The Weeknd was snubbed by the Grammys but he is the leading nominee at the 2021 Billboard Music Awards.
Rappers Pop Smoke and Juice WRLD earned multiple posthumous nominations, including top artist, and disgraced country singer Morgan Wallen is a six-time nominee.
The Weeknd, Juice WRLD and Pop Smoke — the third most-nominated act — are up for top artist along with Taylor Swift and Drake, the show’s most decorated winner of all-time.
The Billboard Awards will air live on May 23rd.
let's gooooooo. watch an incredible lineup reveal the 2021 #BBMAs finalists right here, right now! https://t.co/td4RRRx2hd
Advertisement— Billboard Music Awards (@BBMAs) April 29, 2021
The Weeknd earned 16 nominations, including top male artist, top R&B artist, top Billboard 200 album for After Hours and top Hot 100 song for Blinding Lights, the number one song of last year.
DaBaby — thanks to his own hit Rockstar and his guest appearance on Jack Harlow’s What’s Poppin – is second with 11 nods, and he will battle himself in categories including top rap song, top streaming song and top collaboration.
Pop Smoke, who follows with 10 nominations, died last February aged 20 as his songs and mixtapes began to make a splash on the pop and rap charts.
His official debut album, Shoot For The Stars, Aim For The Moon, was released last July and dominated the charts and streaming services, along with platinum-selling songs For The Night, What You Know About Love and Dior, which earned him a Grammy nomination this year.
congrats to all of the 2021 #BBMAs finalists !! watch the show on may 23 at 8ET/5PT on NBC to find out who wins 🏆🏆
full list: https://t.co/S3Yz6VGFyJ pic.twitter.com/kSY7jdcN3j— Billboard Music Awards (@BBMAs) April 29, 2021
His Billboard nominations include top new artist, top male artist, top rap artist and top Billboard 200 album.
Juice WRLD died in December 2019 aged 21. His posthumous album, Legends Never Die, was released a week after Pop Smoke’s album and set several records on the Billboard charts, becoming the biggest posthumous debut in 23 years since Tupac and Notorious B.I.G. posthumously released albums in 1997.
His seven Billboard nominations include top male artist, top rap artist and top Billboard 200 album.
Others battling The Weeknd, Pop Smoke and Juice WRLD for top album include Lil Baby’s My Turn and Swift’s Folklore, which last month won the star her third album of the year Grammy.
#BBMAs Top Artist Finalists –
✖︎ @Drake
✖︎ @JuiceWorlddd
✖︎ @POPSMOKE10
✖︎ @taylorswift13
✖︎ @theweeknd pic.twitter.com/xsRj41WRnv— Billboard Music Awards (@BBMAs) April 29, 2021
Morgan Wallen was not allowed to compete at this month’s Academy of Country Music Awards because the singer was caught on camera using a racial slur earlier this year, but he is one of the top nominees at the Billboard Awards.
His six nominations include top song sales artist, top country artist and top country album for Dangerous: The Double Album.
Wallen is a contender because the Billboard nominees are based on album and digital sales, streaming, radio airplay and social engagement, and they “are not chosen by a voting committee or membership organisation,” Dick Clark productions said.
The producers said though Wallen is a multiple nominee, they will not allow him to participate in the show.
Others who scored multiple nominations include Bad Bunny, Chris Brown, Megan Thee Stallion, Doja Cat and Justin Bieber.
