Cardi B tops Billboard Music Awards nominations with 21

NEW YORK — Cardi B is the leading contender at the 2019 Billboard Music Awards with 21 nominations.

NBC and dick clark productions announced Thursday the 26-year-old rapper is up for honors including top artist, top female artist and top Billboard 200 album for her Grammy-winning release, “Invasion of Privacy.” With her No. 1 hits — “I Like It” featuring J Balvin and Bad Bunny and “Girls Like You” with Maroon 5 — Cardi B is nominated twice in categories like top Hot 100 song, top-selling song and top collaboration.

Drake and Post Malone are close behind with 17 nominations each. They will compete for the show’s biggest prize — top artist — along with Cardi B, Ariana Grande and Travis Scott, who scored 12 nominations.

Kelly Clarkson will host the Billboard Awards, taking place May 1 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. The show has 56 categories and will air live on NBC.

Rap music, which dominated the charts and streaming services last year, owned the top Billboard album category. The nominees include Drake’s “Scorpion,” Cardi B’s “Invasion of Privacy,” Scott’s “ASTROWORLD,” the late XXXTentacion’s “?” and Post Malone’s “beerbongs & bentleys.”

For top Hot 100 song, rap shined again with nominees like Cardi B’s “I Like It,” Juice WRLD’s “Lucid Dreams,” Scott’s “SICKO MODE” and Post Malone’s “Better Now.” Maroon 5 and Cardi B’s “Girls Like You” is also up for the prize.

XXXTentacion, who was fatally shot last June, earned 10 nominations, including bids for top male artist, top R&B artist and top rap album. Last year, he posthumously won honors at the American Music Awards and the BET Hip-Hop Awards.

The late Aretha Franklin also earned a nomination. The Queen of Soul, who died last August, is up for top gospel album with “Gospel Greats.” Snoop Dogg will also compete in the category with his first gospel release, “Snoop Dogg Presents Bible of Love.”

Queen — whose music hit a new peak late last year with the Oscar-winning Freddie Mercury biopic, “Bohemian Rhapsody” — received nominations for top rock artist and top soundtrack.

Taylor Swift, the most decorated winner in the show’s history with 23 honors, is nominated for top female artist and top touring artist.

The Rolling Stones, U2 and Elton John are competing for top rock tour.

Nominees and winners for the Billboard Awards are based on album and song sales, streaming, radio airplay, touring and social engagement. The awards are based on the chart period of March 23, 2018, through March 7, 2019.

MESFIN FEKADU, AP Music Writer

Here’s a look at the nominations by category:

ARTIST AWARDS

Top Artist:

Cardi B

Drake

Ariana Grande

Post Malone

Travis Scott

Top New Artist:

Bazzi

Juice WRLD

Lil Baby

Dua Lipa

Ella Mai

Billboard Chart Achievement Award:

Dan + Shay

Drake

Ariana Grande

Lady Gaga & Bradley Cooper

Dua Lipa

Top Male Artist:

Drake

Post Malone

Travis Scott

Ed Sheeran

XXXTENTACION

Top Female Artist:

Cardi B

Ariana Grande

Halsey

Ella Mai

Taylor Swift

Top Duo/Group:

BTS

Dan + Shay

Imagine Dragons

Maroon 5

Panic! At The Disco

Top Billboard 200 Artist:

Drake

Ariana Grande

Post Malone

Travis Scott

XXXTENTACION

Top Hot 100 Artist:

Cardi B

Drake

Ariana Grande

Juice WRLD

Post Malone

Top Streaming Songs Artist:

Cardi B

Drake

Ariana Grande

Post Malone

XXXTENTACION

Top Song Sales Artist:

Drake

Ariana Grande

Imagine Dragons

Lady Gaga

Post Malone

Top Radio Songs Artist:

Cardi B

Drake

Ariana Grande

Maroon 5

Post Malone

Top Social Artist:

BTS

EXO

GOT7

Ariana Grande

Louis Tomlinson

Top Touring Artist:

Beyoncé & JAY-Z

Bruno Mars

Ed Sheeran

Taylor Swift

Justin Timberlake

Top R&B Artist:

H.E.R.

