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Billboard Announces Finalists for the 2011 Billboard Music Awards

Rihanna Takes the Lead As a Contender in 18 Award Categories

LAS VEGAS, April 13, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Billboard released the finalists for the 2011 
Billboard Music Awards today at a press conference in Las Vegas.  The winners will be
announced at the Billboard Music Awards show airing live on ABC on Sunday, May 22nd
at 5:00 PM Pacific.  The awards show will take place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in
Las Vegas, Nevada in partnership with Chevrolet, and the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors
Authority (LVCVA).  This is the first year that ABC will broadcast the event.
Rihanna takes the lead as a finalist in 18 award categories including Top Artist, Top Female Artist,
 Top 100 Artist, Top R&B Artist, Top Dance/Electronic Artist, Top Radio Songs Artist,
Top Digital Songs Artist, Top Digital Media Artist, Top Social Artist and Top Streaming Artist.
 Her collaboration with Eminem places "Love the Way You Lie" as a contender in six song categories.  Eminem is a
finalist in 16 award categories including Top Artist, Top Male Artist, Top Billboard 200 Artist,
Top Digital Songs Artist, Top Social Artist, Top Streaming Artist Top Digital Media Artist and
Top Rap Artist.
Lady Gaga follows with 12 categories including three albums all competing for the award of Top
 Dance/Electronic Album:  "The Fame," "The Fame Monster" and "The Remix."  "The Fame"
is also a finalist for Top Pop Album.
Bruno Mars and Justin Bieber are fan favorites, each earning 11 categories and competing for
Top New Artist and Top Male Artist.  Other Top New Artist contenders are Ke$ha, Nicki Minaj
and Taio Cruz, whose song "Dynamite" is up for five awards including Top Hot 100 Song,
Top Digital Song, Top Radio Song, Top Streaming Song (Audio) and Top Pop Song.
The Billboard Music Awards take a holistic look at artist performance based on key fan interactions
 with music—finalists and winners are determined by chart performance and social and streaming
activity as chronicled in Billboard magazine and on Billboard.com during the eligibility period of
February 28, 2010 through March 1, 2011.  The forty-six award categories are based on measures
 provided by our data partners including sales data shared by Nielsen SoundScan, radio airplay
monitored by Nielsen BDS, streaming data measured by Tubemogul and Nielsen BDS, social
media consumption gauged by Next Big Sound and tour grosses tracked by Billboard Boxscore.
Today, Billboard launches a microsite for the 2011 Billboard Music Awards at
www.Billboard.com/BBMA.  Music fans can also follow news about the show and
related events on Twitter at www.twitter.com/billboarddotcom or Facebook at
www.facebook.com/billboard.  To request media credentials please fill out the form
 available at www.Billboard.com/BBMA and email tobillboard@brandlinkcommunications.com.
To download images and video from today's press conference visit www.abcmedianet.com.
The 2011 Billboard Music Awards is co-executed produced by Richard Beckman, CEO of
 Prometheus Global Media, which owns Billboard, and Don Mischer of Don Mischer Productions.
The finalists for the 2011 Billboard Music Awards are:
ARTIST AWARDS:
Top Artist:
Justin Bieber
Eminem
Lady Gaga
Rihanna
Taylor Swift
Top New Artist:
Justin Bieber
Taio Cruz
Ke$ha
Bruno Mars
Nicki Minaj
Top Male Artist:
Justin Bieber
Drake
Eminem
Bruno Mars
Usher
Top Female Artist:
Ke$ha
Lady Gaga
Katy Perry
Rihanna
Taylor Swift
Top Duo/Group:
The Black Eyed Peas
Bon Jovi
Lady Antebellum
Linkin Park
U2
Top Billboard 200 Artist:
