonsi & Daddy Yankee ft. Justin Bieber “Despacito”*
French Montana ft. Swae Lee “Unforgettable”
Post Malone ft. 21 Savage “Rockstar”
Top R&B Song:
Childish Gambino “Redbone”
DJ Khaled ft. Rihanna & Bryson Tiller “Wild Thoughts”
Khalid “Young Dumb & Broke” Bruno Mars “That’s What I Like”*
Bruno Mars ft. Cardi B “Finesse”
Top Rap Song:
Cardi B “Bodak Yellow (Money Moves)”
DJ Khaled ft. Justin Bieber, Quavo, Chance The Rapper & Lil Wayne “I’m the One”
French Montana ft. Swae Lee “Unforgettable”
Kendrick Lamar “HUMBLE.” Post Malone ft. 21 Savage “Rockstar”*
Top Country Song:
Kane Brown ft. Lauren Alaina “What Ifs” Sam Hunt “Body Like A Back Road”*
Dustin Lynch “Small Town Boy”
Bebe Rexha & Florida Georgia Line “Meant To Be”
Brett Young “In Case You Didn’t Know”
Top Rock Song: Imagine Dragons “Believer”*
Imagine Dragons “Thunder”
Linkin Park ft. Kiiara “Heavy”
Portugal. The Man “Feel It Still”
The Revivalists “Wish I Knew You”
Top Latin Song:
J Balvin & Willy William ft. Beyoncé “Mi Gente”
Becky G ft. Bad Bunny “Mayores” Luis Fonsi & Daddy Yankee ft. Justin Bieber “Despacito”*
Maluma “Felices Los 4”
Wisin ft. Ozuna “Escápate Conmigo”
Top Dance/Electronic Song: The Chainsmokers & Coldplay “Something Just Like This”*
Clean Bandit ft. Sean Paul & Anne-Marie “Rockabye”
Cheat Codes ft. Demi Lovato “No Promises”
Kygo & Selena Gomez “It Ain’t Me”
Zedd & Alessia Cara “Stay”
Top Christian Song:
Elevation Worship “O Come To The Altar” Hillsong Worship “What A Beautiful Name”*
Lecrae ft. Tori Kelly “I’ll Find You”
MercyMe “Even If”
Zach Williams “Old Church Choir”
Top Gospel Song:
Anthony Brown & group therAPy “Trust In You” J.J. Hairston & Youthful Praise “You Deserve It”*
Travis Greene “You Waited”
Tamela Mann “Change Me”
Charlie Wilson “I’m Blessed”
Janet Jackson at the 2018 Billboard Music Awards at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on May 20, 2018. (Photo by Brian Friedman/NBC)
Mila Kunis at the 2018 Billboard Music Awards at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on May 20, 2018. (Photo by Brian Friedman/NBC)
Kelly Clarkson at the 2018 Billboard Music Awards at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on May 20, 2018. (Photo by Brian Friedman/NBC)
Bebe Rexha at the 2018 Billboard Music Awards at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on May 20, 2018. (Photo by Paul Drinkwater/NBC)
Luis Fonsi at the 2018 Billboard Music Awards at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on May 20, 2018. (Photo by Brian Friedman/NBC)
John Legend at the 2018 Billboard Music Awards at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on May 20, 2018. (Photo by Brian Friedman/NBC)
Khalid and Normani at the 2018 Billboard Music Awards at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on May 20, 2018. (Photo by Brian Friedman/NBC)
Christina Aguilera and Demi Lovato at the 2018 Billboard Music Awards at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on May 20, 2018. (Photo by Brian Friedman/NBC)
Des Linden and Chloe Kim at the 2018 Billboard Music Awards at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on May 20, 2018. (Photo by Brian Friedman/NBC)
Julia Michaels and Grace VanderWaal at the 2018 Billboard Music Awards at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on May 20, 2018. (Photo by Brian Friedman/NBC)
Shawn Mendes at the 2018 Billboard Music Awards at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on May 20, 2018. (Photo by Brian Friedman/NBC)
French Montana and Hailey Baldwin at the 2018 Billboard Music Awards at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on May 20, 2018. (Photo by Brian Friedman/NBC)
Khlaid and Shawn Mendes at the 2018 Billboard Music Awards at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on May 20, 2018. (Photo by Todd Williamson/NBC)
Alex Pall of the Chainsmokers, Halsey and Andrew Taggart of the Chainsmokers at the 2018 Billboard Music Awards at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on May 20, 2018. (Photo by Brian Friedman/NBC)
Zedd and Maren Morris at the 2018 Billboard Music Awards at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on May 20, 2018. (Photo by Brian Friedman/NBC)
Rebel Wilson at the 2018 Billboard Music Awards at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on May 20, 2018. (Photo by Brian Friedman/NBC)
Camila Cabello at the 2018 Billboard Music Awards at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on May 20, 2018. (Photo by Tod Williamson/NBC)
Christina Aguillera and Demi Lovato at the 2018 Billboard Music Awards at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on May 20, 2018. (Photo by Todd Williamson/NBC)
Janet Jackson and Bruno Mars at the 2018 Billboard Music Awards at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on May 20, 2018. (Photo by Brian Friedman/NBC)
Simon Cowell at the 2018 Billboard Music Awards at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on May 20, 2018. (Photo by Todd Williamson/NBC)
Ariana Grande at the 2018 Billboard Music Awards at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on May 20, 2018. (Photo by Brian Friedman/NBC)
Khalid at the 2018 Billboard Music Awards at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on May 20, 2018. (Photo by Brian Friedman/NBC)
Dua Lipa at the 2018 Billboard Music Awards at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on May 20, 2018. (Photo by Todd Williamson/NBC)
Chrissy Metz and Justin Hartley at the 2018 Billboard Music Awards at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on May 20, 2018. (Photo by Paul Drinkwater/NBC)
Tip “T.I.” Harris at the 2018 Billboard Music Awards at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on May 20, 2018. (Photo by Paul Drinkwater/NBC)
Taylor Swift and Camila Cabello at the 2018 Billboard Music Awards at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on May 20, 2018. (Photo by Todd Williamson/NBC)
Ashlee Simpson Ross and Evan Ross at the 2018 Billboard Music Awards at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on May 20, 2018. (Photo by Paul Drinkwater/NBC)
Derek Hough, Jenna Dewan and Ne-Yo at the 2018 Billboard Music Awards at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on May 20, 2018. (Photo by Paul Drinkwater/NBC)
Macklemore and Kesha at the 2018 Billboard Music Awards at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on May 20, 2018. (Todd Williamson/NBC)
BTS at the 2018 Billboard Music Awards at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on May 20, 2018. (Photo by Paul Drinkwater/NBC)
Jennifer Lopez at the 2018 Billboard Music Awards at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on May 20, 2018. (Photo by Paul Drinkwater/NBC)
Nick Jonas and Mustard at the 2018 Billboard Music Awards at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on May 20, 2018. (Photo by Paul Drinkwater/NBC)
Ciara at the 2018 Billboard Music Awards at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on May 20, 2018. (Photo by Paul Drinkwater/NBC)
Maren Morris (second from left), Zedd (second from right) and Grey
The following are excerpts from press releases from Dick Clark Productions and NBC:
Dick Clark Productions and NBC announced today the full line-up of presenters for the “2018 Billboard Music Awards.” The film, television and music stars slated to take the stage throughout the night include Hailey Baldwin, Tyra Banks, Alison Brie, The Chainsmokers, Ciara, Andy Cohen, Simon Cowell, Darren Criss, Halsey, Tip “T.I.” Harris, Justin Hartley & Chrissy Metz, Nick Jonas & Mustard, Chloe Kim, Mila Kunis, Padma Lakshmi, Des Linden, Julia Michaels, French Montana, Ne-Yo, Derek Hough & Jenna Dewan, Evan Ross & Ashlee Simpson, Grace VanderWaal and Rebel Wilson.
They join host, performer and “The Voice” coach Kelly Clarkson, plus previously announced performances by BTS, Camila Cabello, Ariana Grande, Khalid, John Legend, Dua Lipa, Jennifer Lopez and Shawn Mendes, plus collaborations by Christina Aguilera featuring Demi Lovato, Macklemore and Kesha, Salt-N-Pepa featuring En Vogue and Zedd, Maren Morris & Grey on a night filled with music’s biggest names. Global superstar Janet Jackson will receive this year’s Billboard Music Awards ICON Award and will also take the stage for a highly anticipated performance of her greatest hits, marking her first performance on television in nine years.
Macklemore and Kesha will perform their heartfelt single, “Good Old Days,” together in a special performance presented by T-Mobile, as part of the “2018 Billboard Music Awards.” The duo will perform their feel-good hit – which debuted in the Top 10 on Billboard’s Digital Song Sales chart – just down the Strip from the main show on Toshiba Plaza outside of T-Mobile Arena. T-Mobile will provide fans exclusive, behind-the-scenes content with Macklemore and Kesha in addition to an inside look at the BBMAs throughout the evening. Fans can keep up with and join the conversation by using #AreYouWithUs and following T-Mobile’s social channels.
Khalid and Mendes will take the stage for a special collaboration and the world television premiere of Mendes’ new single, “Youth,” immediately following Mendes’ performance of his hit single ”In My Blood.”
