Three-Hour Coast-to-Coast Live Telecast Comes to NBC on Sunday, May 20th
Multi-platinum music superstar, Billboard chart topper and current The Voice coach Kelly Clarkson will host NBC’s three-hour live telecast of the 2018 Billboard Music Awards, set for Sunday, May 20th at 8 pm ET/5 pm PT from MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.
This will mark the first year the highly popular Billboard Music Awards will air on NBC. The network acquired the rights to the BBMAs in a new multi-year deal signed in November. The show will feature this year’s hottest musical acts, biggest performances, unexpected collaborations and buzzworthy pop culture moments.
The announcement was made by Paul Telegdy, President, Alternative and Reality Group, NBC Entertainment.
“Kelly Clarkson has long been a Billboard chart phenomenon and has a first-hand understanding of what matters most in music today,” Telegdy states. “Her enthusiasm for all genres of music and her innate sense of humor will make for a truly memorable night.”
“To prepare for hosting the ‘Billboard Music Awards,’ I already have 20 costume changes planned,” Clarkson says of her first time hosting duties. “I will be flying in like my girl P!nk, and calling Amy Schumer and Sarah Silverman for jokes. Well, or I’m just gonna show up and celebrate my favorite artists and get to know a few more. Yeah, maybe I’ll go with that plan.”
Clarkson has sold more than 25 million albums and 36 million singles worldwide. She has placed ten singles in the Top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart and is the recipient of three Grammy Awards, four American Music Awards, three MTV Video Music Awards, two Academy of Country Music Awards and a CMA Award.
The BBMAs showcases the hottest musical acts, biggest performances, unexpected collaborations and buzzworthy pop culture moments that will have the world talking.
Billboard Music Awards finalists are based on key interactions with music fans, as well as album and digital songs sales, radio airplay, streaming, touring and social engagement, tracked by Billboard and its data partners, including Nielsen Music and Next Big Sound. The finalists and award winners are determined using data reflecting a 12-month tracking period. Since 1940, the Billboard charts have been the go-to guide for ranking the popularity of artists, songs and albums, and are the ultimate measure of success in music.
