The 2019 Billboard Music Awards wants a spectacle, and it appears they will get their way with Kelly Clarkson hosting, Taylor Swift coming back with a vengeance, and Madonna doing what she loves to do; get attention. The full list of nominations for the awards is down below or just click here.
Taylor Swift is set to kick off the 2019 Billboard Music Awards on Wednesday with the debut performance of her new song “ME!” and she could continue her run as the most decorated winner in the show’s history.
Swift, a 23-time Billboard Award winner, will open Wednesday night’s show at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas alongside Brendon Urie of Panic! at the Disco, who is featured on her new track. Swift is also nominated for two awards: top female artist and top touring artist.
Cardi B, though, is the leading nominee with 21 and will attend the show. Drake — who will also attend the show — and Post Malone are close behind with 17 nominations each. All three acts will compete for the night’s biggest prize — top artist — along with Ariana Grande and Travis Scott, who scored 12 nominations.
Kelly Clarkson will host the Billboard Awards — for a second time — and also perform at the three-hour show, airing live on NBC at 8 p.m. Eastern.
Other performers include Madonna with Maluma, BTS with Halsey, Paula Abdul, Dan + Shay, Jonas Brothers, Khalid, Tori Kelly, Panic! at the Disco, Lauren Daigle, Ciara, and Mariah Carey, who will receive the Icon Award. Grande will perform via satellite from her tour.
Cardi B’s 21 nominations include top female artist and top Billboard 200 album for her Grammy-winning release, “Invasion of Privacy.” With her No. 1 hits — “I Like It” featuring J Balvin and Bad Bunny and “Girls Like You” with Maroon 5 — she is nominated twice in categories like top Hot 100 song, top selling song and top collaboration.
Rap music, which dominated the charts and streaming services last year, owned the top Billboard album category. Along with Cardi B, the nominees include Drake’s “Scorpion,” Scott’s “ASTROWORLD,” the late XXXTentacion’s ”?″ and Malone’s “beerbongs & bentleys.”
For top Hot 100 song, rap shined again with nominees like Cardi B’s “I Like It,” Juice WRLD’s “Lucid Dreams,” Scott’s “SICKO MODE” and Malone’s “Better Now.” Maroon 5 and Cardi B’s “Girls Like You” is also up for the prize.
XXXTentacion, who was fatally shot last June, earned 10 nominations, including bids for top male artist, top R&B artist and top rap album. Last year, he posthumously won honors at the American Music Awards and the BET Hip-Hop Awards.
The late Aretha Franklin also earned a nomination. The Queen of Soul, who died last August, is up for top gospel album with “Gospel Greats.” Queen — whose music hit a new peak late last year with the Oscar-winning Freddie Mercury biopic, “Bohemian Rhapsody” — received nominations for top rock artist and top soundtrack.
Presenters at the show include Jennifer Hudson, Chrissy Metz and Justin Hartley of “This Is Us,” David Guetta, Eva Longoria, Florida Georgia Line, Kane Brown and Terry Crews.
Nominees and winners for the Billboard Awards are based on album and song sales, streaming, radio airplay, touring and social engagement. The awards are based on the chart period of March 23, 2018, through March 7, 2019.