Female rap trio Salt-N-Pepa will shoop onto the stage to perform several of their monster hits at the “2018 Billboard Music Awards!” Joining them for this one-of-a-kind special performance will be the highly celebrated female vocal group En Vogue. Salt-N-Pepa’s “2018 Billboard Music Awards” performance marks the 30th anniversary of them becoming the first female rappers to crack the Top 20 on Billboard Hot 100. The renowned group burst onto the hip-hop scene in 1987 with their debut Billboard chart hit “My Mike Sounds Nice,” and then notched their first crossover pop smash with “Push It” the following year.
“Thirty years later, we’re still Pushing It all over the world and we’re still loved and celebrated by fans we grew up with as well as new fans,” said Salt-N-Pepa. “Looking back at all the barriers we’ve broken as women in this very male dominated genre of music, being the first two female rappers to break the Top 20 on the Billboard Hot 100 is right up there as one of the best moments of our amazing career. We are blessed.”
[May 18, 2018 UPDATE: Khalid and Normani will be teaming up for the Pepsi® Generations summer performance of their Billboard Hot 100 hit, “Love Lies.”]
The “2018 Billboard Music Awards” will broadcast live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on Sunday, May 20 at 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT on NBC. The three-hour telecast will feature performances from this year’s hottest musical acts, unexpected collaborations and buzzworthy moments that celebrate 60 years of the Billboard Hot 100.
Nominations for the “2018 Billboard Music Awards” were announced last month on NBC’s “Today” and on a livestream from Billboard’s New York office. Kendrick Lamar, Bruno Mars and Ed Sheeran tie for the most nominations this year with 15 each.
“Billboard Music Awards” nominees and winners are based on key fan interactions with music, including album and digital song sales, streaming, radio airplay, touring and social engagement, tracked by Billboard and its data partners, including Nielsen Music and Next Big Sound. The awards are based on the chart period of April 8, 2017 through March 31, 2018. Since 1940, the Billboard charts have been the go-to guide for ranking the popularity of artists, songs and albums, and are the ultimate measure of success in music.
Multi-platinum, multiple Grammy Award winning singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran has established himself as one of the world’s biggest musical artists with over 26 million albums sold, universal acclaim, and performing to sold out audiences around the globe. His third studio album “÷” (pronounced divide) entered the Billboard 200 at No. 1 upon its March 2017 release, and went on to be the year’s biggest album in the U.S., according to Nielsen Music, with equivalent album units exceeding 2.764 million units. “Shape Of You” – the album’s 8x-Platinum lead single – debuted at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in January 2017, held the top spot for a remarkable 12 weeks, and remained in the top 10 for 33 consecutive weeks, the most ever in the chart’s 59-year history. Sheeran dominated Billboard’s Year In Review, standing at #1 on 16 of their year-end charts including Top Artist of the Year and Hot 100 Song of the Year for “Shape Of You,” taking the honor for the second consecutive year (Sheeran co-wrote Justin Bieber’s “Love Yourself,” 2016’s Hot 100 Song of the Year). With his 2x-Platinum certified single “Castle on the Hill” also debuting at #6 on the Hot 100 after being released in tandem with “Shape Of You,” Sheeran also became the only artist in chart history to have two singles simultaneously debut in the Top 10. One of the planet’s most popular live performers, Ed has sold out countless headline shows at some of the biggest and most iconic venues around the world, including his upcoming stand at London’s Wembley Stadium where he’s set to perform in front of 320,000 fans over 4 nights. Last year, all 60 dates of the North American leg of his world arena tour in support of “÷” sold out in a matter of minutes, and, this summer, he’ll return for a cross-country stadium tour, kicking off at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, CA, on August 18.
Macklemore
Two-time Billboard Music Award winner Macklemore has collected seven hits on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, including a pair of No. 1s: “Thrift Shop” and “Can’t Hold Us.” The tracks — recorded alongside Ryan Lewis and featuring Wanz and Ray Dalton, respectively — ranked as 2013’s Nos. 1 and 5 biggest songs of the year on the Hot 100 chart. Most recently, Macklemore topped the Rap Albums chart with his 2017 solo effort “Gemini,” which spun off a pair of Top 20-charting hits on both the Hot Rap Songs and Pop Songs charts: “Glorious,” featuring Skylar Grey, and “Good Old Days,” featuring Kesha. In total, as a solo artist and with Lewis, Macklemore’s albums have earned 5.2 million equivalent album units in the U.S., according to Nielsen Music, while his songs have sold 23 million downloads and have tallied over 2.5 billion on-demand streams.
Collectively, Macklemore’s music videos have been viewed over 2.7 billion times and he is one of only two rappers to have a diamond-certified single. His breakthrough album “The Heist,” with producing partner Ryan Lewis, earned the duo 4 Grammy Awards, 5 MTV Awards, 2 American Music Awards and 1 BET Award. In 2016, Macklemore was featured in an MTV special with President Obama about the opioid epidemic in America and was the first US citizen ever to participate in the Presidential Weekly Address. In 2017, Macklemore released “Gemini,” his first solo album in 12 years.
Kesha
Singer/songwriter Kesha has achieved more than 20 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 songs chart, including three No. 1s. Among those leaders is her breakout debut single “Tik Tok,” which spent nine weeks atop the list and was named 2010’s year-end top Hot 100 song. Her first album, “Animal,” opened at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart, a feat matched by her most recent release, 2017’s “Rainbow.” The latter set launched the Top 10 Pop Songs hit “Praying” and the No. 1 Dance Club Songs single “Woman,” featuring The Dap-King Horns. Kesha’s catalog of albums have earned 6.7 million equivalent album units in the U.S., according to Nielsen Music, and her songs have sold more than 33 million downloads and garnered 1.8 billion on-demand streams.
Kesha’s latest album, “Rainbow” was praised by The New York Times, Billboard, Vanity Fair and more, and was ranked No. 4 in Rolling Stone’s 50 Best Albums of 2017. ’Rainbow’ earned Kesha the first GRAMMY nominations of her career earlier this year, with “Rainbow” up for Best Pop Vocal Album and “Praying” getting a nod for Best Pop Solo Performance. She was recently named one of Time magazine’s Time 100, their annual list of the 100 most influential people in the world. Kesha will also embark on “The Adventures of Kesha and Macklemore” co-headlining North American tour with Macklemore (along with several solo shows) on June 6 in Phoenix, AZ. The nine-week, 30-market tour pairs the two trailblazing artists for an epic summer trek of North American amphitheaters and arenas.
Shawn Mendes
Shawn Mendes recently released new tracks “In My Blood” and “Lost in Japan” from his highly anticipated third album. Both tracks have already experienced massive success, soaring to Nos. 22 and 64, respectively, on the Billboard Hot 100, No. 1 and No. 2 on the overall iTunes chart in the U.S, Top 5 on iTunes in 50 countries, and holding the No. 1 and No. 2 spots on Spotify’s “New Music Friday” playlist. The tracks have received critical acclaim from outlets including Rolling Stone, Billboard, Idolator, Variety and Paste, with “In My Blood” topping Time magazine’s “5 Songs You Need to Listen to This Week” and The New York Times’ “The Playlist.” “In My Blood” and “Lost in Japan” are the first new songs released by Mendes since his 3x platinum hit “There’s Nothing Holdin’ Me Back” in April 2017. The track scored Mendes his second No. 1 single on Billboard’s Pop Songs chart, joining 6x platinum single “Stitches.” With “There’s Nothing Holdin’ Me Back,” Mendes also became the first artist to ever have three No. 1 singles on Billboard’s Adult Contemporary chart before the age of 20. Throughout his career, Mendes has achieved two No. 1 albums on the Billboard 200 with platinum albums “Handwritten” (2015) and “Illuminate” (2016), and seven consecutive platinum and multi-platinum singles. Worldwide, he has sold over 10 million albums, 100 million singles, and has amassed over 11 billion song streams and 4 billion YouTube views. Mendes has completed two sold-out world tours with over one million tickets sold, selling out legendary arenas, including NYC’s Madison Square Garden, Toronto’s Air Canada Centre and London’s O2 Arena in minutes. He topped Billboard’s “21 Under 21” in 2017 and has been featured on Forbes “30 Under 30,” Spotify’s “25 Under 25,” and Time’s “Most Influential Teens” for 4 consecutive years. In February 2018, ROI Influencer Media recognized Mendes as the #1 Most Influential Artist and #1 Most Influential Teen across all social media platforms. Shawn Mendes BBMA Giphy stickers are available and can be found within Instagram Stories by clicking the GIF button and searching for “BBMAs.”
