Cardi B is BBMA’s top nominee

The Billboard Music Awards (BBMA) are upon us. This will be held at the MGM Grand Arena in Las Vegas on May 1 and will bring to a close all the awarding due to music releases for the year 2018. Now, the BBMA is the real thing. Unlike other award-giving bodies, this one does not rely on the judgment of members of the music industry or the public.
Established by Billboard Magazine, which is the “bible” of the music industry and is home to the legendary Hot 100 Chart, this award is based on figures, statistics, records, all data that give a true picture of which recordings or concerts sold the most.
With data partners Nielsen Music and Next Big Sound, Billboard tracks down the performance of every recording. The winners are chosen based on album and digital song sales, streaming, radio airplay, concert tickets sales and social engagement, which means popularity in social media sites. I say there is no way that Billboard will ever come under fire for choosing the undeserving. The figures exist for everybody to see.
The nominees for the 2019 Billboard Music Awards were announced last Thursday and I am envious again. Two South Korean acts, BTS and EXO, are among them. When or when will I see a Filipino artist in the list? Keep on dreaming. Sometimes they come true. Anyway, here are the nominees:
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, Lady Gaga & Bradley Cooper, Dua Lipa.
Male Artist: Drake, Post Malone, Travis Scott, Ed Sheeran, XXXTentacion.
Female Artist: Cardi B, Ariana Grande, Halsey, Ella Mai, Taylor Swift.
Duo or Group: BTS, Dan + Shay, Imagine Dragons, Maroon 5, Panic! At The Disco.
Billboard 200 Artist: Drake, Ariana Grande, Post Malone, Travis Scott, XXXTentacion.
Hot 100 Artist: Cardi B, Drake, Ariana Grande, juice Wrld, Post Malone.
Streaming Songs Artist: Cardi B, Drake, Ariana Grande, Post Malone, XXXTentacion.
Song Sales Artist: Drake, Ariana Grande, Imagine Dragons, Lady Gaga, Post Malone.
Radio Songs Artist: Cardi B, Drake, Ariana Grande, Maroon 5, Post Malone.
Social Artist: BTS, EXO, GOT7, Ariana Grande, Louis Tomlinson.
Touring Artist: Beyoncé & JAY-Z, Bruno Mars, Ed Sheeran, Taylor Swift, Justin Timberlake.
R&B: H.E.R., Khalid, Ella Mai, The Weekend, XXXTentacion.
R&B Male: Khalid, The Weeknd, XXXTentacion.
R&B Female: H.E.R., Ella Mai, Queen Naija.
R&B Tour: Beyoncé & JAY-Z, Childish Gambino, Bruno Mars.
Rap: Cardi B, Drake, juice Wrld, Post Malone, Travis Scott.
Rap Male: Drake, Post Malone, Travis Scott.
Rap Female: Cardi B, City Girls, Nicki Minaj.
Rap Tour: Beyoncé & JAY-Z, Drake, Travis Scott.
Country: Jason Aldean, Kane Brown, Luke Combs, Dan + Shay, Florida Georgia Line.
Country Male: Jason Aldean, Kane Brown, Luke Combs.
Country Female: Maren Morris, Kacey Musgraves, Carrie Underwood.
Country Duo/Group: Dan + Shay, Florida Georgia Line, Old Dominion.
Country Tour: Luke Bryan, Kenny Chesney, Shania Twain.
Rock: Imagine Dragons, Lovelytheband, Panic! At The Disco, Queen, twenty one pilots.
Rock Tour: Elton John, The Rolling Stones, U2.
Latin: Anuel AA, Bad Bunny, J. Balvin, Ozuna, Romeo Santos.
Dance/Electronic: Calvin Harris, Kygo, Marshmello, Odesza, The Chainsmokers.
Christian: Cory Asbury, Lauren Daigle, For King & Country, Hillsong Worship, Mercy Me.
Gospel: Kirk Franklin, Koryn Hawthorne, Tori Kelly, Tasha Cobbs Leonard, Marvin Sapp.
Album Awards:
Billboard 200 Album: Cardi B, Invasion Of Privacy; Drake, Scorpion; Post Malone, beerbongs & bentleys; Travis Scott, ASTROWORLD; XXXTentacion, ?.
Soundtrack: 13 Reasons Why, Season 2; A Star is Born, Lady Gaga & Bradley Cooper; Bohemian Rhapsody, Queen; Spider-Man Into the Spider-Verse, Various Artists; The Greatest Showman, Hugh Jackman and Zach Efron.
R&B: Ella Mai, Ella Mai; H.E.R., H.E.R.; Khalid, American Teen; The Weeknd, My Dear Melancholy; XXXTentacion, 17.
Rap:  Cardi B., Invasion Of Privacy; Drake, Scorpion; Post Malone, beerbongs & bentleys; Travis Scott, ASTROWORLD; XXXTentacion, ?.
Country: Jason Aldean, Rearview Town; Kane Brown, Kane Brown; Luke Combs, This One’s For You; Dan + Shay, Dan + Shay; Carrie Underwood, Cry Pretty.
Rock: Dave Matthews Band, Come Tomorrow: Imagine Dragons, Origins; Mumford & Sons, Delta; Panic! At The Disco, Pray For The Wicked; twenty one pilots, Trench.
Latin: Anuel AA, Real Hasta la Muerte; Bad Bunny, X 100PRE; J. Balvin, Vibras; Maluma, F.A.M.E.; Ozuna, Aura.
Dance/Electronic: Clean Bandit, What is Love?; David Guetta, 7; Kygo, Kids In Love; Major Lazer, Major Lazer Essentials; The Chainsmokers, Sick Boy.
Christian: Cory Ashbury, Reckless Love; Lauren Daigle, Look Up Child; For King & Country, Burn The Ships; Hillsong Worship, There Is More; Zach Williams, Chain Breaker.
Gospel:  Snoop Dogg & Various Artists, Snoop Dogg Presents Bible of Love; Aretha Franklin, Gospel Greats; Koryn Hawthorne, Unstoppable; Tory Kelly, Hiding Place; Jonathan McReynolds, Make Room.
Song Awards:
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.
Streaming (Audio): Cardi B, Bad Bunny & J. Balvin, I Like It; juice Wrld, Lucid Dreams; Post Malone, Better Now; Travis Scott, SICKO MODE; XXXTentacion, SAD!.
Streaming (Video): Drake, In My Feelings; juice Wrld, Lucid Dreams; Maroon 5 ft. Cardi B, Girls Like You; Travis Scott, SICKO MODE; XXXTentacion, SAD!.
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.
Radio: 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.
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.
R&B: 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.
Rap: 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.
Country: 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.
Rock:  Foster The People, Sit Next To Me; Imagine Dragons, Natural; Imagine Dragons, Whatever It Takes; Lovelytheband, broken; Panic! At The Disco, High Hopes.
Latin: 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.
Dance/Electronic: DJ Snake ft. Selena Gomez, Ozuna & Cardi B, Taki Taki; Calvin Harris & Dua Lipa, One Kiss; Marshmello & Bastille, Happier; Tiesto & Dzeko ft. Preme & Post Malone, Jackie Chan; Zedd, Maren Morris & Grey, The Middle.
Christian: Cory Asbury, Reckless Love; Lauren Daigle, You Say; For King & Country, joy; Hillsong Worship, Who You Say I Am; Tauren Wells, Known.
Gospel:  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.