Canada’s The Weeknd leads all finalists for the 2021 Billboard Music Awards with 16 nods, positioning him to break a record for the most wins in one night held by Drake since 2017.
The Weeknd has earned nine BBMAs from 37 previous nominations. He is up against Drake this year for Top Artist, Male Artist, Hot 100 Artist and Streaming Songs Artist.
Those are just four of seven categories in which Drake, who has a record 27 BBMAs already, is a finalist.
Also repping Canada at the BBMAs this year is Justin Bieber.
Bieber, who has already collected 19 BBMAs, will surely be pleased that he's included in several R&B categories (he's up for Top R&B Artist and R&B Male Artist and "Intentions" ft. Quavo is up for R&B Song). After the Grammy nominations were announced in November, Bieber complained his album Changes was not in any R&B categories.
“I set out to make an R&B album. Changes was and is an R&B album,” he wrote in a message on Instagram. “It is not being acknowledged as an R&B album which is very strange to me. For this not to be put into that category feels weird considering from the chords to the melodies to the vocal style all the way down to the hip hop drums that were chosen it is undeniably, unmistakably an R&B album!"
MORE: 7 Canadians Nominated For 2021 iHeartRadio Music Awards
A leading finalist in the Country categories, Morgan Wallen will not be rewarded for bad behaviour (in February, a video surfaced in which the singer is heard using a racial slur). The BBMAs explained in a statement that Wallen is on the list because it is compiled based on metrics – but, “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).”
The 2021 Billboard Music Awards will air live May 23 from Los Angeles and will air on CTV. Nominations and winners are based on sales, streaming, radio airplay and social engagement from March 21, 2020 to April 3, 2021.
Check out the finalists in some of the categories below:
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
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 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 Hot 100 Song
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
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”
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