Khalid
Five-time Billboard Music Award nominee Khalid has seen great success since he released his first single “Location” right before his high school graduation. The song’s domination led to Khalid’s major label deal with Right Hand Music Group/RCA Records followed by the release of his debut album, “American Teen.” The album received mass critical acclaim with Rolling Stone calling Khalid a “pop prodigy” and Time magazine stating, ““His thoughtful, relatable reflections on modern youth culture and the limitations of love are just as pitch-perfect as his soulful, measured delivery.” “American Teen” shattered expectations as it stayed on the Billboard 200 chart for more than 60 weeks, peaked at No. 4 and stayed in the Top 30 of the chart for its first 60 weeks on that list. The singer-songwriter has over one billion streams worldwide across all partners, his first single “Location” is certified 4x platinum by the RIAA, and his previous single “Young Dumb & Broke” is certified 3X platinum. Since the album’s debut, Khalid has garnered five 2018 Grammy Award nominations, including Best New Artist and landed on the cover of Billboard’s 2018 Grammy Preview issue. He was also nominated for 2017 BET Award for Best New Artist, a Teen Choice Award for Choice R&B/Hip-Hop Song for “Location” and a 2017 American Music Award for Favorite Song-Soul/R&B for “Location.” Khalid also won Best New Artist at the 2017 MTV Video Music Awards and an MTV’s Woodie to Watch Award. In addition to “American Teen,” Khalid has collaborated with some of music’s biggest stars. He has been featured on a number of songs, including megahits like Calvin Harris’s “Rollin” with Future, “1-800-273-8255” with Logic and Alessia Cara, “Silence” with Marshmello, “Lovely” with Billie Eilish, “Youth” with Shawn Mendes, and many more. Khalid’s current singles “Love Lies,” a duet with Normani, and “OTW” featuring Ty Dolla $ign and 6lack are burning up the airwaves. Khalid is currently on this third sold-out North American headlining tour.
Salt-N-Pepa
With truck gold ropes around their necks and a fire in their hearts to entertain, inspire, and slay the competition— three feminine figures emerged from the shadows and kicked in the door of the male dominated Hip-Hop industry. The legend of Salt-N-Pepa was born. Long before the days of high profile social media platforms, Salt-N-Pepa commanded the attention of millions of followers with their airtight rhyme flow, mass pop appeal, fashion, fun, and unapologetic femininity. They are the first female rap group to attain platinum status. They have sold more than 12 million albums. Their brand of girl power and strong feminine artistry changed the Hip-Hop landscape and blazed a trail for numerous female artists and groups in pop, R&B, and Hip-Hop genres. Included in their catalog of hits from five studio albums are such classics as Push It, Shoop, Whatta Man, Let’s Talk About Sex, Expression, Independent, and the Grammy Award winning hit None of Your Business.
In recent years Salt-N-Pepa has reunited for several successful tours in the United States and abroad. In 2018, in the aftermath of a successful 30th Anniversary of the influential group, the ladies are still headlining the “I Love the 90’s Tour” and prepping for their Las Vegas residency. Salt-N-Pepa’s residency is not only a first for them it is also the first Hip-Hop residency in Las Vegas. With the success of N.W.A biopic, Straight Outta Compton, interest has resurfaced from Hollywood executives in telling the epic story of Salt-N-Pepa. There will be a Salt-N-Pepa movie, and a documentary with both deals in development. And what is sure to be sweet music to the ears of old and new fans alike, they are finally back in the studio working on new music.
Also, in 2018, C.E.O James” Jimmy” Maynes and Chief Operations officer, Tommaso Giuseppe have partnered with the legendary ladies of hip hop, Salt-N-Pepa on Eastwind Media Group (EMG!). Jimmy Maynes is a Grammy award winning music producer with a 30+ year history as an A/R executive hailing from the iconic record companies, Uptown Records, Def Jam, Jive Records and others. Tommaso Giuseppe is a former NY Nightlife promoter turned right hand to Jimmy Maynes. Powered by Salt-N-Pepa, EMG! not only manages the careers and brands of iconic pop/ hip hop & R&B artists such as Naughty By Nature, Kid N Play, ALL4ONE, Blackstreet & Case; EMG! also co-produces the hugely successful worldwide “I Love The 90s Tour” that is currently in its third year with no signs of slowing down.
En Vogue
En Vogue, currently consisting of Cindy Heron-Braggs, Terry Ellis and Rhona Bennett, has sold over 20 million albums and effortlessly transitioned into the digital age, amassing over 30 million streams and over 26 million YouTube views on their top six hit singles alone: the R&B and Pop smashes “Hold On,” “Free Your Mind,” “Never Gonna Get It,” “Giving Him Something He Can Feel,” “Don’t Let Go,” and “Whatta Man” feat. Salt N Pepa). The group has won seven MTV Video Music Awards, three Soul Train Awards, two American Music Awards, and received seven Grammy nominations. After 14 years En Vogue is back with their first studio album “Electric Café” that spawn the Top 10 Adult R&B Songs hit single “Rocket.”
Zedd
Multi-platinum, Grammy Award-winning artist/DJ/producer Zedd made his debut with “Clarity” after signing with Interscope in 2012 and has been breaking down barriers surrounding music genres ever since. His latest single, “The Middle” with Maren Morris and Grey, was declared “catchy as hell” by MTV and Rolling Stone called it “an infectious earworm.” The track has already amassed over 500 million streams and spent five consecutive weeks at No. 1 on Billboard’s Pop Songs airplay chart. “The Middle” is his follow up to his 2017 hit singles “Get Low” with Liam Payne and “Stay” with Alessia Cara. “Stay” earned Zedd his first No. 1 on the Pop Songs chart and his second Grammy nomination. In 2015, Zedd released “True “Colors, which debuted at No. 4 on the Billboard 200 albums chart. Throughout his career, Zedd has worked with a diverse range of artists to create hits, including Hayley Williams on platinum hit “Stay The Night,” which racked up more than 400 million streams, and Selena Gomez on platinum track “I Want You To Know,” which spent four weeks at No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot Dance/Electronic Songs chart.
Maren Morris
Twenty-eight year old singer/songwriter Maren Morris has quickly established herself with vocal stylings that reflect her country, folk and pop influences. Armed with sheer talent, honest lyrics and a completely magnetic presence, Morris’ label-debut album, the gold-certified “Hero,” released via Columbia Nashville on June 3, 2016. One week after it was available, “Hero” entered the Billboard Top Country Albums chart at No. 1 and No. 5 on the Billboard 200 chart, which spans across all genres. With this, the Arlington, Texas native became the first artist in the history of Columbia Nashville to open at No. 1 on the Top Country Albums chart with a debut album in the Nielsen Music era. Morris’ debut single from “Hero,” “My Church,” set a record at country radio by having the most chart reporting stations to play a debut single by a country artist with 107 stations the week it hit the airwaves, in addition to being certified Platinum by the RIAA. Later in 2016 Morris tied for the most nominations with five at the 50th CMA Awards, including Album of the Year (“Hero”), Female Vocalist of the Year, Single of the Year (“My Church”), Song of the Year (“My Church”) and New Artist of the Year, which she won, marking her first CMA Award. She was tapped by Billboard magazine to receive the Billboard Breakthrough Artist Award at the 11th annual Billboard Women in Music Gala, as well as being awarded the Breakthrough Artist Award by the Music Business Association at Music Biz 2017. Kicking off 2017 Morris took home the Grammy for Best Country Solo Performance for “My Church” at the 59th Grammy Awards, in addition to having the most nominations for a country music artist with four to her credit, including Best New Artist, Best Country Album (“Hero”) and Best Country Song as the songwriter and performer (“My Church”). She received six nominations at the 52nd Academy of Country Music Awards, including Female Vocalist of the Year, New Female Vocalist of the Year, which she took home the trophy for, Album of the Year (as artist and producer) for “Hero,” and Single Record of the Year (as artist and producer) for “My Church.” Morris was also named Radio Disney’s Best New Country Artist at the 2017 Radio Disney Music Awards. Morris wrapped 2017 with the conclusion of her first-ever headlining “Hero Tour 2017,” which also included dates in the U.K. Looking ahead at 2018 Maren received her fifth career Grammy nomination for Best Country Solo Performance (“I Could Use a Love Song”) for the 60th Annual Grammy Awards. In addition “I Could Use a Love Song” was Morris’ first No. 1 country radio single, as both the performer and songwriter, reaching the top of both Billboard Country Airplay and Mediabase Country charts the week of Jan. 15, 2018. Morris’ current single for country radio is the fun fan favorite song “Rich.” Though rooted deeply in country music, Morris has acquired a global, non-genre specific, fan base. It’s that global fan base’s appetite that Morris will satisfy in 2018 by collaborating with electronic house DJ and producer Zedd, along with electronic duo, Grey, for the smash hit, “The Middle,” in addition to joining Niall Horan on the “Flicker World Tour 2018” with dates in New Zealand, Australia, Canada and the USA.
Grey
Since launching in late 2014, Grey—the Los Angeles-based production duo composed of brothers Kyle and Michael Trewartha—have quickly taken the music world by storm with their viral hit singles “Starving” and “I Miss You.” Grey stepped into the big leagues with their first original release, “Starving,” a collaboration with Hailee Steinfeld featuring their mentor, Zedd, released July 2016. The breakthrough track marks Grey’s crossover into the mainstream milieu as their first platinum-certified single. A bona fide hit, “Starving” reached No. 12 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart, peaked at No. 5 on Billboard’s Pop Songs chart, and also went Top 10 in Australia, Canada, and the UK. Online, the track’s video counts over 250 million views on YouTube, with an additional 563 million streams on Spotify. With the success of “Starving” on deck, Grey followed up with “I Miss You,” their first official solo single. Released at the beginning of 2017 via Interscope Records, “I Miss You” delivers an emotionally intense romp through heartbreak and heartache, led by a seductive vocal performance from Southern California trio Bahari. The Top 40 track already claims impressive figures, with more than 30 million streams to date, including over 28 million plays on Spotify alone. Grey is now at the helm of their next artistic evolution with Chameleon, their debut EP released this fall. On Chameleon, a modern, freeform approach to production, no sound is off limits, no genre is taboo. For proof, take a spin through the title track “Chameleon” featuring vocalist Asia Whitacre. Structured atop a moving crescendo, the track dives headfirst into a matrix of filtered guitars and synthed-out bleeps. “Crime” feat. Skott, the first single off Chameleon, was called a “dreamy floor filler with a surprisingly huge drop” by Idolator. Grey go for the jugular on “Wings Clipped,” featuring special guest Avril Lavigne and Anthony Green, lead singer of Circa Survive and Saosin, Continuing their artistic evolution, Grey followed up their debut EP with “Crown,” a collaboration with Camila Cabello featured on the soundtrack to Netflix’s original film “Bright.” The New York Times described the track as “Bollywood-goes-trap mode” while Billboard heralded, “Grey smashed it with Middle Eastern drums and Arabic strumming.” As Grey readies new music in 2018, they reunited with Zedd for his hit single “The Middle,” featuring Grammy Award winning artist, Maren Morris.
