Drake, Chainsmokers lead 2017 BBMA nominations

Dick Clark Productions and ABC have released the nominees for the 2017 Billboard Music Awards (BBMAs), honoring the year’s most successful artists in 52 categories of music. The 2017 Billboard Music Awards will broadcast live from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Sunday, May 21st at 8 pm ET/5 pm PT on ABC. This year’s award ceremony will showcase big performances, unexpected collaborations and much-discussed pop culture moments.

As part of the nomination announcement, singer and hit-songwriter Julia Michaels and Fall Out Boy musician Pete Wentz appeared in the 8 am ET hour of ABC’s Good Morning America to announce the nominees in five categories, including: Top Artist, Top Male Artist, Top Female Artist, Top Billboard 200 Album and Top Hot 100 Song. Following the broadcast, four additional categories, Top Billboard 200 Artist, Top Hot 100 Artist, Top R&B Song and Top Rock Song, were exclusively announced via Billboard.com. The remaining categories were announced exclusively via the Billboard Music Awards’ Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages.

2017 Billboard Music Awards nominations include a cross section of artists with many seeing more nods than ever. Drake and The Chainsmokers lead the pack with 22 nominations each, tying the all-time record for most nominations in a single year. Drake’s nominations include, among others, Top Artist, Top Male Artist, Top Hot 100 Artist and Top Billboard 200 Album. The Chainsmokers’ nominations include double nods in six categories: Top Dance/Electronic Album, Top Hot 100 Song, Top Selling Song, Top Radio Song, Top Collaboration and Top Dance/Electronic Song, with single nominations in 10 other categories. Twenty One Pilots received the third most nominations, at 17, including Top Artist, Top Billboard 200 Artist, and three nominations in the Top Rock Song category.

Rihanna received the fourth most nominations, 14, including Top Artist, Top Female Artist, Top Hot 100 Artist, Top Billboard 200 Album and a double nomination for Top R&B Song. Returning winners from 2016, who also received nominations this year, include Adele, Justin Bieber, Luke Bryan, Lauren Daigle, Drake, Kirk Franklin, Enrique Iglesias, Nicky Jam, Wiz Khalifa, Major Lazer, Rihanna, Chris Stapleton, The Weeknd, Twenty One Pilots and more.

Billboard Music Awards nominees are based on key fan interactions with music, including album and digital songs sales, streaming, radio airplay, touring and social engagement. These measurements are tracked year-round by Billboard and its data partners, including Nielsen Music and Next Big Sound. The awards are based on the reporting period of March 18, 2016 through March 16, 2017. Since 1940, the Billboard charts have been the go-to guide for ranking the popularity of songs and albums, and are the ultimate measure of success in music.

ABC’s three-hour telecast of the 2016 Billboard Music Awards drew an average audience of 9.8 million viewers and a 3.2/10 in Adults 18-49 to rank as Sunday’s No. 1 broadcast program. In addition, the awards show was Sunday’s most social program with 1.8 million tweets.

The 2017 BBMAs air May 21st on ABC

Buddy Iahn
Buddy Iahn

Buddy Iahn founded The Music Universe when he decided to juxtapose his love of web design and music. As a lifelong drummer, he decided to take a hiatus from playing music to report it. The website began as a fun project in 2013 to one of the top independent news sites. Email: info@themusicuniverse.com