2021 Billboard Music Awards Finalists Announced

The 2021 Billboard Music Awards will be held on May 23 at Los Angeles’ Microsoft Theater, and the finalists have officially been announced. See the list here.

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The Today Show shared the finalists for the 2021 Billboard Music Awards on Thursday morning.

The show started with announcements for Top Hot 100 Artist, which includes DaBaby, Drake, Dua Lipa, Pop Smoke, and the Weeknd, plus finalists for Top Latin Male Artist and Top Female Rap Artist. The rest of the many categories rolled out from there.

The Weeknd leads the pack with 16 nominations, receiving nods in artist categories like Top Artist, Top Male Artist, and Top Hot 100 Artist—and album categories, like Top Billboard 200 Album and Top R&B Album, following the success of his most recent, chart-topping album After Hours. DaBaby follows with 11 nominations, where he’s been recognized in the Top Hot 100 Artist, Top Rap Artist, and Top Rap Album categories.

Elsewhere, Megan Thee Stallion received seven nods for categories like Top Female Artist and Top Rap Female Artist—and Pop Smoke and Juice WRLD have earned posthumous recognition, with Pop Smoke a finalist in 10 categories and Juice a finalist in seven.

The 2021 Billboard Music Awards will be held Sunday, May 23 at 8 p.m. ET at Los Angeles’ Microsoft Theater, airing on NBC. See the BBMA finalists below.


