BREAKING

Ludacris & Ciara Announce Finalists for the 2016 Billboard Music Awards

With help from hip-hop artist and actor Ludacris and international music sensation Ciara, dick clark productions and ABC announced the finalists for the 2016 Billboard Music Awards during the 8AM ET hour of Good Morning America. 

The award show hosts announced the finalists in six categories, including: Top Artist, Top Male Artist, Top Female Artist, Top New Artist, Top Billboard 200 Album and Top Hot 100 Song. Immediately following the broadcast, five additional categories were exclusively announced live via Billboard Music Award’s Facebook and Periscope, followed by a live stream on ABC News of the remaining categories.

The Weeknd leads the finalist pack with nods in 16 categories including Top Artist, Top Male Artist and Top Hot 100 Song. Justin Bieber follows as a finalist in 11 categories including Top Artist, Top Male Artist and Top Hot 100 Artist. Fetty Wap and Drake are tied with nods in 10 categories each, including Top Male Artist contenders for both musicians. Drake will compete against himself for Top Rap Album for “If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late” and his collaboration with Future on “What A Time To Be Alive.”

Leading the ladies, Adele and Taylor Swift are tied with eight nods each including Top Artist, Top Female Artist, Top Billboard 200 Artist and Top Billboard 200 Album, all of which Swift won last year. Other returning winners from 2015, who are also finalists this year, include One Direction, Romeo Santos, Coldplay, DJ Snake and Carrie Underwood.

In addition, Wiz Khalifa and Charlie Puth are finalists in six categories respectively. They received five each for their hit single “See You Again,” while Wiz Khalifa is also up for Top Rap Artist and Charlie is up for Top New Artist. The late David Bowie is honored posthumously as a finalist for Top Rock Album for “Blackstar.”

Billboard Music Awards finalists are based on key fan interactions with music, including album and digital songs sales, radio airplay, streaming, touring and social interactions on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, Spotify and other popular online destinations for music. These measurements are tracked year-round by Billboard and its data partners, including Nielsen Music and Next Big Sound. The awards are based on the reporting period of tracking dates March 23, 2015 through March 17, 2016 and Billboard chart dates April 11, 2015 through April 2, 2016.

The 2016 Billboard Music Awards will broadcast LIVE from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Sunday, May 22 at 8:00 p.m. ET on ABC.

The complete list of finalists for the 2016 Billboard Music Awards can be found below.

THE “2016 BILLBOARD MUSIC AWARDS” FINALISTS:

ARTIST AWARDS

Top Artist:
Adele
Justin Bieber
Drake
Taylor Swift
The Weeknd

Top New Artist:
Fetty Wap
OMI
Charlie Puth
Silentó
Bryson Tiller

Top Male Artist:
Justin Bieber
Drake
Fetty Wap
Ed Sheeran
The Weeknd

Top Female Artist:
Adele
Selena Gomez
Ariana Grande
Rihanna
Taylor Swift

Top Duo/Group:
Maroon 5
One Direction
twenty one pilots
The Rolling Stones
U2

Top Billboard 200 Artist:
Adele
Justin Bieber
Drake
Taylor Swift
The Weeknd

Top Hot 100 Artist:
Justin Bieber
Drake
Fetty Wap
Taylor Swift
The Weeknd

Top Song Sales Artist:
Adele
Justin Bieber
Drake
Fetty Wap
The Weeknd

Top Radio Songs Artist:
Justin Bieber
Ellie Goulding
Ed Sheeran
Taylor Swift
The Weeknd

Top Streaming Songs Artist:
Justin Bieber
Drake
Fetty Wap
Silentó
The Weeknd

Top Social Media Artist:
Justin Bieber
Selena Gomez
Ariana Grande
Demi Lovato
Taylor Swift

Top Touring Artist:
Madonna
One Direction
The Rolling Stones
Taylor Swift
U2

Top R&B Artist:
Chris Brown
Jeremih
Rihanna
Bryson Tiller
The Weeknd

Top Rap Artist:
Drake
Fetty Wap
Future
Wiz Khalifa
Silentó

Top Country Artist:
Zac Brown Band
Luke Bryan
Sam Hunt
Chris Stapleton
Carrie Underwood

Top Rock Artist:
Fall Out Boy
Elle King
twenty one pilots
WALK THE MOON
X Ambassadors

Top Latin Artist:
Banda Sinaloense MS De Sergio Lizárraga
Juan Gabriel
Nicky Jam
Ariel Camacho y Los Plebes del Rancho
Romeo Santos

Top Dance/Electronic Artist:
The Chainsmokers
DJ Snake
David Guetta
Major Lazer
Zedd

Top Christian Artist:
Casting Crowns
Lauren Daigle
Hillsong UNITED
MercyMe
Chris Tomlin

Top Gospel Artist:
Anthony Brown and group therAPy
Tasha Cobbs
Kirk Franklin
Travis Greene
Marvin Sapp

ALBUM AWARDS

Top Billboard 200 Album:
Adele “25”
Justin Bieber “Purpose”
Ed Sheeran “x”
Taylor Swift “1989”
The Weeknd “Beauty Behind The Madness”

Top Soundtrack:
“Empire: Original Soundtrack From Season 1”
“Fifty Shades of Grey”
“Furious 7”
“Guardians of the Galaxy: Awesome Mix Vol. 1”
“Pitch Perfect 2”

Top R&B Album:
Chris Brown “Royalty”
Rihanna “Anti”
Bryson Tiller “T R A P S O U L”
Tyrese “Black Rose”
The Weeknd “Beauty Behind The Madness”

