2021 Billboard Music Awards Nominations: The Weeknd, Ariana Grande, Machine Gun Kelly and More

2021 Billboard Music Awards
2021 Billboard Music Awards

The winners will be announced during a live ceremony airing Sunday, May 23 at 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT on NBC.

The full list of nominations for the 2021 Billboard Music Awards is officially here!

The Weeknd leads with the most nominations this year, racking up a total of 16 nods, including Top Artist, Top Male Artist and Top Streaming Songs Artist. Other top finalists include DaBaby with 11, Gabby Barrett with 9 and Pop Smoke with 10 posthumous nominations. The winners will be announced during a live ceremony airing Sunday, May 23 at 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT on NBC.

See the complete list of nominees below:

ARTIST AWARDS
 
Top Artist
Drake
Juice WRLD
Pop Smoke
Taylor Swift
The Weeknd
 
Top New Artist
Gabby Barrett
Doja Cat
Jack Harlow
Pop Smoke
Rod Wave
 
Top Male Artist

Drake
Juice WRLD
Lil Baby
Pop Smoke
The Weeknd
 
Top Female Artist
Billie Eilish
Ariana Grande
Dua Lipa
Megan Thee Stallion
Taylor Swift
 
Top Duo/Group
AC/DC
AJR
BTS
Dan + Shay
Maroon 5
 
Top Billboard 200 Artist
Drake
Juice WRLD
Pop Smoke
Post Malone
Taylor Swift
 
Top Hot 100 Artist
DaBaby
Drake
Dua Lipa
Pop Smoke
The Weeknd
 
Top Streaming Songs Artist
DaBaby
Drake
Lil Baby
Pop Smoke
The Weeknd
 
Top Song Sales Artist
Justin Bieber
BTS
Megan Thee Stallion
*Morgan Wallen
The Weeknd
 
Top Radio Songs Artist
Justin Bieber
Lewis Capaldi
Dua Lipa
Harry Styles
The Weeknd
 
Top Social Artist (Fan Voted)
BLACKPINK
BTS
Ariana Grande
SB19
Seventeen
 
Top R&B Artist
Jhené Aiko
Justin Bieber
Chris Brown
Doja Cat
The Weeknd
 
Top R&B Male Artist
Justin Bieber
Chris Brown
The Weeknd
 
Top R&B Female Artist
Jhené Aiko
Doja Cat
SZA
 
Top Rap Artist
DaBaby
Drake
Juice WRLD
Lil Baby
Pop Smoke
 
Top Rap Male Artist
Juice WRLD
Lil Baby
Pop Smoke
 
Top Rap Female Artist
Cardi B
Megan Thee Stallion
Saweetie
 
Top Country Artist
Gabby Barrett
Kane Brown
Luke Combs
Chris Stapleton
*Morgan Wallen
 
Top Country Male Artist
Luke Combs
Chris Stapleton
*Morgan Wallen
 
Top Country Female Artist
Gabby Barrett
Maren Morris
Carrie Underwood
 
Top Country Duo/Group
Dan + Shay
Florida Georgia Line
Maddie & Tae
 
Top Rock Artist
AC/DC
AJR
Five Finger Death Punch
Machine Gun Kelly
twenty one pilots
 
Top Latin Artist
Anuel AA
Bad Bunny
J Balvin
Maluma
Ozuna
 
Top Latin Male Artist
Bad Bunny
J Balvin
Ozuna
 
Top Latin Female Artist
Becky G
Karol G
Rosalía
 
Top Latin Duo/Group
Banda MS de Sergio Lizárraga
Eslabón Armado
Los Dos Carnales
 
Top Dance/Electronic Artist
The Chainsmokers
Kygo
Lady Gaga
Marshmello
Surf Mesa
 
Top Christian Artist
Casting Crowns
Elevation Worship
for KING & COUNTRY
Carrie Underwood
Zach Williams
 
Top Gospel Artist
Kirk Franklin
Koryn Hawthorne
Tasha Cobbs Leonard
Maverick City Music
Kanye West
 
 
ALBUM AWARDS
 
Top Billboard 200 Album
Juice WRLD, Legends Never Die
Lil Baby, My Turn
Pop Smoke, Shoot for the Stars, Aim for the Moon
Taylor Swift, folklore
The Weeknd, After Hours
 
Top R&B Album
Jhené Aiko, Chilombo
Chris Brown & Young Thug, Slime & B
Doja Cat, Hot Pink
Kehlani, It Was Good Until It Wasn’t
The Weeknd, After Hours
 
Top Rap Album
DaBaby, BLAME IT ON BABY
Juice WRLD, Legends Never Die
Lil Baby, My Turn
Lil Uzi Vert, Eternal Atake
Pop Smoke, Shoot for the Stars, Aim for the Moon
 
Top Country Album

Gabby Barrett, Goldmine
Sam Hunt, SOUTHSIDE
Chris Stapleton, Starting Over
Carrie Underwood, My Gift
*Morgan Wallen, Dangerous: The Double Album
 
Top Rock Album
AC/DC, Power Up
Miley Cyrus, Plastic Hearts
Glass Animals, Dreamland
Machine Gun Kelly, Tickets to My Downfall
Bruce Springsteen, Letter to You
 
Top Latin Album
Anuel AA, Emmanuel
Bad Bunny, El Último Tour Del Mundo
Bad Bunny, Las que no iban a salir
Bad Bunny, YHLQMDLG
J Balvin, Colores
 
Top Dance/Electronic Album
DJ Snake, Carte Blanche
Gryffin, Gravity
Kygo, Golden Hour
Lady Gaga, Chromatica
Kylie Minogue, Disco
 
