The Weeknd may have kept his music out of contention for the recent Grammys, but there’s no shortage of him being name-checked on the just-released list of candidates for the 2022 Billboard Music Awards, where he leads with 17 nominations — three more than the nearest runner-up, Doja Cat, who has 14.
There’s a three-way tie for third place among contenders, with Olivia Rodrigo, Justin Bieber and Kanye West all having 13 as a possibly lucky number.
Another top artist who recused himself from Grammy consideration, Drake, has 11 nominations going into the ceremony, followed by Ed Sheeran and Dua Lipa with nine, the Kid Laroi with eight, and BTS, Taylor Swift and Giveon with seven each.
If 13 for any reason should seem like a high number for West, there’s a peculiar reason for that. Ye’s “Donda” album and the songs therein were considered “gospel” for Billboard chart purposes in 2021, even though, unlike the albums that preceded it, religious material accounted for only a sliver of the album. As a result, 12 out of 13 of West’s nominations come in Christian or gospel categories, with the lone secular outlier for Ye being a nod for top rap album. West even holds four out of five spots in two of the Christian music categories.
The Billboard Music Awards show will have some strong commonality with the Grammys in at least one regard: It will take place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. The Grammy show was a one-off at that locale this year, but the MGM is the longtime home of the BBMAs (although not during the last two pandemic years).
The NBC telecast will emanate from Las Vegas emerald venue on May 15 at 8 p.m. ET, airing simultaneously on the west coast at 5 p.m. The show will also be streamed live on Peacock. No host has been announced.
Drake currently holds the record for the most wins of all time, with 25, and stands to add to that total with his 11 additional nominations this year. He’s like to hold on to his crown for now, but there are a few performers who theoretically could overtake him this year — Bieber (who has 21 wins to date), the Weeknd (who has 19 so far), who currently has 19, and Swift (who has 25).
Vying for top artist honors are Doja Cat, Drake, Rodrigo, Swift and the Weeknd.
Top newcomer nominations went toGivēon, Masked Wolf, Rodrigo, Pooh Shiesty and the Kid Laroi.
The BBMAs now have a total of 62 categories. Five of those are new this year — one for viral songs and four that reward artists who succeed on the global charts.
The Billboard Awards are purely data-driven, based on a combination of streaming strength, radio airplay, album and track sales, and social engagement. The tracking period for the 2022 awards run from March 26, 2021 through March 17 of this year.
The full list of nominees:
ARTIST AWARDS
Top Artist
Doja Cat
Drake
Olivia Rodrigo
Taylor Swift
The Weeknd
Top New Artist
Givēon
Masked Wolf
Olivia Rodrigo
Pooh Shiesty
The Kid Laroi
Top Male Artist
Drake
Ed Sheeran
Justin Bieber
Lil Nas X
The Weeknd
Top Female Artist
Adele
Doja Cat
Dua Lipa
Olivia Rodrigo
Taylor Swift
Top Duo/Group
BTS
Glass Animals
Imagine Dragons
Migos
Silk Sonic (Bruno Mars, Anderson .Paak)
Top Billboard 200 Artist
Adele
Drake
Juice WRLD
Morgan Wallen
Taylor Swift
Top Hot 100 Artist
Doja Cat
Drake
Justin Bieber
Olivia Rodrigo
The Weeknd
Top Streaming Songs Artist
Doja Cat
Drake
Lil Nas X
Olivia Rodrigo
The Weeknd
Top Song Sales Artist
Adele
BTS
Dua Lipa
Ed Sheeran
Walker Hayes
Top Radio Songs Artist
Doja Cat
Ed Sheeran
Justin Bieber
Olivia Rodrigo
The Weeknd
Top Billboard Global 200 Artist (NEW)
Doja Cat
Ed Sheeran
Justin Bieber
Olivia Rodrigo
The Weeknd
Top Billboard Global (Excl. U.S.) Artist (NEW)
BTS
Dua Lipa
Ed Sheeran
