UPDATE: See the full list of finalists here.
Which artists are competing for honors at the 2021 Billboard Music Awards?
The Today Show announced the first set of finalists for top Hot 100 artist — DaBaby, Drake, Dua Lipa, Pop Smoke, and The Weeknd.
Two other categories — top Latin male artist and top rap female artist — were also revealed Wednesday (April 28) by E! Daily Pop and Access Hollywood, respectively.
On Thursday (April 29), the remaining finalists will be announced on Billboard Music Awards — The List Live at 11 a.m. ET. Afterward, Billboard editors will discuss the news live on Twitter Spaces, beginning at 4 p.m. ET.
See the first announced finalists below:
Top Hot 100 Artist
DaBaby
Drake
Dua Lipa
Pop Smoke
The Weeknd
Top Latin Male Artist
Bad Bunny
Ozuna
J Balvin
Top Female Rap Artist
Cardi B
Megan Thee Stallion
Saweetie
The 2021 Billboard Music Awards will air live from the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles May 23 at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT on NBC.
Billboard Music Awards finalists and winners are based on key fan interactions with music, including album and digital song sales, streaming, radio airplay, and social engagement, tracked by Billboard and its data partners, including MRC Data. This year’s awards are based on the chart period of March 21, 2020 through April 3, 2021. Fan-voted categories this year include top social artist and top collaboration.
The Billboard Music Awards are produced by dick clark productions, which is owned by MRC. MRC and Penske Media are co-parent companies of Billboard.