Top Christian Album
Bethel Music, Peace
Elevation Worship, Grave Into Gardens
Carrie Underwood, My Gift
We The Kingdom, Holy Water
Zach Williams, Rescue Story
 
Top Gospel Album
Koryn Hawthorne, I AM
Tasha Cobbs Leonard, Royalty: Live at the Ryman
Maverick City Music, Maverick City Vol. 3 Part 1
Maverick City Music, Maverick City Vol. 3 Part 2
Kierra Sheard, Kierra
 
SONG AWARDS
 
Top Hot 100 Song Presented by Rockstar
24kGoldn ft. iann dior "Mood"
Gabby Barrett ft. Charlie Puth "I Hope"
Chris Brown & Young Thug "Go Crazy"
DaBaby ft. Roddy Ricch "ROCKSTAR"
The Weeknd "Blinding Lights"
 
Top Streaming Song
Cardi B ft. Megan Thee Stallion "WAP"
DaBaby ft. Roddy Ricch "ROCKSTAR"
Future ft. Drake "Life Is Good"
Jack Harlow ft. DaBaby, Tory Lanez, & Lil Wayne "WHATS POPPIN"
The Weeknd "Blinding Lights"
 
Top Selling Song
Gabby Barrett ft. Charlie Puth "I Hope"
BTS "Dynamite"
Cardi B ft. Megan Thee Stallion "WAP"
Megan Thee Stallion "Savage"
The Weeknd "Blinding Lights"
 
Top Radio Song
Gabby Barrett ft. Charlie Puth "I Hope"
Chris Brown & Young Thug "Go Crazy"
Dua Lipa "Don’t Start Now"
Harry Styles "Adore You"
The Weeknd "Blinding Lights"
 
Top Collaboration (Fan Voted)
24kGoldn ft. iann dior "Mood"
Gabby Barrett ft. Charlie Puth "I Hope"
Chris Brown & Young Thug "Go Crazy"
DaBaby ft. Roddy Ricch "ROCKSTAR"
Jack Harlow ft. DaBaby, Tory Lanez, & Lil Wayne "WHATS POPPIN"
 
Top R&B Song
Jhené Aiko ft. H.E.R. "B.S."
Justin Bieber ft. Quavo "Intentions"
Chris Brown & Young Thug "Go Crazy"
Doja Cat "Say So"
The Weeknd "Blinding Lights"
 
Top Rap Song
24kGoldn ft. iann dior "Mood"
Cardi B ft. Megan Thee Stallion "WAP"
DaBaby ft. Roddy Ricch "ROCKSTAR"
Jack Harlow ft. DaBaby, Tory Lanez, & Lil Wayne "WHATS POPPIN"
Megan Thee Stallion "Savage"
 
Top Country Song

Jason Aldean "Got What I Got"
Gabby Barrett "I Hope"
Lee Brice "One of Them Girls"
*Morgan Wallen "Chasin’ You"
*Morgan Wallen "More Than My Hometown"
 
Top Rock Song
AJR "Bang!"
All Time Low ft. blackbear "Monsters"
Glass Animals "Heat Waves"
Machine Gun Kelly ft. blackbear "my ex’s best friend"
twenty one pilots "Level of Concern"
 
Top Latin Song
Bad Bunny "Yo Perreo Sola"
Bad Bunny & Jhay Cortez "Dákiti"
Black Eyed Peas & J Balvin "RITMO (Bad Boys For Life)"
Maluma & The Weeknd "Hawái"
Ozuna x Karol G x Myke Towers "Caramelo"
 
Top Dance/Electronic Song
Lady Gaga "Stupid Love"
Lady Gaga & Ariana Grande "Rain on Me"
SAINt JHN "Roses (Imanbek Remix)"
Surf Mesa ft. Emilee "ily (i love you baby)"
Topic & A7S "Breaking Me"
 
Top Christian Song
Elevation Worship ft. Brandon Lake "Graves Into Gardens"
for KING & COUNTRY, Kirk Franklin & Tori Kelly "TOGETHER"
Kari Jobe, Cody Carnes, & Elevation Worship "The Blessing (Live)"
Tauren Wells ft. Jenn Johnson "Famous For (I Believe)"
Zach Williams & Dolly Parton "There Was Jesus"
 
Top Gospel Song
Koryn Hawthorne "Speak To Me"
Jonathan McReynolds & Mali Music "Movin’ On"
Marvin Sapp "Thank You For It All"
Tye Tribbett "We Gon’ Be Alright"
Kanye West ft. Travis Scott "Wash Us In The Blood"


*Statement on behalf of dick clark productions regarding Morgan Wallen:
 
"Unique among awards shows, Billboard Music Awards (BBMA) finalists are determined by performance on the Billboard Charts, and are not chosen by a voting committee or membership organization. BBMA finalists and winners are based on key fan interactions with music (including album and digital song sales, streaming, radio airplay, social engagement), tracked by Billboard and its data partners, including MRC Data. 
 
With our content reaching millions of viewers, dcp and MRC have the privilege and responsibility to effect change by creating a more inclusive dialogue in our productions and across the industry. 
 
Morgan Wallen is a finalist this year based on charting. As his recent conduct does not align with our core values, we will not be including him on the show in any capacity (performing, presenting, accepting).
 
It is heartening and encouraging to hear that Morgan is taking steps in his anti-racist journey and starting to do some meaningful work. We plan to evaluate his progress and will consider his participation in future shows."


The 2021 Billboard Music Awards will air live from from the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles on Sunday, May 23 at 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT on NBC. In the meantime, hear more from this year's nominees in the video below.

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