Olivia Rodrigo
The Weeknd
Top Tour
Eagles (Hotel California Tour)
Genesis (The Last Domino? Tour)
Green Day, Fall Out Boy & Weezer (The Hella Mega Tour)
Harry Styles (Love on Tour)
The Rolling Stones (No Filter Tour)
Top R&B Artist
Doja Cat
Givēon
Silk Sonic (Bruno Mars, Anderson .Paak)
Summer Walker
The Weeknd
Top R&B Male Artist
Givēon
Khalid
The Weeknd
Top R&B Female Artist
Doja Cat
Summer Walker
SZA
Top R&B Tour
Bruno Mars (Bruno Mars at Park MGM)
Omarion & Bow Wow (The Millennium Tour 2021)
Usher (The Vegas Residency)
Top Rap Artist
Drake
Juice WRLD
Lil Baby
Moneybagg Yo
Polo G
Top Rap Male Artist
Drake
Juice WRLD
Polo G
Top Rap Female Artist
Cardi B
Latto
Megan Thee Stallion
Top Rap Tour
J. Cole (The Off-Season Tour)
Lil Baby (The Back Outside Tour)
Omarion & Bow Wow (The Millennium Tour 2021)
Top Country Artist
Chris Stapleton
Luke Combs
Morgan Wallen
Taylor Swift
Walker Hayes
Top Country Male Artist
Chris Stapleton
Luke Combs
Morgan Wallen
Top Country Female Artist
Carrie Underwood
Miranda Lambert
Taylor Swift
Top Country Duo/Group
Dan + Shay
Florida Georgia Line
Zac Brown Band
Top Country Tour
Luke Bryan (Proud to Be Right Here Tour)
Eric Church (Gather Again Tour)
Chris Stapleton (All-American Road Show Tour)
Top Rock Artist
Glass Animals
Imagine Dragons
Machine Gun Kelly
Måneskin
Twenty One Pilots
Top Rock Tour
Genesis (The Last Domino? Tour)
Green Day, Fall Out Boy & Weezer (The Hella Mega Tour)
The Rolling Stones (No Filter Tour)
Top Latin Artist
Bad Bunny
Farruko
Kali Uchis
Karol G
Rauw Alejandro
Top Latin Male Artist
Bad Bunny
Farruko
Rauw Alejandro
Top Latin Female Artist
Kali Uchis
Karol G
Rosalía
Top Latin Duo/Group
Calibre 50
Eslabon Armado
Grupo Firme
Top Latin Tour
Bad Bunny (El Último Tour Del Mundo)
Enrique Iglesias & Ricky Martin (Live in Concert)
Los Bukis (Una Historia Cantada Tour)
Top Dance/Electronic Artist
Calvin Harris
David Guetta
Lady Gaga
Marshmello
Tiësto
Top Christian Artist
Carrie Underwood
Elevation Worship
for King & Country
Lauren Daigle
Ye
Top Gospel Artist
CeCe Winans
Elevation Worship
Kirk Franklin
Maverick City Music
Ye
ALBUM AWARDS
Top Billboard 200 Album
Adele, 30
Doja Cat, Planet Her
Drake, Certified Lover Boy
Morgan Wallen, Dangerous: The Double Album
Olivia Rodrigo, SOUR
Top Soundtrack
Arcane League of Legends
Encanto
In The Heights
Sing 2
tick, tick…BOOM!
Top R&B Album
Doja Cat, Planet Her
Givēon, When It’s All Said and Done…Take Time
Silk Sonic (Bruno Mars, Anderson .Paak), An Evening With Silk Sonic
Summer Walker, Still Over It
The Weeknd, Dawn FM
Top Rap Album
Drake, Certified Lover Boy
Moneybagg Yo, A Gangsta’s Pain
Rod Wave, SoulFly
The Kid Laroi, F*ck Love
Ye, Donda
Top Country Album
Florida Georgia Line, Life Rolls On
Lee Brice, Hey World
Taylor Swift, Fearless (Taylor’s Version)
Taylor Swift, Red (Taylor’s Version)
Walker Hayes, Country Stuff: The Album
Top Rock Album
AJR, OK Orchestra
Coldplay, Music of the Spheres
Imagine Dragons, Mercury – Act 1
John Mayer, Sob Rock
Twenty One Pilots, Scaled and Icy
Top Latin Album
Eslabon Armado, Corta Venas
J Balvin, Jose
Kali Uchis, Sin Miedo (del Amor y Otros Demonios) ∞
Karol G, KG0516
Rauw Alejandro, Vice Versa
Top Dance/Electronic Album
C418, Minecraft – Volume Alpha
FKA twigs, Caprisongs
Illenium, Fallen Embers
Porter Robinson, Nurture
Rüfüs Du Sol, Surrender
Top Christian Album
Carrie Underwood, My Savior
CeCe Winans, Believe for It
Elevation Worship & Maverick City Music, Old Church basement
Phil Wickham, Hymn of Heaven
Ye, Donda
Top Gospel Album
CeCe Winans, Believe for It
Elevation Worship & Maverick City Music, Old Church basement
Maverick City Music, Jubilee: Juneteenth Edition
Maverick City Music & Upperroom, move your heart.