Normani
Best-known as one of the four members in the multi-platinum group Fifth Harmony, Normani explores a new musical direction on “Love Lies” with Khalid. Since its release, the “slow-burning R&B ballad” (The FADER) has been streamed over 300 million times while the song’s official video has over 44 million views on YouTube. With over 195 million streams on Spotify alone, the song broke the Top 5 on the streaming platform’s US (#2) and Global (#3) Viral Charts. Featured as Zane Lowe’s World Record, “Love Lies” also went #2 on iTunes’ R&B/Soul Top Songs chart and #9 on the Top Songs chart across all genres. Born in Atlanta, Normani grew up in New Orleans before moving to Houston at 9 years old with her family after Hurricane Katrina. Always excited about music, Normani began dancing at the age of 3 and grew up idolizing entertainers like Janet Jackson, Michael Jackson, and Beyoncé. Inspired by her love for pop and R&B, “Love Lies” offers a closer look to Normani’s personal style as an artist and demonstrates her “smooth vocals” (Billboard) and “velvety range” (Vulture). Outside of the recording studio, Normani is the Global Ambassador to the American Cancer Society and works with A Place Called Home, lending her name and time to various events. She is also a Diversity Ambassador for The CyberSmile Foundation, a multi-award winning anti cyberbullying non-profit organization.
The following is a press release from Dick Clark Productions and NBC:
Dick Clark Productions and NBC today announced nominees for the 2018 Billboard Music Awards, which will honor the year’s most successful artists in 57 categories of music. Kendrick Lamar, Bruno Mars and Ed Sheeran lead the pack with 15 nominations each, followed by Post Malone with 13, Imagine Dragons with 11, Drake with 9 and Justin Bieber and Cardi B with 8. The “2018 Billboard Music Awards” will broadcast LIVE coast to coast from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on Sunday, May 20 at 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT on NBC.
The 2018 Billboard Music Awards nominations include a cross section of artists with many seeing more nods than ever. Lamar, Mars and Sheeran received nominations for Top Artist, Top Male Artist, Top Hot 100 Artist, Top Hot 100 Song and Top Songs Sales Artist, among others. Post Malone received 13 nominations including Top Male Artist, Top Hot 100 Artist, Top Rap Artist, Top Billboard 200 Album, plus two nominations in the Top Streaming Song (Audio) category. Imagine Dragons received 11 nominations, including Top Duo/Group, Top Hot 100 Artist, Top Rock Artist, and two nominations in the Top Rock Song and Top Selling Song categories. Additional top nominees include Drake with 9, Justin Bieber and Cardi B with 8, and Daddy Yankee and Luis Fonsi with 7 nominations. In addition to Cardi B, other top female nominees include Taylor Swift with 5 and Camila Cabello with 4 nominations.
Voting for the two fan voted categories, Billboard Chart Achievement Award and Top Social Artist, will open in the coming weeks and additional details will be available soon.
2018 TOP NOMINEE CHART FACTS:
Justin Bieber
Even without a new album, 15-time Billboard Music Award winner Justin Bieber was a chart superstar in 2017 thanks to featured vocals on two of the year’s No. 1 Billboard Hot 100 hits. He teamed with DJ Khaled, Quavo, Chance the Rapper and Lil Wayne on “I’m the One,” which became only the 28th song in the Hot 100’s history to debut in the top slot. The next week, Bieber replaced himself at No. 1 – for the second time in his career – with “Despacito,” his remixed smash with Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee. The trio conquered the Hot 100’s summit for a record-tying 16 weeks, matching Mariah Carey and Boyz II Men’s “One Sweet Day” (in 1995-96) for the longest reign at No. 1 ever on the chart.
Cardi B
Cardi B cashed in big in 2017, as she became only the third act ever, and the first rapper, to place her first three Billboard Hot 100 chart entries in the top 10 simultaneously, joining only The Beatles and Ashanti in achieving the feat. Cardi B’s debut hit, “Bodak Yellow (Money Moves),” spent three weeks at No. 1 on the Hot 100, also making her just the second female rapper to top the tally without any other billed artists, following Lauryn Hill, with “Doo Wop (That Thing)” in 1998. Following her “Bodak” breakthrough, Cardi B nabbed a No. 1 in early 2018 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart with her Bruno Mars collaboration “Finesse.”
Daddy Yankee
Daddy Yankee’s team-up with Luis Fonsi on “Despacito” vaulted to history on the Billboard Hot 100, as the song, remixed with Justin Bieber, led for 16 weeks, equaling Mariah Carey and Boyz II Men’s “One Sweet Day” (in 1995-96) for the longest term on top in the chart’s history. “Despacito” also broke the No. 1 longevity record on Hot Latin Songs, besting “Bailando,” by Enrique Iglesias featuring Descemer Bueno and Gente de Zona (which led for 41 weeks in 2014-15). “Despacito,” the first predominantly Spanish-language No. 1 on the Hot 100 since Los Del Rio’s “Macarena (Bayside Boys Mix)” in 1996, additionally became the longest-leading No. 1 on the all-genre Digital Song Sales (17 weeks) and Streaming Songs (16 weeks) charts.
Drake
Seemingly, only one person can break a Drake chart record … Drake. The superstar rewrote his Billboard Hot 100 record for the most entries by an artist in a single week, as his More Life album release propelled him to 24 simultaneous titles, three more than his then-record set in 2016. More Life‘s arrival also pushed Drake ahead of label mate and frequent collaborator Lil Wayne for the most Hot 100 entries by any solo artist. In 2018, the prolific MC, whose 13 Billboard Music Award wins in 2017 set a single-night record, has added jewels to his chart crown. “God’s Plan” joined his 2016 smash “One Dance” (featuring WizKid and Kyla) with double-digit weeks atop the Hot 100, making him the first male soloist with at least two songs (with lead-artist billing on both) that have each led for at least 10 weeks.
Luis Fonsi
Luis Fonsi made history on the Billboard Hot 100 when his Daddy Yankee collaboration “Despacito,” remixed with Justin Bieber, surged to a 16-week domination, tying Mariah Carey and Boyz II Men’s “One Sweet Day” (in 1995-96) for the longest stay at No. 1 ever on the chart. On Hot Latin Songs, “Despacito” also broke barriers, passing prior record-holder “Bailando,” by Enrique Iglesias featuring Descemer Bueno and Gente de Zona (41 weeks at No. 1 in 2014-15) for the longest command since the list’s 1986 launch. “Despacito” became the first predominantly Spanish-language No. 1 on the Hot 100 since Los Del Rio’s “Macarena (Bayside Boys Mix)” in 1996, as well as the longest-ruling leader on the all-genre Digital Song Sales (17 weeks) and Streaming Songs (16 weeks) surveys.
Imagine Dragons
Five-time Billboard Music Award winners Imagine Dragons returned in a big way in the past year, as the band’s album Evolve debuted at No. 1 on the Top Rock Albums chart. The set has generated three No. 1s on the Alternative Songs airplay chart (“Believer,” “Thunder” and “Whatever It Takes”), making it the first album to achieve the triple-threat feat this decade. Evolve also marked the band’s first album with two top five-charting hits on the all-genre Billboard Hot 100 chart (“Believer” and “Thunder”).
Kendrick Lamar
It’s been a DAMN. fine year for Kendrick Lamar, as the hip-hop superstar clocked his third consecutive No. 1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart with DAMN. The album spent four weeks atop the tally and saw all 14 of its tracks reach the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The set also yielded Lamar’s first Hot 100 No. 1, “Humble.” Following his success with DAMN., Lamar returned as the curator and producer of Black Panther: The Album, which generated two more Hot 100 top 10s for him: “All the Stars,” with SZA, and “Pray for Me,” with The Weeknd.
Bruno Mars
Almost everything that Bruno Mars touches on the charts turns to gold, a flair that continued thanks to his third LP, 24K Magic. As the set produced top 10 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 in the No. 4-peaking title cut, the No. 1 “That’s What I Like” and, in early 2018, “Finesse,” remixed with Cardi B, Mars became the first male to pull at least three Hot 100 top 10s from each of his first three proper LPs in over 30 years (since Lionel Richie in 1982-86). “Finesse” also topped the Pop Songs airplay chart, earning Mars a record-breaking honor: the track became his ninth No. 1 on the list, pushing him past Justin Timberlake for the most leaders among males in the chart’s 25-year history.