2019 Billboard Music Awards Nominations
Top Female Artist
Ariana Grande
Cardi B
Ella Mai
Halsey
Taylor Swift
Top Male Artist
Drake
Post Malone
Travis Scott
XXXTentaction
Top Artist
Cardi B
Drake
Ariana Grande
Post Malone
Travis Scott
Top Hot 100 Song
“I Like It,” Cardi B, Bad Bunny & J Balvin
“Lucid Dreams,” Juice Wrld
“Girls Like You,” Maroon 5 featuring Cardi B
“Better Now,” Post Malone
“Sicko Mode,” Travis Scott
Top Duo and Group
BTS
Imagine Dragons
Maroon 5
Panic! At the Disco
Dan + Shay
Top New Artist
Bazzi
Juice Wrld
Lil Baby
Dua Lipa
Ella Mai
Top 100 Artist
Cardi B
Drake
Ariana Grande
Juice Wrld
Post Malone
Top Collaboration
Cardi B, Bad Bunny & J Balvin, “I Like It”
Khalid & Normani, “Love Lies”
Maroon 5 featuring Cardi B, “Girls Like You,”
Marshmello & Bastille, “Happier”
Post Malone featuring Ty Dolla Sign, “Psycho”
Top Hot 100 Artist
Cardi B
Drake
Ariana Grande
Juice Wrld
Post Malone
Top Selling Song
“I Like It,” Cardi B, Bad Bunny, & J Balvin
“In My Feelings,” Drake
“Without Me,” Halsey
“Shallow,” Lady Gaga & Bradley Cooper
“Girls Like You,” Maroon 5 featuring Cardi B
Top Social Artist
BTS
EXO
GOT7
Ariana Grande
Louis Tomlinson
Billboard Chart Achievement Award
Dan + Shay
Drake
Ariana Grande
Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper
Dua Lipa
Top Rap Artist
Cardi B
Drake
Juice Wrld
Post Malone
Travis Scott
Top Male Rap Artist
Drake
Post Malone
Travis Scott
Top Female Rap Artist
Cardi B
City Girls
Nicki Minaj
Top R&B Tour
Beyoncé and Jay-Z
Childish Gambino
Bruno Mars
Top R&B Female Artist
H.E.R.
Ella Mai
Queen Naija
Top R&B Male Artist
Khalid
XXXTentacion
Top R&B Artist
H.E.R.
Khalid
Ella Mai
The Weeknd
XXXTentacion
Top Rap Tour
Beyoncé and Jay-Z
Drake
Travis Scott
Top Touring Artist
Beyoncé and Jay-Z
Bruno Mars
Ed Sheeran
Taylor Swift
Justin Timberlake
Top Radio Songs Artist
Cardi B
Drake
Ariana Grande
Maroon 5
Post Malone
Top Streaming Songs Artist
Cardi B
Drake
Ariana Grande
Post Malone
XXXTentatacion
Top Songs Sales Artist
Drake
Ariana Grande
Imagine Dragons
Lady Gaga
Post Malone
Top Billboard 200 Artist
Drake
Ariana Grande
Post Malone
Travis Scott
XXXTentacion
Top Country Artist
Jason Aldean
Kane Brown
Luke Combs
Dan + Shay
Florida Georgia Line
Top Country Male Artist
Jason Aldean
Kane Brown
Luke Combs
Top Country Female Artist
Maren Morris
Kacey Musgraves
Carrie Underwood
Top Country Duo/Group
Dan + Shay
Florida Georgia Line
Old Dominion
Top Country Tour
Kenny Chesney
Shania Twain
Top Rock Artist
Imagine Dragons
lovelytheband
Panic! At the Disco
Queen
Twenty One Pilots
Top Rock Tour
Elton John
Rolling Stones
U2
Top Latin Artist
Anuel AA
Bad Bunny
J Balvin
Ozuna
Romeo Santos
Top Dance/Electronic Artist
Calvin Harris
Kygo
Marshmello
Odesza
The Chainsmokers
Top Christian Artist
Cory Asbury
Lauren Daigle
for KING & COUNTRY
Hillsong Worship
MercyMe
Top Gospel Artist
Kirk Franklin
Koryn Hawthorne
Tori Kelly
Tasha Cobbs Leonard
Marvin Sapp
Top Billboard 200 Album
Cardi B, Invasion of Privacy
Drake, Scorpion
Post Malone, Beerbongs & Bentleys
Travis Scott, AstroWorld
Top Soundtrack
13 Reasons Why: Season 2
A Star Is Born
Bohemian Rhapsody
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
The Greatest Showman
Top R&B Album
Ella Mai, Ella Mai
H.E.R., H.E.R.