  • Drake

  • Juice WRLD

  • Pop Smoke

  • Taylor Swift

  • The Weeknd


  • Gabby Barrett

  • Doja Cat

  • Jack Harlow

  • Pop Smoke

  • Rod Wave


  • Drake

  • Juice WRLD

  • Lil Baby

  • Pop Smoke

  • The Weeknd


  • Billie Eilish

  • Ariana Grande

  • Dua Lipa

  • Megan Thee Stallion

  • Taylor Swift


  • AC/DC

  • AJR

  • BTS

  • Dan + Shay

  • Maroon 5


  • Drake

  • Juice WRLD

  • Pop Smoke

  • Post Malone

  • Taylor Swift


  • DaBaby

  • Drake

  • Dua Lipa

  • Pop Smoke

  • The Weeknd


  • DaBaby

  • Drake

  • Lil Baby

  • Pop Smoke 

  • The Weeknd


  • Justin Bieber

  • BTS

  • Megan Thee Stallion

  • Morgan Wallen

  • The Weeknd


  • Justin Bieber

  • Lewis Capaldi

  • Dua Lipa

  • Harry Styles

  • The Weeknd


  • BLACKPINK

  • BTS

  • Ariana Grande

  • SB19

  • Seventeen


  • Jhené Aiko

  • Justin Bieber

  • Chris Brown

  • Doja Cat

  • The Weeknd


  • Justin Bieber

  • Chris Brown

  • The Weeknd


  • Jhené Aiko

  • Doja Cat

  • SZA


  • DaBaby

  • Drake

  • Juice WRLD

  • Lil Baby

  • Pop Smoke


  • Juice WRLD

  • Lil Baby

  • Pop Smoke


  • Cardi B

  • Megan Thee Stallion

  • Saweetie


  • Gabby Barrett

  • Kane Brown

  • Luke Combs

  • Chris Stapleton

  • Morgan Wallen


  • Luke Combs

  • Chris Stapleton

  • Morgan Wallen


  • Gabby Barrett

  • Maren Morris

  • Carrie Underwood


  • Dan + Shay

  • Florida Georgia Line

  • Maddie & Tae


  • AC/DC

  • AJR

  • Five Finger Death Punch

  • Machine Gun Kelly

  • twenty one pilots


  • Anuel AA

  • Bad Bunny

  • J Balvin

  • Maluma

  • Ozuna


  • Bad Bunny

  • Ozuna

  • J Balvin


  • Becky G

  • Karol G

  • Rosalía


  • Banda MS de Sergio Lizárraga

  • Eslabón Armado

  • Los Dos Carnales


  • The Chainsmokers

  • Kygo

  • Lady Gaga

  • Marshmello

  • Surf Mesa


  • Casting Crowns

  • Elevation Worship

  • For KING & COUNTRY

  • Carrie Underwood

  • Zach Williams


  • Kirk Franklin

  • Koryn Hawthorne

  • Tasha Cobbs Leonard

  • Maverick City Music

  • Kanye West


  • Juice WRLD, Legends Never Die

  • Lil Baby, My Turn

  • Pop Smoke, Shoot for the Stars Aim for the Moon

  • Taylor Swift, Folklore

  • The Weeknd, After Hours


  • Jhené Aiko, Chilombo

  • Chris Brown & Young Thug, Slime & B

  • Doja Cat, Hot Pink

  • Kehlani, It Was Good Until It Wasn’t

  • The Weeknd, After Hours


  • DaBaby, Blame It On the Baby

  • Juice WRLD, Legends Never Die

  • Lil Baby, My Turn

  • Lil Uzi Vert, Eternal Atake

  • Pop Smoke, Shoot for the Stars Aim for the Moon


  • Gabby Barrett, Goldmine

  • Sam Hunt, Southside

  • Chris Stapleton, Starting Over

  • Carrie Underwood, My Gift

  • Morgan Wallen, Dangerous: The Double Album


  • AC/DC, Power Up

  • Miley Cyrus, Plastic Hearts

  • Glass Animals, Dreamland

  • Machine Gun Kelly, Tickets to My Downfall

  • Bruce Springsteen, Letter to You


  • Anuel AA, Emmanuel

  • Bad Bunny, El Último Tour Del Mundo

  • Bad Bunny, Las que no iban a salir

  • Bad Bunny, YHLQMDLG

  • J Balvin, Colores


  • DJ Snake, Carte Blanche

  • Gryffin, Gravity

  • Kygo, Golden Hour

  • Lady Gaga, Chromatica

  • Kylie Minogue, Disco


  • Bethel Music, Peace

  • Elevation Worship, Grave Into Gardens

  • Carrie Underwood, My Gift

  • We The Kingdom, Holy Water

  • Zach Williams, Rescue Story


  • Koryn Hawthorne, I AM

  • Tasha Cobbs Leonard, Royalty: Live at the Ryman

  • Maverick City Music, Maverick City Vol. 3 Part 1

  • Maverick City Music, Maverick City Vol. 3 Part 2

  • Kierra Sheard, Kierra


  • 24kGoldn f/ Iann Dior “Mood”

  • Gabby Barrett f/ Charlie Puth “I Hope”

  • Chris Brown & Young Thug “Go Crazy”

  • DaBaby f/ Roddy Ricch “Rockstar”

  • The Weeknd “Blinding Lights”


  • Cardi B f/ Megan Thee Stallion “WAP”

  • DaBaby f/ Roddy Ricch “Rockstar”

  • Future f/ Drake “Life Is Good”

  • Jack Harlow f/ DaBaby, Tory Lanez, and Lil Wayne “Whats Poppin”

  • The Weeknd “Blinding Lights”


  • Gabby Barrett f/ Charlie Puth “I Hope”

  • BTS “Dynamite”

  • Cardi B f/ Megan Thee Stallion “WAP”

  • Megan Thee Stallion “Savage”

  • The Weeknd “Blinding Lights”


  • Gabby Barrett f/ Charlie Puth “I Hope”

  • Chris Brown & Young Thug “Go Crazy”

  • Dua Lipa “Don’t Start Now”

  • Harry Styles “Adore You”

  • The Weeknd “Blinding Lights”


  • 24kGoldn f/ Iann Dior “Mood”

  • Gabby Barrett f/ Charlie Puth “I Hope”

  • Chris Brown & Young Thug “Go Crazy”

  • DaBaby f/ Roddy Ricch “Rockstar”

  • Jack Harlow f/ DaBaby, Tory Lanez, and Lil Wayne “Whats Poppin”


  • Jhené Aiko f/ H.E.R. “B.S.”

  • Justin Bieber f/ Quavo “Intentions”

  • Chris Brown & Young Thug “Go Crazy”

  • Doja Cat “Say So”

  • The Weeknd “Blinding Lights”


  • 24kGoldn f/ Iann Dior “Mood”

  • Cardi B f/ Megan Thee Stallion “WAP”

  • DaBaby f/ Roddy Ricch “Rockstar”

  • Jack Harlow f/ DaBaby, Tory Lanez, and Lil Wayne “Whats Poppin”

  • Megan Thee Stallion “Savage”


  • Jason Aldean “Got What I Got”

  • Gabby Barrett “I Hope”

  • Lee Brice “One of Them Girls”

  • Morgan Wallen “Chasin’ You”

  • Morgan Wallen “More Than My Hometown”


  • AJR “Bang!”

  • All Time Low f/ Blackbear “Monsters”

  • Glass Animals “Heat Waves”

  • Machine Gun Kelly f/ Blackbear “My Ex’s Best Friend”

  • Twenty One Pilots “Level of Concern”


  • Bad Bunny “Yo Perreo Sola”

  • Bad Bunny & Jhay Cortez “Dákiti”

  • Black Eyed Peas & J Balvin “RITMO (Bad Boys for Life)”

  • Maluma & The Weeknd “Hawái”

  • Ozuna, Karol G, and Myke Towers “Caramelo”


  • Lady Gaga “Stupid Love”

  • Lady Gaga & Ariana Grande “Rain on Me”

  • SAINt JHN “Roses (Imanbek Remix)”

  • Surf Mesa f/ Emilee “ily (i love you baby)”

  • Topic & A7S “Breaking Me”


  • Elevation Worship f/ Brandon Lake “Graves Into Gardens”

  • For KING & COUNTRY, Kirk Franklin, and Tori Kelly “Together”

  • Kari Jobe, Cody Carnes, and Elevation Worship “The Blessing (Live)”

  • Tauren Wells f/ Jenn Johnson “Famous For (I Believe)”

  • Zach Williams & Dolly Parton “There Was Jesus”


  • Koryn Hawthorne “Speak to Me”

  • Jonathan McReynolds & Mali Music “Movin’ On”

  • Marvin Sapp “Thank You for It All”

  • Tye Tribbett “We Gon’ Be Alright”

  • Kanye West f/ Travis Scott “Wash Us in the Blood”

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