Post Malone
On the heels of his 2016 debut set Stoney, Post Malone erupted in mainstream popularity and accomplished two career firsts in rapid succession. The rapper/singer earned his first top 10 song on the Billboard Hot 100 in July 2017 with “Congratulations,” featuring Quavo. He followed with “rockstar,” featuring 21 Savage, which debuted at No. 2 and, in October, became his first No. 1, as it eventually ruled for eight weeks. Post Malone’s next new release, the Ty Dolla $ign-assisted “Psycho,” matched “rockstar” with a No. 2 opening on the Hot 100 in March, making the Texas native one of only nine artists, and two rappers (joining Eminem), to have debuted multiple songs in the chart’s top two spots.
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran muscled to the best shape of career so far with his third LP, ÷ (Divide). The set debuted as his second No. 1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart, while lead single “Shape of You” launched as the pop singer-songwriter’s first No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song went on to rule the Hot 100 for 12 weeks and log 33 total weeks in the top 10, the most for any title in the chart’s history. In December, the album’s third single, “Perfect,” remixed with Beyoncé, began a six-week Hot 100 rule. Notably, thanks to the ballad, the superstars combined for the first Hot 100 No. 1 of the 2010s credited equally to a solo male and female.
“Billboard Music Awards” nominees are based on key fan interactions with music, including album and digital song sales, streaming, radio airplay, touring and social engagement, tracked by Billboard and its data partners, including Nielsen Music and Next Big Sound. The finalists and award winners are determined using data reflecting a 12-month tracking period. Since 1940, the Billboard charts have been the go-to guide for ranking the popularity of artists, songs and albums, and are the ultimate measure of success in music.
The “2018 Billboard Music Awards” is produced by dick clark productions. Allen Shapiro, Mike Mahan, Mark Bracco, Barry Adelman and Robert Deaton are Executive Producers.
For the latest Billboard Music Awards (BBMAs) news, exclusive content and more, be sure to follow the BBMAs on social media and join the conversation by using the official hashtag for the show, #BBMAs. Facebook:FB.com/TheBBMAs Twitter:@BBMAs Instagram: bbmas Snapchat:thebbmas
The 2018 Billboard Music Awards are sponsored by T-Mobile.
About Billboard Billboard is the world’s largest voice in music, built on the most complete and well-respected database of charts across all music genres. The Billboard charts define success in music. From the iconic Billboard magazine to Billboard.com, the ultimate consumer-facing destination for millions of passionate music fans, to the industry’s most elite conference series and influencer events including the Power 100 and Women in Music – the Billboard brand has unmatched authority among fans, artists and the industry alike. Billboard has a social media footprint of 16.4 million social followers across Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube, and creates more than 200M cross-platform video views per month. Billboard magazine has published major news-generating covers recently including Travis Scott, Zayn, Lorde, Marshmello, Demi Lovato, Cardi B, Selena Gomez, Eminem, DJ Khaled, Charlie Puth, and an open letter to Congress signed by 180+ of the music industry’s biggest stars and executives. In December 2017, the Billboard Women in Music ceremony, which honored Selena Gomez as Woman of the Year, was live-streamed globally on Twitter. In 2016, The Hollywood Reporter-Billboard Media Group acquired SpinMedia’s storied music assets Spin, Vibe, and Stereogum, establishing the world’s largest music brand by digital traffic, social reach, and audience share. The combined entity of music and entertainment properties now reaches 47 million unique visitors and one in every three U.S. millennials.
About “2018 Billboard Music Awards”
The “2018 Billboard Music Awards” are set to make their NBC debut and will broadcast live from MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on Sunday, May 20 at 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT. The three-hour telecast will feature this year’s hottest musical acts, biggest performances, unexpected collaborations, buzzworthy pop culture moments and will celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Billboard Hot 100. “Billboard Music Awards” nominees are based on key fan interactions with music, including album and digital song sales, streaming, radio airplay, touring and social engagement, tracked by Billboard and its data partners, including Nielsen Music and Next Big Sound. The awards are based on the reporting period of April 8, 2017 through March 31, 2018. The “2018 Billboard Music Awards” is produced by dick clark productions. Allen Shapiro, Mike Mahan, Mark Bracco, Barry Adelman and Robert Deaton are Executive Producers.
About dick clark productions
dick clark productions (dcp) is the world’s largest producer and proprietor of televised live event entertainment programming with the “Academy of Country Music Awards,” “American Music Awards,” “Billboard Music Awards,” “Golden Globe Awards,” “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest” and the “Streamy Awards.” Weekly television programming includes “So You Think You Can Dance” from 19 Entertainment and dcp. dcp also owns one of the world’s most unique and extensive entertainment archive libraries with over 60 years of award-winning shows, historic programs, specials, performances and legendary programming. dcp is a division of Valence Media, a diversified media company with divisions and strategic investments in premium television, wide release film, specialty film, live events and digital media. For additional information, visit www.dickclark.com.
THE “2018 BILLBOARD MUSIC AWARDS” NOMINEES:NOMINATIONS BY CATEGORY
ARTIST AWARDS
Top Artist:
Drake
Kendrick Lamar
Bruno Mars
Ed Sheeran
Taylor Swift
Top New Artist:
21 Savage
Camila Cabello
Cardi B
Khalid
Kodak Black
Billboard Chart Achievement Award (Voting details to be released in the coming weeks):
Camila Cabello
Cardi B
Drake
Sam Hunt
Ed Sheeran
Top Male Artist:
Drake
Kendrick Lamar
Bruno Mars
Post Malone
Ed Sheeran
Top Female Artist:
Camila Cabello
Cardi B
Halsey
Demi Lovato
Taylor Swift
Top Duo/Group:
The Chainsmokers
Coldplay
Imagine Dragons
Migos
U2
Top Billboard 200 Artist:
Drake
Kendrick Lamar
Ed Sheeran
Chris Stapleton
Taylor Swift
Top Hot 100 Artist:
Imagine Dragons
Kendrick Lamar
Bruno Mars
Post Malone
Ed Sheeran
Top Streaming Songs Artist:
Cardi B
Drake
Kendrick Lamar
Post Malone
Ed Sheeran
Top Song Sales Artist:
Imagine Dragons
Kendrick Lamar
Bruno Mars
Post Malone
Ed Sheeran
Top Radio Songs Artist:
Halsey
Imagine Dragons
Bruno Mars
Charlie Puth
Ed Sheeran
Top Social Artist (Voting details to be released in the coming weeks):
Justin Bieber
BTS
Ariana Grande
Demi Lovato
Shawn Mendes
Top Touring Artist:
Coldplay
Guns N’ Roses
Bruno Mars
Ed Sheeran
U2
Top R&B Artist:
Chris Brown
Khalid
Bruno Mars
SZA
The Weeknd
Top R&B Male Artist:
Khalid
Bruno Mars
The Weeknd
Top R&B Female Artist:
Beyoncé
Rihanna
SZA
Top R&B Tour:
Bruno Mars
Lionel Richie
The Weeknd
Top Rap Artist:
Drake
Kendrick Lamar
Lil Uzi Vert
Migos
Post Malone
Top Rap Male Artist:
Drake
Kendrick Lamar
Post Malone
Top Rap Female Artist:
Bhad Bhabie
Cardi B
Nicki Minaj
Top Rap Tour:
J. Cole
JAY-Z
Kendrick Lamar
Top Country Artist:
Kane Brown
Luke Combs
Sam Hunt
Thomas Rhett
Chris Stapleton
Top Country Male Artist:
Sam Hunt
Thomas Rhett
Chris Stapleton
Top Country Female Artist:
Kelsea Ballerini
Miranda Lambert
Maren Morris
Top Country Duo/Group Artist:
Florida Georgia Line
Old Dominion
Zac Brown Band
Top Country Tour:
Luke Bryan
Florida Georgia Line
Tim McGraw & Faith Hill
Top Rock Artist:
Imagine Dragons
Linkin Park
Portugal. The Man
Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers
twenty one pilots
Top Rock Tour:
Coldplay
Guns N’ Roses
U2
Top Latin Artist:
J Balvin
Daddy Yankee
Luis Fonsi
Ozuna
Romeo Santos
Top Dance/Electronic Artist:
The Chainsmokers
Calvin Harris
Kygo
Marshmello
ODESZA
Top Christian Artist:
Elevation Worship
Hillsong UNITED
Hillsong Worship
MercyMe
Zach Williams
Top Gospel Artist:
Anthony Brown & group therAPy
Travis Greene
J.J. Hairston & Youthful Praise
Tasha Cobbs Leonard
Tamela Mann
ALBUM AWARDS
Top Billboard 200 Album:
Drake “More Life”
Kendrick Lamar “DAMN.”
Post Malone “Stoney”
Ed Sheeran “÷ (Divide)”
Taylor Swift “reputation”
Top Selling Album:
Kendrick Lamar “DAMN.”
P!nk “Beautiful Trauma”
Ed Sheeran “÷ (Divide)”
Chris Stapleton “From A Room: Volume 1”
Taylor Swift “reputation”
Top Soundtrack:
“Black Panther”
“The Fate of the Furious: The Album”
“The Greatest Showman”
“Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2: Awesome Mix Vol. 2”
“Moana”
Top R&B Album:
Khalid “American Teen”
Bruno Mars “24K Magic”
SZA “Ctrl”
The Weeknd “Starboy”
XXXTENTACION “17”
Top Rap Album:
Drake “More Life”
Kendrick Lamar “DAMN.”