Ye, Donda
SONG AWARDS
Top Hot 100 Song
Doja Cat ft. SZA, “Kiss Me More”
Dua Lipa, “Levitating”
Olivia Rodrigo, “good 4 u”
The Kid Laroi & Justin Bieber, “Stay”
The Weeknd & Ariana Grande, “Save Your Tears”
Top Streaming Song
Dua Lipa, “Levitating”
Glass Animals, “Heat Waves”
Olivia Rodrigo, “good 4 u”
The Kid Laroi & Justin Bieber, “Stay”
The Weeknd & Ariana Grande, “Save Your Tears”
Top Selling Song
BTS, “Butter”
BTS, “Permission to Dance”
Dua Lipa, “Levitating”
Ed Sheeran, “Bad Habits”
Walker Hayes, “Fancy Like”
Top Radio Song
Dua Lipa, “Levitating”
Ed Sheeran, “Bad Habits”
Olivia Rodrigo, “good 4 u”
The Kid Laroi & Justin Bieber, “Stay”
The Weeknd & Ariana Grande, “Save Your Tears”
Top Collaboration
Doja Cat ft. SZA, “Kiss Me More”
Justin Bieber ft. Daniel Caesar & GIVĒON, “Peaches”
Lil Nas X ft. Jack Harlow, “Industry Baby”
The Kid Laroi & Justin Bieber, “Stay”
The Weeknd & Ariana Grande, “Save Your Tears”
Top Billboard Global 200 Song (NEW)
Dua Lipa, “Levitating”
Ed Sheeran, “Bad Habits”
Olivia Rodrigo, “good 4 u”
The Kid Laroi & Justin Bieber, “Stay”
The Weeknd & Ariana Grande, “Save Your Tears”
Top Billboard Global (Excl. U.S.) Song (NEW)
BTS, “Butter”
Ed Sheeran, “Bad Habits”
Lil Nas X, “Montero (Call Me by Your Name)”
The Kid Laroi & Justin Bieber, “Stay”
The Weeknd & Ariana Grande, “Save Your Tears”
Top Viral Song (NEW)
Doja Cat ft. SZA, “Kiss Me More”
Gayle, “Abcdefu”
Glass Animals, “Heat Waves”
Masked Wolf, “Astronaut In The Ocean”
Walker Hayes, “Fancy Like”
Top R&B Song
Doja Cat & The Weeknd, “You Right”
Givēon, “Heartbreak Anniversary”
Justin Bieber ft. Daniel Caesar & Givēon, “Peaches”
Silk Sonic (Bruno Mars, Anderson .Paak), “Leave The Door Open”
WizKid ft. Justin Bieber & Tems, “Essence”
Top Rap Song
Drake ft. 21 Savage, Project Pat, “Knife Talk”
Drake ft. Future & Young Thug, “Way 2 Sexy”
Lil Nas X ft. Jack Harlow, “Industry Baby”
Masked Wolf, “Astronaut In The Ocean”
Polo G, “Rapstar”
Top Country Song
Chris Stapleton, “You Should Probably Leave”
Jason Aldean & Carrie Underwood, “If I Didn’t Love You”
Jordan Davis ft. Luke Bryan, “Buy Dirt”
Luke Combs, “Forever After All”
Walker Hayes, “Fancy Like”
Top Rock Song
Coldplay X BTS, “My Universe”
Elle King & Miranda Lambert, “Drunk (And I Don’t Wanna Go Home)”
Imagine Dragons, “Follow You”
Måneskin, “Beggin’”
The Anxiety: Willow & Tyler Cole, “Meet Me at Our Spot”
Top Latin Song
Aventura x Bad Bunny, “Volví”
Bad Bunny, “Yonaguni”
Farruko, “Pepas”
Kali Uchis, “telepatía”
Rauw Alejandro, “Todo De Ti”
Top Dance/Electronic Song
Elton John & Dua Lipa, “Cold Heart – PNAU Remix”
Farruko, “Pepas”
Regard x Troye Sivan x Tate McRae, “You”
Tiësto, “The Business”
Travis Scott & HVME, “Goosebumps”
Top Christian Song
Anne Wilson, “My Jesus”
Ye, “Hurricane”
Ye, “Moon”
Ye, “Off The Grid”
Ye, “Praise God”
Top Gospel Song
Elevation Worship & Maverick City Music ft. Chandler Moore & Naomi Raine, “Jireh”
Ye, “Hurricane”
Ye, “Moon”
Ye, “Off the Grid”
Ye, “Praise God”