Khalid

Ella Mai

The Weeknd

XXXTENTACION

Top R&B Male Artist:

Khalid

The Weeknd

XXXTENTACION

Top R&B Female Artist:

H.E.R.

Ella Mai

Queen Naija

Top R&B Tour:

Beyoncé & JAY-Z

Childish Gambino

Bruno Mars

Top Rap Artist:

Cardi B

Drake

Juice WRLD

Post Malone

Travis Scott

Top Rap Male Artist:

Drake

Post Malone

Travis Scott

Top Rap Female Artist:

Cardi B

City Girls

Nicki Minaj

Top Rap Tour:

Beyoncé & JAY-Z

Drake

Travis Scott

Top Country Artist:

Jason Aldean

Kane Brown

Luke Combs

Dan + Shay

Florida Georgia Line

Top Country Male Artist:

Jason Aldean

Kane Brown

Luke Combs

Top Country Female Artist:

Maren Morris

Kacey Musgraves

Carrie Underwood

Top Country Duo/Group:

Dan + Shay

Florida Georgia Line

Old Dominion

Top Country Tour:

Luke Bryan

Kenny Chesney

Shania Twain

Top Rock Artist:

Imagine Dragons

lovelytheband

Panic! At The Disco

Queen

twenty one pilots

Top Rock Tour:

Elton John

The Rolling Stones

U2

Top Latin Artist:

Anuel AA

Bad Bunny

J Balvin

Ozuna

Romeo Santos

Top Dance/Electronic Artist:

Calvin Harris

Kygo

Marshmello

ODESZA

The Chainsmokers

Top Christian Artist:

Cory Asbury

Lauren Daigle

for KING & COUNTRY

Hillsong Worship

MercyMe

Top Gospel Artist:

Kirk Franklin

Koryn Hawthorne

Tori Kelly

Tasha Cobbs Leonard

Marvin Sapp

ALBUM AWARDS

Top Billboard 200 Album:

Cardi B “Invasion of Privacy”

Drake “Scorpion”

Post Malone “beerbongs & bentleys”

Travis Scott “ASTROWORLD”

XXXTENTACION “?”

Top Soundtrack:

“13 Reasons Why: Season 2”

“A Star is Born” by Lady Gaga & Bradley Cooper

“Bohemian Rhapsody” by Queen

“Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse”

“The Greatest Showman”

Top R&B Album:

Ella Mai “Ella Mai”

H.E.R. “H.E.R.”

Khalid “American Teen”

The Weeknd “My Dear Melancholy,”

XXXTENTACION “17”

Top Rap Album:

Cardi B “Invasion of Privacy”

Drake “Scorpion”

Post Malone “beerbongs & bentleys”

Travis Scott “ASTROWORLD”

XXXTENTACION “?”

Top Country Album:

Jason Aldean “Rearview Town”

Kane Brown “Kane Brown”

Luke Combs “This One’s For You”

Dan + Shay “Dan + Shay”

Carrie Underwood “Cry Pretty”

Top Rock Album:

Dave Matthews Band “Come Tomorrow”

Imagine Dragons “Origins”

Mumford & Sons “Delta”

Panic! At This Disco “Pray For The Wicked”

twenty one pilots “Trench”

Top Latin Album:

Anuel AA “Real Hasta la Muerte”

Bad Bunny “X 100PRE”

J Balvin “Vibras”

Maluma “F.A.M.E.”

Ozuna “Aura”

Top Dance/Electronic Album:

Clean Bandit “What Is Love?”