Lil Uzi Vert “Luv Is Rage 2”
Migos “Culture”
Post Malone “Stoney”
Top Country Album:
Kane Brown “Kane Brown”
Luke Combs “This One’s For You”
Thomas Rhett “Life Changes”
Chris Stapleton “From A Room: Volume 1”
Brett Young “Brett Young”
Top Rock Album:
Imagine Dragons “Evolve”
Linkin Park “One More Light”
Panic! At The Disco “Death Of A Bachelor”
Portugal. The Man “Woodstock”
U2 “Songs of Experience”
Top Latin Album:
Nicky Jam “Fénix”
Christian Nodal “Me Dejé Llevar”
Ozuna “Odisea”
Romeo Santos “Golden”
Shakira “El Dorado”
Top Dance/Electronic Album:
Avicii “AVĪCI (01)”
The Chainsmokers “Memories…Do Not Open”
Calvin Harris “Funk Wav Bounces Vol. 1”
Kygo “Stargazing”
ODESZA “A Moment Apart”
Top Christian Album:
Elevation Worship “There Is A Cloud”
Hillsong UNITED “Wonder”
Hillsong Worship “Let There Be Light”
Alan Jackson “Precious Memories Collection”
MercyMe “Lifer”
Top Gospel Album:
Anthony Brown & group therAPy “A Long Way From Sunday”
Travis Greene “Crossover: Live From Music City”
J.J. Hairston & Youthful Praise “You Deserve It”
Tasha Cobbs Leonard “Heart. Passion. Pursuit.”
Marvin Sapp “Close”
SONG AWARDS
Top Hot 100 Song:
Luis Fonsi & Daddy Yankee ft. Justin Bieber “Despacito”
Kendrick Lamar “HUMBLE.”
Bruno Mars “That’s What I Like”
Post Malone ft. 21 Savage “Rockstar”
Ed Sheeran “Shape Of You”
Top Streaming Song (Audio):
Luis Fonsi & Daddy Yankee ft. Justin Bieber “Despacito”
Kendrick Lamar “HUMBLE.”
Lil Uzi Vert “XO TOUR Llif3”
Post Malone ft. 21 Savage “Rockstar”
Post Malone ft. Quavo “Congratulations”
Top Streaming Song (Video):
Cardi B “Bodak Yellow (Money Moves)”
Luis Fonsi & Daddy Yankee ft. Justin Bieber “Despacito”
Lil Pump “Gucci Gang”
Bruno Mars “That’s What I Like”
Ed Sheeran “Shape of You”
Top Selling Song:
Luis Fonsi & Daddy Yankee ft. Justin Bieber “Despacito”
Sam Hunt “Body Like A Back Road”
Imagine Dragons “Believer”
Imagine Dragons “Thunder”
Ed Sheeran “Perfect”
Top Radio Song:
The Chainsmokers & Coldplay “Something Just Like This”
Imagine Dragons “Believer”
Bruno Mars “That’s What I Like”
Charlie Puth “Attention”
Ed Sheeran “Shape of You”
Top Collaboration:
Camila Cabello ft. Young Thug “Havana”
The Chainsmokers & Coldplay “Something Just Like This”
Luis Fonsi & Daddy Yankee ft. Justin Bieber “Despacito”
French Montana ft. Swae Lee “Unforgettable”
Post Malone ft. 21 Savage “Rockstar”
Top R&B Song:
Childish Gambino “Redbone”
DJ Khaled ft. Rihanna & Bryson Tiller “Wild Thoughts”
Khalid “Young Dumb & Broke”
Bruno Mars “That’s What I Like”
Bruno Mars ft. Cardi B “Finesse”
Top Rap Song:
Cardi B “Bodak Yellow (Money Moves)”
DJ Khaled ft. Justin Bieber, Quavo, Chance The Rapper & Lil Wayne “I’m the One”
French Montana ft. Swae Lee “Unforgettable”
Kendrick Lamar “HUMBLE.”
Post Malone ft. 21 Savage “Rockstar”
Top Country Song:
Kane Brown ft. Lauren Alaina “What Ifs”
Sam Hunt “Body Like A Back Road”
Dustin Lynch “Small Town Boy”
Bebe Rexha & Florida Georgia Line “Meant To Be”
Brett Young “In Case You Didn’t Know”
Top Rock Song:
Imagine Dragons “Believer”
Imagine Dragons “Thunder”
Linkin Park ft. Kiiara “Heavy”
Portugal. The Man “Feel It Still”
The Revivalists “Wish I Knew You”
Top Latin Song:
J Balvin & Willy William ft. Beyoncé “Mi Gente”
Becky G ft. Bad Bunny “Mayores”
Luis Fonsi & Daddy Yankee ft. Justin Bieber “Despacito”
Maluma “Felices Los 4”
Wisin ft. Ozuna “Escápate Conmigo”
Top Dance/Electronic Song:
The Chainsmokers & Coldplay “Something Just Like This”
Clean Bandit ft. Sean Paul & Anne-Marie “Rockabye”
Cheat Codes ft. Demi Lovato “No Promises”
Kygo & Selena Gomez “It Ain’t Me”
Zedd & Alessia Cara “Stay”
Top Christian Song:
Elevation Worship “O Come To The Altar”
Hillsong Worship “What A Beautiful Name”
Lecrae ft. Tori Kelly “I’ll Find You”
MercyMe “Even If”
Zach Williams “Old Church Choir”
Top Gospel Song:
Anthony Brown & group therAPy “Trust In You”
J.J. Hairston & Youthful Praise “You Deserve It”
Travis Greene “You Waited”
Tamela Mann “Change Me”
Charlie Wilson “I’m Blessed”
NOMINATIONS IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER (BY FIRST NAME):
“Black Panther” (1): Top Soundtrack “Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2: Awesome Mix Vol. 2” (1): Top Soundtrack “Moana” (1): Top Soundtrack “The Fate of the Furious: The Album” (1): Top Soundtrack “The Greatest Showman” (1): Top Soundtrack 21 Savage (5): Top New Artist, Top Hot 100 Song, Top Streaming Song (Audio), Top Collaboration, Top Rap Song Alan Jackson (1): Top Christian Album Alessia Cara (1): Top Dance/Electronic Song Anne-Marie (1): Top Dance/Electronic Song Anthony Brown & group therAPy (3): Top Gospel Artist, Top Gospel Album, Top Gospel Song Ariana Grande (1): Top Social Artist Avicii (1): Top Dance/Electronic Album Bad Bunny (1): Top Latin Song Bebe Rexha: (1): Top Country Song Becky G (1): Top Latin Song Beyoncé (2): Top R&B Female Artist, Top Latin Song Bhad Bhabie (1): Top Rap Female Artist Brett Young (2): Top Country Album, Top Country Song Bruno Mars (15): Top Artist, Top Male Artist, Top Hot 100 Artist, Top Song Sales Artist, Top Radio Songs Artist, Top Touring Artist, Top R&B Artist, Top R&B Male Artist, Top R&B Tour, Top R&B Album, Top Hot 100 Song, Top Streaming Song (Video), Top Radio Song, Top R&B Song (x2) Bryson Tiller (1): Top R&B Song BTS (1): Top Social Artist Calvin Harris (2): Top Dance/Electronic Artist, Top Dance/Electronic Album Camila Cabello (4): Billboard Chart Achievement Award, Top New Artist, Top Female Artist, Top Collaboration Cardi B (8): Billboard Chart Achievement Award, Top New Artist, Top Female Artist, Top Rap Female Artist, Top Streaming Song (Video), Top R&B Song, Top Rap Song, Top Streaming Songs Artist Chance The Rapper (1): Top Rap Song Charlie Puth (2): Top Radio Songs Artist, Top Radio Song Charlie Wilson (1): Top Gospel Song Cheat Codes (1): Top Dance/Electronic Song Childish Gambino (1): Top R&B Song Chris Brown (1): Top R&B Artist Chris Stapleton (5): Top Billboard 200 Artist, Top Country Artist, Top Country Male Artist, Top Country Album, Top Selling Album Christian Nodal (1): Top Latin Album Clean Bandit (1): Top Dance/Electronic Song Coldplay (6): Top Duo/Group, Top Touring Artist, Top Rock Tour, Top Radio Song, Top Collaboration, Top Dance/Electronic Song Daddy Yankee (7): Top Latin Artist, Top Hot 100 Song, Top Streaming Song (Audio), Top Streaming Song (Video), Top Selling Song, Top Collaboration, Top Latin Song Demi Lovato (3): Top Female Artist, Top Social Artist, Top Dance/Electronic Song DJ Khaled (2): Top R&B Song, Top Rap Song Drake (9): Top Artist, Billboard Chart Achievement Award, Top Male Artist, Top Billboard 200 Artist, Top Rap Artist, Top Rap Male Artist, Top Billboard 200 Album, Top Rap Album, Top Streaming Songs Artist Dustin Lynch (1): Top Country Song Ed Sheeran (15): Top Artist, Billboard Chart Achievement Award, Top Male Artist, Top Billboard 200 Artist, Top Hot 100 Artist, Top Streaming Song, Top Song Sales Artist, Top Radio Songs Artist, Top Touring Artist, Top Billboard 200 Album, Top Selling Album, Top Hot 100 Song, Top Streaming Song (Video), Top Selling Song, Top Radio Song Elevation Worship (3): Top Christian Artist, Top Christian Album, Top Christian Song Faith Hill (1): Top Country Tour Florida Georgia Line (3): Top Country Duo/Group Artist, Top Country Tour, Top Country Song French Montana (2): Top Collaboration, Top Rap Song