Khalid, American Teen
The Weeknd, Dear Melancholy
XXXTentacion, 17
Top Rap Album
Cardi B, Invasion of Privacy
Drake, Scorpion
Post Malone, Beerbongs & Bentleys
Travis Scott, AstroWorld
XXXTentacion, ?
Top Country Album
Jason Aldean, Rearview Town
Kane Brown, Kane Brown
Luke Combs, This One’s For You
Dan + Shay, Dan + Shay
Carrie Underwood, Cry Pretty
Top Rock Album
Dave Matthews Band, Come Tomorrow
Imagine Dragons, Origins
Mumford & Sons, Delta
Panic! At the Disco, Pray for the Wicked
Twenty One Pilots, Trench
Top Latin Album
Anuel AA, Real Hasta la Muerte
Bad Bunny, 100PRE
J Balvin, Vibras
Maulma, F.A.M.E.
Ozuna, Aura
Top Dance/Electronic Album
Clean Bandit, What Is Love?
David Guetta, 7
Kygo, Kids in Love
Major Lazer, Major Lazer Essentials
The Chainsmokers, Sick Boys
Top Christian Album
Cory Asbury, Reckless Love
Lauren Diagle, Look Up Child
for KING & COUNTRY, Burn the Ships
Hillsong Worship, There Is More
Top Gospel Album
Snoop Dogg & Various Artists, Snoop Dogg Presents Bible of Love
Aretha Franklin, Gospel Greats
Koryn Hawthorne, Unstoppable
Tori Kelly, Hiding Place
Jonathan McReynolds, Make Room
Top Streaming Song (Video)
Drake, “In My Feelings”
Juice Wrld, “Lucid Dreams”
Maroon 5 featuring Cardi B, “Girls Like You”
Travis Scott, “Sicko Mode”
XXXTentacion, “SAD!”
Top R&B Song
DJ Khaled featuring Justin Bieber, Chance the Rapper & Quavo “No Brainer”
Ella Mai, “Boo’d Up”
Ella Mai, “Trip”
Khalid, “Better”
Lil Dicky featuring Chris Brown, “Freaky Friday”
Top Rap Song
Cardi B, Bad Bunny & J Balvin, “I Like It”
Drake, “In My Feelings”
Juice WRLD, “Lucid Dreams”
Post Malone, “Better Now”
Travis Scott, “Sicko Mode”
Top Country Song
Kane Brown, “Heaven”
Luke Combs, “She Got the Best of Me”
Dan + Shay, “Speechless”
Dan + Shay, “Tequila”
Bebe Rexha and Florida Georgia Line, “Meant to Be”
Top Rock Song
Foster The People, “Sit Next to Me”
Imagine Dragons, “Whatever It Takes”
lovelytheband, “Broken”
Panic! At the Disco, “High Hopes”
Top Latin Song
Bad Bunny featuring Drake, “Mia”
Daddy Yankee, “Dura”
DJ Snake featuring Selena Gomez, Ozuna & Cardi B, “Taki Taki”
Nicky Jam & J Balvin, “X”
Casper Magico, Nio Garcia, Darell, Nicky Jam, Bad Bunny & Ozuna, “Te Bote”
Top Dance/Electric Song
DJ Snake featuring Selena Gomez, Ozuna & Cardi B, “Taki Taki”
Calvin Harris & Dua Lipa, “One Kiss”
Marshmello & Bastille, “Happier”
Tiesto & Dzeko featuring Preme and Post Malone, “Jackie Chan”
Zedd, Maren Morris & Grey, “The Middle”
Top Christian Song
Cory Asbury, “Reckless Love”
Lauren Daigle, “You Say”
for KING & COUNTRY, “Joy”
Hillsong Worship, “Who You Say I Am”
Tauren Wells, “Known”
Top Gospel Song
Todd Dulaney, “Your Great Name”
Koryn Hawthorne, “Won’t He Do It”
Tori Kelly featuring Kirk Franklin, “Never Alone”
Jason Nelson, “Forever”
Brian Courtney, “A Great Work”