Justin Bieber
Susan Boyle
Eminem
Lady Antebellum
Taylor Swift
Top Hot 100 Artist:
Ke$ha
Bruno Mars
Katy Perry
Rihanna
Usher
Top Digital Songs Artist:
Eminem
Ke$ha
Bruno Mars
Katy Perry
Rihanna
Top Radio Songs Artist:
Drake
Bruno Mars
Katy Perry
Rihanna
Usher
Top Touring Artist:
Bon Jovi
Michael Buble
Lady Gaga
U2
Roger Waters
Top Social Artist:
Akon
Justin Bieber
Eminem
Lady Gaga
Rihanna
Top Streaming Artist:
Justin Bieber
Eminem
Lady Gaga
Rihanna
Shakira
Top Digital Media Artist:
Akon
Justin Bieber
Eminem
Lady Gaga
Rihanna
Top Pop Artist:
Justin Bieber
The Black Eyed Peas
Ke$ha
Lady Gaga
Katy Perry
Top R&B Artist:
Alicia Keys
Monica
Rihanna
Trey Songz
Usher
Top Rap Artist:
Drake
Eminem
Lil Wayne
Ludacris
Nicki Minaj
Top Country Artist:
Jason Aldean
Kenny Chesney
Lady Antebellum
Taylor Swift
Zac Brown Band
Top Rock Artist:
Kings of Leon
Linkin Park
Mumford & Sons
Muse
Train
Top Alternative Artist:
The Black Keys
Kings of Leon
Linkin Park
Mumford & Sons
Muse
Top Latin Artist:
Enrique Iglesias
Pitbull
Prince Royce
Shakira
Wisin & Yandel
Top Dance Artist:
The Black Eyed Peas
David Guetta
Lady Gaga
LaRoux
Rihanna
Top Christian Artist:
Casting Crowns
MercyMe
Skillet
tobyMac
Chris Tomlin
ALBUMS AWARDS
Top Billboard 200 Album:
Justin Bieber -- "My World 2.0"
Susan Boyle -- "The Gift"
Eminem -- "Recovery"
Lady Antebellum -- "Need You Now"
Taylor Swift -- "Speak Now"
Top Pop Album:
Justin Bieber -- "My World 2.0"
Black Eyed Peas -- "The E.N.D."
Ke$ha -- "Animal"
Lady Gaga -- "The Fame"
Katy Perry -- "Teenage Dream"
Top R&B Album:
Monica -- "Still Standing"
Rihanna -- "Loud"
Sade -- "Stronger Than Love"
Trey Songz -- "Passion, Pain & Pleasure"
Usher -- "Raymond v. Raymond"
Top Rap Album:
Drake -- "Thank Me Later"
Eminem -- "Recovery"
Nicki Minaj -- "Pink Friday"
Lil Wayne -- "I Am Not A Human Being"
Kanye West -- "My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy"
Top Country Album:
Jason Aldean -- "My Kinda Party"
Lady Antebellum -- "Need You Now"
Sugarland -- "The Incredible Machine"
Taylor Swift -- "Speak Now"
Zac Brown Band -- "The Foundation"
Top Rock Album:
The Black Keys -- "Brothers"
Jack Johnson -- "To The Sea"
Kid Rock -- "Born Free"
Linkin Park -- "A Thousand Suns"
Mumford & Sons -- "Sigh No More"
Top Alternative Album:
The Black Keys -- "Brothers"
Jack Johnson -- "To The Sea"
Kings of Leon -- "Come Around Midnight"
Linkin Park -- "A Thousand Suns"
Mumford & Sons -- "Sigh No More"
Top Latin Album:
Marc Anthony -- "Iconos"
Camila -- "Dejarte De Amar"
Enrique Iglesias -- "Euphoria"
Prince Royce -- "Prince Royce"
Shakira -- "Sale El Sol"
Top Dance/Electronic Album:
Daft Punk -- "Tron Legacy (Soundtrack)"
Lady Gaga -- "The Fame"
Lady Gaga -- "The Fame Monster"
Lady Gaga -- "The Remix"
Owl City -- "Ocean Eyes"
Top Christian Album:
MercyMe -- "The Generous Mr. Lovewell"
Skillet -- "Awake"
tobyMac -- "Tonight"
Chris Tomlin -- "And If Our God is For Us"
Various Artists -- "WOW Hits 2011"
SONG AWARDS
Top Hot 100 Song:
Taio Cruz -- "Dynamite"
Eminem Feat. Rihanna -- "Love The Way You Lie"
Bruno Mars -- "Just The Way You Are"
Katy Perry Feat. Snoop Dogg -- "California Gurls"
Usher Feat. will.i.am -- "OMG"
Top Digital Song:
B.o.B Feat. Hayley Williams -- "Airplanes"
Taio Cruz -- "Dynamite"
Eminem Feat. Rihanna -- "Love The Way You Lie"
Bruno Mars -- "Just The Way You Are"
Katy Perry Feat. Snoop Dogg -- "California Gurls"
Top Radio Song:
Taio Cruz -- "Dynamite"
Eminem Feat. Rihanna -- "Love The Way You Lie"
Bruno Mars -- "Just The Way You Are"
Usher Featuring Pitbull -- "DJ Got Us Fallin' In Love"
Usher Feat. will.i.am -- "OMG"
Top Streaming Song (Audio):
Taio Cruz -- "Dynamite"
Eminem Feat. Rihanna -- "Love The Way You Lie"