Guns N’ Roses (2): Top Touring Artist, Top Rock Tour Halsey (2): Top Female Artist, Top Radio Artist Hillsong UNITED (2): Top Christian Artist, Top Christian Album Hillsong Worship (3): Top Christian Artist, Top Christian Album, Top Christian Song Imagine Dragons (11): Top Duo/Group, Top Hot 100 Artist, Top Song Sales Artist, Top Radio Songs Artist, Top Rock Artist, Top Rock Album, Top Selling Song (x2), Top Radio Song, Top Rock Song (x2) J Balvin (2): Top Latin Artist, Top Latin Song J. Cole (1): Top Rap Tour JAY-Z (1): Top Rap Tour J.J. Hairston & Youthful Praise (3): Top Gospel Artist, Top Gospel Album, Top Gospel Song Justin Bieber (8): Top Social Artist, Top Hot 100 Song, Top Streaming Song (Audio), Top Streaming Song (Video), Top Selling Song, Top Collaboration, Top Rap Song, Top Latin Song Kane Brown (3): Top Country Artist, Top Country Album, Top Country Song Kelsea Ballerini (1): Top Country Female Artist Kendrick Lamar (15): Top Artist, Top Male Artist, Top Billboard 200 Artist, Top Hot 100 Artist, Top Streaming Songs Artist, Top Song Sales Artist, Top Rap Artist, Top Rap Male Artist, Top Rap Tour, Top Billboard 200 Album, Top Rap Album, Top Selling Song, Top Hot 100 Song, Top Streaming Song (Audio), Top Rap Song Khalid (5): Top New Artist, Top R&B Artist, Top R&B Male Artist, Top R&B Album, Top R&B Song Kiiara (1): Top Rock Song Kodak Black (1): Top New Artist Kygo (3): Top Dance/Electronic Artist, Top Dance/Electronic Album, Top Dance/Electronic Song, Lauren Alaina (1): Top Country Song Lecrae (1): Top Christian Song Lil Pump (1): Top Streaming Song (Video) Lil Uzi Vert (3): Top Rap Artist, Top Rap Album, Top Streaming Song (Audio) Lil Wayne (1): Top Rap Song Linkin Park (3): Top Rock Artist, Top Rock Album, Top Rock Song Lionel Richie (1): Top R&B Tour Luis Fonsi (7): Top Latin Artist, Top Hot 100 Song, Top Streaming Song (Audio), Top Streaming Song (Video), Top Selling Song, Top Collaboration, Top Latin Song Luke Bryan (1): Top Country Tour Luke Combs (2): Top Country Artist, Top Country Album Maluma (1): Top Latin Song Maren Morris (1): Top Country Female Artist Marshmello (1): Top Dance/Electronic Artist Marvin Sapp (1): Top Gospel Album MercyMe (3): Top Christian Artist, Top Christian Album, Top Christian Song Migos (3): Top Duo/Group, Top Rap Artist, Top Rap Album Miranda Lambert (1): Top Country Female Artist Nicki Minaj (1): Top Rap Female Artist Nicky Jam (1): Top Latin Album ODESZA (2): Top Dance/Electronic Artist, Top Dance/Electronic Album Old Dominion (1): Top Country Duo/Group Artist Ozuna (3): Top Latin Artist, Top Latin Album, Top Latin Song P!NK (1): Top Selling Album Panic! At The Disco (1): Top Rock Album Portugal. The Man (3): Top Rock Artist, Top Rock Album, Top Rock Song Post Malone (13): Top Male Artist, Top Hot 100 Artist, Top Streaming Songs Artist, Top Song Sales Artist, Top Rap Artist, Top Rap Male Artist, Top Billboard 200 Album, Top Rap Album, Top Hot 100 Song, Top Streaming Song (Audio) (x2), Top Collaboration, Top Rap Song Quavo (2): Top Streaming Song (Audio), Top Rap Song Rihanna (2): Top R&B Female Artist, Top R&B Song Romeo Santos (2): Top Latin Artist, Top Latin Album Sam Hunt (5): Billboard Chart Achievement Award, Top Country Artist, Top Country Male Artist, Top Selling Song, Top Country Song Sean Paul (1): Top Dance/Electronic Song Selena Gomez (1): Top Dance/Electronic Song Shakira (1): Top Latin Album Shawn Mendes (1): Top Social Artist Swae Lee (2): Top Collaboration, Top Rap Song SZA (3): Top R&B Artist, Top R&B Female Artist, Top R&B Album Tamela Mann (2): Top Gospel Artist, Top Gospel Song Tasha Cobbs Leonard (2): Top Gospel Artist, Top Gospel Album Taylor Swift (5): Top Artist, Top Female Artist, Top Billboard 200 Artist, Top Billboard 200 Album, Top Selling Album The Chainsmokers (6): Top Duo/Group, Top Dance/Electronic Artist, Top Dance/Electronic Album, Top Radio Song, Top Collaboration, Top Dance/Electronic Song The Revivalists (1): Top Rock Song The Weeknd (4): Top R&B Artist, Top R&B Male Artist, Top R&B Tour, Top R&B Album Thomas Rhett (3): Top Country Artist, Top Country Male Artist, Top Country Album Tim McGraw (1): Top Country Tour Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers (1): Top Rock Artist Tori Kelly (1): Top Christian Song Travis Greene (3): Top Gospel Artist, Top Gospel Album, Top Gospel Song twenty one pilots (1): Top Rock Artist U2 (4): Top Duo/Group, Top Touring Artist, Top Rock Tour, Top Rock Album Willy William (1): Top Latin Song Wisin (1): Top Latin Song XXXTENTACION (1): Top R&B Album Young Thug (1): Top Collaboration Zac Brown Band (1): Top Country Duo/Group Artist Zach Williams (2): Top Christian Artist, Top Christian Song Zedd (1): Top Dance/Electronic Song
2018 BILLBOARD MUSIC AWARD NOMINEE STATISTICS
2018 NOMINATIONS FAST FACTS
ALL-TIME RECORD HOLDERS BY CATEGORY
TOP BBMA WINNERS OF ALL TIME (1990–2017)
2018 NOMINATIONS FAST FACTS
“COULD ED SHEERAN WIN HIS FIRST EVER BILLBOARD MUSIC AWARD THIS YEAR?”
Ed Sheeran, who’s tied with Kendrick Lamar and Bruno Mars for 15 nominations, could win his first Billboard Music Award ever at this year’s show. Sheeran previously received 5 nominations in 2015, and 3 nominations in 2016.
“WILL DRAKE’S RECORD FROM THE “2017 BILLBOARD MUSIC AWARDS” BE BROKEN THIS YEAR?”
Kendrick Lamar, Bruno Mars and Ed Sheeran tie for the most nominations this year (15). All three artists have the chance to surpass Drake’s record (13) for the artist with the most wins in a single night.
“WILL THERE BE A NEW ALL-TIME RECORD HOLDER FOR MOST WINS EVER?”
Drake, 14-time Billboard Music Award winner, could become the artist with the most wins ever, surpassing Taylor Swift (21). Drake is nominated for 9 awards this year and will take the lead over Swift should he sweep all his categories.
15-time Billboard Music Award winner, Justin Bieber, could beat Taylor Swift’s previous all-time record of most BBMA wins (21), if he wins in 7 or more of his categories. Bieber has 8 nominations this year, crossing over multiple genres.
“WHICH TOP DUO/GROUP NOMINEE WILL WIN BIG AT THE ‘2018 BILLBOARD MUSIC AWARDS’?”
The Chainsmokers, who are nominated for 6 awards this year, have the chance to tie the current record of most BBMA wins by any Duo/Group, currently held by Destiny’s Child with 10, if they take home all 6 wins.
With 11 nominations this year, 2018 Top Duo/Group nominee Imagine Dragonsreceived the third most nominations, including an impressive 2 nods in the Top Selling Song and Top Rock Song categories.
“2018 IS THE YEAR OF ARTIST GENRE CROSSOVERS AT THE ‘2018 BILLBOARD MUSIC AWARDS’”
With Beyoncé nominated for “Mi Gente” and Justin Bieber nominated for “Despacito” in Top Latin Song, a first for them in this category, 2018 has proven to be the year of genre-crossing artists.
ALL-TIME RECORD HOLDERS BY CATEGORY:
TOP ARTIST
50 Cent, Adele,Garth Brooks, Destiny’s Child, Taylor Swift and Usher are tied for the most wins in this category with 2 wins. Swift is a 2018 nominee in this category and if she wins, she will become the artist with the most Top Artist awards.
TOP MALE ARTIST
Justin Bieber is the artist with the most wins (2) in this category, having taken home the trophy in 2013 and 2016. Drake, the 2017 winner for Top Male Artist, is nominated this year and has the chance to tie Bieber for most wins in this category.
