The Billboard Music Awards are just around the corner, and the first batch of nominees are officially here.
Khalid and Bebe Rexha teamed up Tuesday morning (Apr. 17) to announce seven of the major BBMA categories on the Today show, including top artist, top Hot 100 song and top new artist. The remainder of the nominations will be announced via live stream on the Billboard Facebook page and the Billboard Music Awards Facebook page.
Both Khalid and Rexha had the honor of announcing each other’s nominations. “I’m a New York city girl, I didn’t think I was going to be nominated for a country award!” Rexha said with a laugh when the “Young Dumb & Broke” singer announced that she was in the running for top country song for her collaboration with Florida Georgia Line, “Meant To Be.” Khalid is up against stiff competition in the top new artist category, which also includes 21 Savage, Camila Cabello, Cardi B and Kodak Black.
The 2018 Billboard Music Awards will air on NBC for the first time this year, broadcasting 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 event — produced by dick clark productions — will commemorate 60 years of Billboard charts. Nominees for the BBMAs are selected through a number of factors, including key interactions with music fans, album and digital song sales, radio airplay, streaming, touring and social engagement, as tracked by Billboard and its data partners over a 12-month period.
See the first batch of nominees below:
Top Artist:
Drake
Kendrick Lamar
Bruno Mars
Ed Sheeran
Taylor Swift
Top Female Artist:
Camila Cabello
Cardi B
Halsey
Demi Lovato
Taylor Swift
Top Male Artist:
Drake
Kendrick Lamar
Bruno Mars
Post Malone
Ed Sheeran
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 Selling Album:
Kendrick Lamar, DAMN.
P!nk, Beautiful Trauma
Ed Sheeran, ÷ (Divide)
Chris Stapleton, From A Room: Volume 1
Taylor Swift, reputation
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 New Artist:
21 Savage
Camila Cabello
Cardi B
Khalid
Kodak Black
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