Lady Antebellum -- "Need You Now"
Bruno Mars -- "Just The Way You Are"
Nelly -- "Just A Dream"
Top Streaming Song (Video):
Justin Bieber Feat. Ludacris -- "Baby"
Eminem -- "Not Afraid"
Eminem Feat. Rihanna -- "Love The Way You Lie"
Lady Gaga -- "Bad Romance"
Shakira Feat. Freshleyground -- "Waka Waka (This Time For Africa)"
Top Pop Song:
Taio Cruz -- "Dynamite"
Bruno Mars -- "Just The Way You Are"
Katy Perry Feat. Snoop Dogg -- "California Gurls"
Katy Perry -- "Firework"
Katy Perry -- "Teenage Dream"
Top R&B Song:
Alicia Keys -- "Unthinkable (I'm Ready)"
Rihanna Featuring Drake -- "What's My Name"
Trey Songz Feat. Nicki Minaj -- "Bottoms Up"
Usher Feat. will.i.am -- "OMG"
Usher -- "There Goes My Baby"
Top Rap Song:
B.o.B Feat. Hayley Williams -- "Airplanes"
B.o.B Feat. Bruno Mars -- "Nothin' On You"
Eminem Feat. Rihanna -- "Love The Way You Lie"
Far*East Movement Feat. Dev & The Cataracs -- "Like A G6"
Nelly -- "Just A Dream"
Top Country Song:
The Band Perry -- "If I Die Young"
Lady Antebellum -- "Need You Now"
Miranda Lambert -- "The House That Built Me"
Sugarland -- "Stuck Like Glue"
Taylor Swift -- "Mine"
Top Rock Song:
The Dirty Heads Featuring Rome -- "Lay Me Down"
Florence + The Machine -- "Dog Days Are Over"
Mumford & Sons -- "Little Lion Man"
Neon Trees -- "Animal"
Train -- "Hey, Soul Sister"
Top Alternative Song:
Florence + The Machine -- "Dog Days Are Over"
Linkin Park -- "Waiting On The End"
Mumford & Sons -- "The Cave"
Mumford & Sons -- "Little Lion Man"
Neon Trees -- "Animal"
Top Latin Song:
Enrique Iglesias Featuring Juan Luis Guerra "Cuando Me Enamoro"
Pitbull -- "Bon Bon"
Shakira -- "Gypsy"
Shakira Feat. El Cata -- "Loca"
Shakira Feat. Freshleyground -- "Waka Waka (This Time For Africa)"
Top Dance Song:
Lady Gaga -- "Bad Romance"
Lady Gaga Feat. Beyonce -- "Telephone"
La Roux -- "Bulletproof"
Edward Maya & Vika Jigulina -- "Stereo Love"
Yolanda Be Cool & Dcup -- "We Speak No Americano"
Top Christian Song:
Kris Allen -- "Live Like We're Dying"
MercyMe -- "All Of Creation"
Sanctus Real -- "Lead Me"
tobyMac -- "Get Back Up"
Chris Tomlin -- "Our God"
Additionally, Billboard editors identified three bands from six regions of the U.S. based on a
 variety of factors, including Heat Score, a formula that measures online fan engagement and
drives Billboard's Uncharted chart of emerging artists.  Through a contest called "Cruze-ing
To Vegas" sponsored by Chevrolet, consumers cast over 217,000 votes, narrowing the competition
down to one band from each region. These final six group favorites will each receive the keys to a
Chevrolet Cruze for a road trip that will take them from their home base to Las Vegas.
A camera crew will follow each of the bands and will document their journey as they play gigs
 along the way, rock out to the Cruze's standard XM radio, and engage with fans online and in
person. The six bands will communicate with their fans while on the road through blogging,
 tweeting and by creating and sharing playlists, building a viral audience and improving their
social Heat Score, one of the many goals as they set their sights on Las Vegas. All six of the
bands will arrive at Fremont Street in Las Vegas on May 18th to compete in the ultimate battle
of the bands. The winning band will then be honored as the "Dreamseeker Artist of the Year"
at the 2011 Billboard Music Awards.
The six finalists for Dreamseeker Artist of the Year are:
From the Northwest, Hotels (Seattle, WA)
From the West, AJ Rafael (Moreno Valley, CA)
From the Southwest, Otenki (Houston, TX)
From the Midwest, Lightning Love (Detroit, MI)
From the Southeast, Side by Side (Charlotte, NC)
From the Northeast, Gentlemen Hall (Boston, MA)