Top Rap Album:
Drake “If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late”
Drake & Future “What A Time To Be Alive”
Dr. Dre “Compton”
Kendrick Lamar “To Pimp A Butterfly”
Meek Mill “Dreams Worth More Than Money”

Top Country Album:
Chris Stapleton “Traveller”
Luke Bryan “Kill The Lights”
Sam Hunt “Montevallo”
Zac Brown Band “Jekyll + Hyde”
Carrie Underwood “Storyteller”

Top Rock Album:
Alabama Shakes “Sound & Color”
David Bowie “Blackstar”
Coldplay “A Head Full Of Dreams”
Mumford & Sons “Wilder Mind”
twenty one pilots “Blurryface”

Top Latin Album:
Juan Gabriel “Los Dúo”
Juan Gabriel “Mis Número 1…40 Aniversario”
Maná “Cama Incendiada”
Gerardo Ortiz “Hoy Mas Fuerte”
Romeo Santos “Formula, Vol. 2”

Top Dance/Electronic Album:
David Guetta “Listen”
Major Lazer “Peace Is The Mission”
ODESZA “In Return”
Skrillex & Diplo “Skrillex And Diplo Present Jack U”
Zedd “True Colors”

Top Christian Album:
Lauren Daigle “How Can It Be”
Hillsong UNITED “Empires”
Joey + Rory “Hymns That Are Important To Us”
TobyMac “This Is Not A Test”
Chris Tomlin “Adore: Christmas Songs of Worship”

Top Gospel Album:
Anthony Brown & group therAPy “Everyday Jesus”
Tasha Cobbs “One Place Live”
Kirk Franklin “Losing My Religion”
Jonathan McReynolds “Life Music: Stage Two”
Marvin Sapp “You Shall Live”

SONG AWARDS

Top Hot 100 Song:
Adele “Hello”
Fetty Wap “Trap Queen”
Wiz Khalifa ft. Charlie Puth “See You Again”
The Weeknd “Can’t Feel My Face”
The Weeknd “The Hills”

Top Selling Song:
Adele “Hello”
Wiz Khalifa ft. Charlie Puth “See You Again”
OMI “Cheerleader”
Rachel Platten “Fight Song”
The Weeknd “The Hills”

Top Radio Song:
Adele “Hello”
Wiz Khalifa ft. Charlie Puth “See You Again”
Mark Ronson ft. Bruno Mars “Uptown Funk!”
WALK THE MOON “Shut Up And Dance”
The Weeknd “Can’t Feel My Face”

Top Streaming Song (Audio):
Justin Bieber “Sorry”
Justin Bieber “What Do You Mean”
Fetty Wap “Trap Queen”
The Weeknd “The Hills”
Drake “Hotline Bling”

Top Streaming Song (Video):
Fetty Wap “Trap Queen”
Wiz Khalifa ft. Charlie Puth “See You Again”
Mark Ronson ft. Bruno Mars “Uptown Funk!”
Silentó “Watch Me”
The Weeknd “The Hills”

Top R&B Song:
Alessia Cara “Here”
Omarion ft. Chris Brown & Jhené Aiko “Post To Be”
The Weeknd “Can’t Feel My Face”
The Weeknd “Earned It (Fifty Shades of Grey)”
The Weeknd “The Hills”

Top Rap Song:
Drake “Hotline Bling”
Fetty Wap “Trap Queen”
Fetty Wap “679” feat. Remy Boyz
Silentó “Watch Me”
Wiz Khalifa ft. Charlie Puth “See You Again”

Top Country Song:
Sam Hunt “Break Up In A Small Town”
Sam Hunt “Take Your Time”
Little Big Town “Girl Crush”
Thomas Rhett “Die A Happy Man”
Chris Young “I’m Comin’ Over”

Top Rock Song:
Fall Out Boy “Uma Thurman”
Elle King “Ex’s & Oh’s”
twenty one pilots “Stressed Out”
WALK THE MOON “Shut Up And Dance”
X Ambassadors “Renegades”

Top Latin Song:
J Balvin “Ginza”
Ariel Camacho y Los Plebes del Rancho “Te Metiste”
Nicky Jam & Enrique Iglesias “El Perdon”
Maluma “Borro Cassette”
Romeo Santos “Propuesta Indecente”

Top Dance/Electronic Song:
The Chainsmokers ft. ROZES “Roses”
DJ Snake & AlunaGeorge “You Know You Like It”
David Guetta ft. Nicki Minaj, Bebe Rexha & Afrojack “Hey Mama”
Major Lazer & DJ Snake ft. MØ “Lean On”
Skrillex & Diplo “Where Are Ü Now” With Justin Bieber

Top Christian Song:
Hillsong UNITED “Oceans (Where Feet May Fail)”
Hillsong UNITED “Touch The Sky”
MercyMe “Flawless”
NEEDTOBREATHE ft. Gavin DeGraw “Brother”
Chris Tomlin “Good Good Father”

Top Gospel Song:
Anthony Brown and group therAPy “Worth”
Erica Campbell ft. Big Shizz “I Luh God”
Kirk Franklin “Wanna Be Happy?”
Travis Greene “Intentional”
Brian Courtney Wilson “Worth Fighting For”

Author

  • Juliet Schroder

    Juliet is the founder and executive producer/host of Celeb Secrets and Celeb Secrets Country. When not reporting on the latest news in pop culture and country music, she enjoys traveling, spending time with friends and family, watching sports and exploring the latest fashion trends. Juliet holds a B.S. in marketing from St. John's University.

Juliet is the founder and executive producer/host of Celeb Secrets and Celeb Secrets Country. When not reporting on the latest news in pop culture and country music, she enjoys traveling, spending time with friends and family, watching sports and…

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