TOP FEMALE ARTIST
Adele, Beyoncé, Rihanna and Taylor Swift lead with 2 wins each in this category. Taylor is nominated this year and will become the most decorated Top Female Artist with 3 wins in this category should she take home the award.
TOP DUO OR GROUP
One Direction currently holds the record with 3 wins in this category. The group previously won in 2013, 2015 and 2016.
TOP R&B ARTIST
R. Kelly has the most wins for Top R&B Artist with four. He won the category in 1994, 1996, 1999 and 2001. Usher follows with 3 wins in 1998, 2004 and most recently in 2011.
TOP RAP ARTIST
Drake, LL Cool J, Eminem and protégé 50 Cent are tied in this category with 2 wins each. LL Cool J won Top Rap Artist in 1991 and 1996, Eminem won in 2011 and 2014, while 50 Cent actually won the award twice, years before his mentor, in 2003 and 2005. Drake took home this award in 2016 and 2017, and is nominated again this year, giving him the chance to surpass LL Cool J, Eminem and 50 Cent to become the top winner in this category and be the dominating artist for three years running.
TOP COUNTRY ARTIST
Garth Brooks has won this award three times in 1991, 1993 and 1998. None of the nominees in this category this year have won this award and will be taking home the top country honor for the first time.
TOP ROCK ARTIST
Twenty One Pilots is the first artist to win this award twice and in back-to back years, 2016 and 2017. They are nominated again this year and have the chance to dominate this category for the third year running.
TOP LATIN ARTIST
Romeo Santos and Shakira are tied for most wins in this category with two. He previously won Top Latin Artist back-to-back in 2015 and 2016, while Shakira won this category back-to-back in 2011 and 2012. Romeo is nominated again this year and will become the artist with the most wins in this category should he take home the award for the third time.
TOP CHRISTIAN ARTIST
Chris Tomlin and Hillsong UNITED are tied as leaders in this category with 2 each. Tomlin won this award twice, in 2001 and 2014, and Hillsong UNITED won back-to-back in 2015 and 2016. Hillsong UNITED is nominated this year as well, giving them the chance to surpass Tomlin with most Top Christian Artist wins.
TOP BBMA WINNERS OF ALL TIME (1990–2017):Taylor Swift – 21 wins total, the most BBMA wins of any artist in history; Top Billboard 200 Artist (2011); Top Country Artist (2011); Top Country Album (2011); Woman of the Year (2012); Top Artist (2013); Top Female Artist (2013); Top Billboard 200 Artist (2013); Top Digital Songs Artist (2013); Top Country Artist (2013); Top Billboard 200 Album (2013); Top Country Album (2013); Top Country Song (2013); Top Artist (2015); Top Female Artist (2015); Top Billboard 200 Artist (2015); Top Hot 100 Artist (2015); Top Digital Songs Artist (2015); Top Billboard 200 Album (2015); Top Streaming Song (2015); Chart Achievement Award (2015); Top Touring Artist (2016)
Garth Brooks – 19 wins total; #1 Albums Artist (1991); #1 Country Album (1991); #1 Country Singles Artists (1991); #1 Country Artist (1991); #1 Country Albums Artist (1991); No. 1 Pop Artist (1992); #1 Country Artist (1993); #1 Pop Artist (1993); #1 Country Singles Artist (1993); #1 Country Albums Artist (1993); Country Album of the Year (1995); Artist Achievement Award (1997); Country Artist of the Year (1998); Country Album of the Year (1998); Male Album of the Year (1998); Male Albums Artist of the Year (1998); Country Singles Artist of the Year (1998); Country Albums Artist of the Year (1998); Male Artist of the Decade (1999)
Adele – 18 wins total; Top Billboard 200 Album (2012); Top Pop Album (2012); Top Artist (2012); Top Female Artist (2012); Top Billboard 200 Artist (2012); Top Hot 100 Artist (2012); Top Digital Songs Artist (2012); Top Radio Songs Artist (2012); Top Digital Media Artist (2012); Top Pop Artist (2012); Top Streaming Song (2012); Top Alternative Song (2012); Top Pop Album (2013); Top Artist (2016); Top Female Artist (2016); Top Billboard 200 Artist (2016); Top Billboard 200 Album (2016); Top Selling Song (2016)
Usher – 18 wins total; Artist of the Year (1998); R&B Artist of the Year (1998); Hot 100 Singles Artist of the Year (1998); Artist of the Year (2004); R&B/Hip-Hop Artist of the Year (2004); Hot 100 Artist of the Year (2004); Hot 100 Single of the Year (2004); Mainstream Top 40 Artist of the Year (2004); Mainstream Top 40 Single of the Year (2004); Billboard 200 Album of the Year (2004); R&B/Hip-Hop Album of the Year (2004); R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Artist of the Year (2004); Billboard 200 Artist of the Year (2004); Hot 100 Airplay Single of the Year (2004); Rap Song of the Year (2005); Top R&B Artist (2011); Top R&B Song (2011); Top R&B Album (2011)
Whitney Houston – 16 wins total; #1 R&B Singles Artist (1991); #1 R&B Albums Artist (1991); #1 R&B Artist (1991); #1 R&B Album (1991); #1 Hot 100 Singles Artist (1993); #1 Hot 100 Single (1993); Single With Most Weeks at #1 (1993); #1 R&B Single (1993); #1 R&B Singles Artist (1993); #1 R&B Album (1993); #1 World Artist (1993); #1 World Single (1993); #1 Album (1993); #1 Soundtrack Album (1993); #1 Album With Most Weeks at No. 1 (1993); Billboard Millennium Award (2012)
Justin Bieber – 15 wins total; Top New Artist (2011); Top Social Artist (2011); Top Streaming Artist (2011); Top Digital Artist (2011); Top Pop Album (2011); Top Streaming Song, [Video] (2011); Billboard.com Fan Favorite Award (2011); Top Social Artist (2012); Milestone Award (2013); Top Male Artist (2013); Top Social Artist (2013); Top Social Artist (2014); Top Social Artist (2015); Top Male Artist (2016); Top Social Media Artist (2016)
Mariah Carey – 14 wins total; #1 Hot 100 Singles Artist (1991); #1 Album (1991); #1 Adult Contemporary Artist (1991); #1 Pop Artist (1991); #1 Female Artist (1994); Special Hot 100 Singles Award – Most Weeks at No. 1 on The Billboard Hot 100 (1996); Hot 100 Singles Artist of the Year (1996); Special Billboard Hot 100 Award for the most No.1s ever by a female artist (1998); Female Artist of the Decade (1999); Hot 100 Song of the Year (2005); Hot 100 Airplay Song of the Year (2005); Female R&B/Hip-Hop Artist of the Year (2005); Female Billboard 200 Album Artist of the Year (2005); Rhythmic Top 40 Title of the Year (2005)
Drake – 14 wins total; Top Rap Artist (2016); Top Artist (2017); Top Billboard 200 Artist (2017); Top Billboard 200 Album (2017); Top Rap Artist (2017); Top Male Artist (2017); Top Rap Album (2017); Top Hot 100 Artist (2017); Top Song Sales Artist (2017); Top Streaming Songs Artist (2017); Top Rap Tour (2017); Top Streaming Song (Audio); Top R&B Song (2017), Top R&B Collaboration (2017)
R. Kelly – 12 wins total; #1 R&B Artist (1994); R&B Artist of the Year (1996); R&B Artist of the Year (1999); R&B/Hip-Hop Artist of the Year (2001); R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Artist of the Year (2001); R&B/Hip-Hop Album of the Year (2001); R&B/Hip-Hop Singles Artist of the Year (2001); R&B/Hip-Hop Single of the Year (2001); Hot 100 Producer of the Year (2003); R&B Producer of the Year (2003); Hot 100 Songwriter of the Year (2003); R&B Songwriter of the Year (2003)
Rihanna – 12 wins total; Female Artist of the Year (2006); Female Hot 100 Artist of the Year (2006); Pop 100 Artist of the Year (2006); Top Female Artist (2011); Top Radio Songs Artist (2011); Top Rap Song (Eminem Featuring Rihanna) (2011); Top Streaming Artist (2012); Top Radio Songs Artist (2013); Top R&B Artist (2013); Top R&B Album (2013); Top R&B Song (2013); Chart Achievement Award (2016)
Beyoncé – 11 wins total; Hot 100 Female Artist of the Year (2003); New R&B Artist of the Year (2003); New Female Artist of the Year (2003); Special Hot 100 Award for Most Weeks at No. 1 (2003); Billboard Millennium Award (2011); Top R&B Album (2012); Top Female Artist (2017); Top Touring Artist (2017); Top R&B Artist (2017); Top R&B Tour (2017); Top R&B Album (2017)
Lil Jon – 11 wins total; This count includes 6 Billboard Music Awards he won with the East Side Boyz; R&B/Hip Hop Group of the Year (2003); Independent Album Artist of the Year (2003); Independent Album of the Year (2003); Hot 100 Producer (2004); Hot 100 Single of the Year (2004); Mainstream Top 40 Single of the Year (2004); Hot 100 Airplay Single of the Year (2004); Independent Albums Artist of the Year (2004); Independent Album of the Year (2004); Rap Song of the Year (2005); Top Dance/Electronic Song (2015)