David Guetta “7”

Kygo “Kids in Love”

Major Lazer “Major Lazer Essentials”

The Chainsmokers “Sick Boy”

Top Christian Album:

Cory Asbury “Reckless Love”

Lauren Daigle “Look Up Child”

for KING & COUNTRY “Burn The Ships”

Hillsong Worship “There Is More”

Zach Williams “Chain Breaker”

Top Gospel Album:

Snoop Dogg & Various Artists “Snoop Dogg Presents Bible of Love”

Aretha Franklin “Gospel Greats”

Koryn Hawthorne “Unstoppable”

Tori Kelly “Hiding Place”

Jonathan McReynolds “Make Room”

SONG AWARDS

Top Hot 100 Song:

Cardi B, Bad Bunny & J Balvin “I Like It”

Juice WRLD “Lucid Dreams”

Maroon 5 ft. Cardi B “Girls Like You”

Post Malone “Better Now”

Travis Scott “SICKO MODE”

Top Streaming Song (Audio):

Cardi B, Bad Bunny & J Balvin “I Like It”

Juice WRLD “Lucid Dreams”

Post Malone “Better Now”

Travis Scott “SICKO MODE”

XXXTENTACION “SAD!”

Top Streaming Song (Video):

Drake “In My Feelings”

Juice WRLD “Lucid Dreams”

Maroon 5 ft. Cardi B “Girls Like You”

Travis Scott “SICKO MODE”

XXXTENTACION “SAD!”

Top Selling Song:

Cardi B, Bad Bunny & J Balvin “I Like It”

Drake “In My Feelings”

Halsey “Without Me”

Lady Gaga & Bradley Cooper “Shallow”

Maroon 5 ft. Cardi B “Girls Like You”

Top Radio Song:

Khalid & Normani “Love Lies”

Maroon 5 ft. Cardi B “Girls Like You”

Post Malone “Better Now”

Bebe Rexha & Florida Georgia Line “Meant to Be”

Zedd, Maren Morris & Grey “The Middle”

Top Collaboration:

Cardi B, Bad Bunny & J Balvin “I Like It”

Khalid & Normani “Love Lies”

Maroon 5 ft. Cardi B “Girls Like You”

Marshmello & Bastille “Happier”

Post Malone ft. Ty Dolla $ign “Psycho”

Top R&B Song:

DJ Khaled ft. Justin Bieber, Chance The Rapper & Quavo “No Brainer”

Ella Mai “Boo’d Up”

Ella Mai “Trip”

Khalid “Better”

Lil Dicky ft. Chris Brown “Freaky Friday”

Top Rap Song:

Cardi B, Bad Bunny & J Balvin “I Like It”

Drake “In My Feelings”

Juice WRLD “Lucid Dreams”

Post Malone “Better Now”

Travis Scott “SICKO MODE”

Top Country Song:

Kane Brown “Heaven”

Luke Combs “She Got the Best of Me”

Dan + Shay “Speechless”

Dan + Shay “Tequila”

Bebe Rexha & Florida Georgia Line “Meant to Be”

Top Rock Song:

Foster The People “Sit Next to Me”

Imagine Dragons “Natural”

Imagine Dragons “Whatever It Takes”

lovelytheband “broken”

Panic! At The Disco “High Hopes”

Top Latin Song:

Bad Bunny ft. Drake “Mia”

Daddy Yankee “Dura”

DJ Snake ft. Selena Gomez, Ozuna & Cardi B “Taki Taki”

Nicky Jam & J Balvin “X”

Casper Magico, Nio Garcia, Darell, Nicky Jam, Bad Bunny & Ozuna “Te Bote”

Top Dance/Electronic Song:

DJ Snake ft. Selena Gomez, Ozuna & Cardi B “Taki Taki”

Calvin Harris & Dua Lipa “One Kiss”

Marshmello & Bastille “Happier”

Tiësto & Dzeko ft. Preme & Post Malone “Jackie Chan”

Zedd, Maren Morris & Grey “The Middle”

Top Christian Song:

Cory Asbury “Reckless Love”

Lauren Daigle “You Say”

for KING & COUNTRY “joy.”

Hillsong Worship “Who You Say I Am”

Tauren Wells “Known”

Top Gospel Song:

Todd Dulaney “Your Great Name”

Koryn Hawthorne “Won’t He Do It”

Tori Kelly ft. Kirk Franklin “Never Alone”

Jason Nelson “Forever”

Brian Courtney Wilson “A Great Work”