iHeartRadio Music Awards unveil list of 2018 nominees

Now that 2017 has come to an end, iHeartMedia is ready to celebrate the artists that were widely played on their radio stations throughout the year. On Wednesday (Jan. 10), iHeartMedia announced the nominees for the 2018 iHeartRadio Music Awards. Leading the pack with a total of seven nominations are Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee for their summer slam hit, “Despacito.” The song is nominated for “Song of the Year,” “Best Collaboration,” “Latin Song of the Year,” “Latin Artist of the Year,” “Best Lyrics,” “Best Music Video,” and “Best Remix.”

Coming in behind Daddy Yankee and Fonsi are Rihanna, Bruno Mars, DJ Khaled, Khalid, Shawn Mendes, Taylor Swift, The Chainsmokers, Ed Sheeran, and Camila Cabello with a total of five nominations a piece.

In addition to the typical categories such as “Song of the Year,” “Artist of the Year,” and others, this year will mark the addition of four new categories. “Best Remix,” “Best Boy Band,” “Cutest Musician’s Pet,” and “Best Solo Breakout” will make their debut at this year’s event. All four categories will be voted on by the fans. Voting for the socially elected categories began on Wednesday and will conclude on March 4.

In what may be hard for a “fan army” to process, all four One Direction guys (Harry Styles, Liam Payne, Louis Tomlinson, Niall Horan) are nominated for the “Best Solo Breakout” category.

In trying to put the power of vote in the hands of the fans, fans will also get the chance to vote for the “Social Star Award” and the “Best Fan Army.” Voting for those two categories began on Tuesday and will conclude on March 11. Fans can vote through iHeartRadio’s social site, on the iHeartRadio app, or on the iHeartRadio website here.

This year’s awards show will also mark the first time that seven different awards are handed out during the seven days leading up to the live show. Each night at 8 p.m. ET, an artist will be presented with their award and will be given the opportunity to make an acceptance speech.

The 2018 iHeartRadio Music Awards will take place Sunday, March 11 from The Forum in Los Angeles. The event will air live on TBS, TNT, and truTV beginning at 8 p.m. ET. The show will also be simulcast on iHeartMedia’s stations nationwide, as well as on iHeartRadio, their all-in-one digital music and live streaming radio service.

As with the past years, the show will feature live performances, once-in-a-lifetime artist collaborations, celebrity guest appearances, and live award presentations. The complete list of nominees can be seen below.

Song of the Year

  • Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee – “Despacito (ft. Justin Bieber)”
  • Ed Sheeran – “Shape of You”
  • The Chainsmokers and Coldplay – “Something Just Like This”
  • Bruno Mars – “That’s What I Like”
  • DJ Khaled  – “Wild Thoughts (ft. Rihanna and Bryson Tiller)”

Female Artist of the Year

  • Alessia Cara​
  • Halsey
  • Pink
  • Rihanna
  • Taylor Swift

Male Artist of the Year

  • Bruno Mars
  • Charlie Puth
  • Ed Sheeran
  • Shawn Mendes
  • The Weeknd

Best Duo/Group of the Year

  • Imagine Dragons
  • Maroon 5
  • Migos
  • Portugal. The Man
  • The Chainsmokers

Best Collaboration

  • Maroon 5 – “Don’t Wanna Know (ft. Kendrick Lamar)”
  • Zedd and Alessia Cara – “Stay”
  • Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee – “Despacito (ft. Justin Bieber)”
  • The Chainsmokers and Coldplay – “Something Just Like This”
  • DJ Khaled  – “Wild Thoughts (ft. Rihanna and Bryson Tiller)”

Best New Pop Artist

  • Camila Cabello
  • Julia Michaels
  • Liam Payne
  • Logic
  • Niall Horan

Alternative Rock Song of the Year

  • Imagine Dragons – “Believer”
  • Portugal. The Man – “Feel It Still”
  • Imagine Dragons – “Thunder”
  • Thirty Seconds to Mars – “Walk on Water”
  • The Revivalists – “Wish I Knew You”

Alternative Rock Artist of the Year

  • Cage the Elephant
  • Imagine Dragons
  • Judah & the Lion
  • Kings of Leon
  • Portugal. The Man

Best New Rock/Alternative Rock Artist

  • Greta Van Fleet
  • Judah & the Lion
  • K.Flay
  • Rag ‘n’ Bone Man
  • The Revivalists

Rock Song of the Year

  • Nothing More – “Go to War”
  • Papa Roach – “Help”
  • Foo Fighters – “Run”
  • Theory of a Deadman – “Rx (Medicate)”
  • Stone Sour – “Song #3”

Rock Artist of the Year

  • Foo Fighters
  • Highly Suspect
  • Metallica
  • Papa Roach
  • Royal Blood

Country Song of the Year

  • Sam Hunt – “Body Like a Back Road”
  • Jon Pardi – “Dirt on My Boots”
  • Luke Combs – “Hurricane”
  • Dustin Lynch – “Small Town Boy”
  • Thomas Rhett – “Unforgettable”

Country Artist of the Year

  • Blake Shelton
  • Jason Aldean
  • Luke Bryan
  • Sam Hunt
  • Thomas Rhett

Best New Country Artist

  • Brett Young
  • Jon Pardi
  • Kane Brown
  • Lauren Alaina
  • Luke Combs

Dance Song of the Year

  • Kygo and Selena Gomez – “It Ain’t Me”
  • Cheat Codes – “No Promises (ft. Demi Lovato)”
  • Clean Bandit – “Rockabye (ft. Anne-Marie featuring Sean Paul)”
  • The Chainsmokers and Coldplay – “Something Just Like This”
  • Zedd and Alessia Cara – “Stay”

Dance Artist of the Year

  • Calvin Harris
  • Cheat Codes
  • Kygo
  • The Chainsmokers
  • Zedd

Hip-Hop Song of the Year

  • Migos – “Bad and Boujee (ft. Lil Uzi Vert)”
  • Cardi B – “Bodak Yellow (Money Moves)”
  • Kendrick Lamar – “HUMBLE.”
  • Post Malone – “Rockstar”
  • DJ Khaled  – “Wild Thoughts (ft. Rihanna and Bryson Tiller)”

Hip-Hop Artist of the Year

  • DJ Khaled
  • Drake
  • Future
  • Kendrick Lamar
  • Migos

Best New Hip-Hop Artist

  • 21 Savage
  • Cardi B
  • GoldLink
  • Lil Uzi Vert
  • Playboi Carti

R&B Song of the Year

  • Jacquees – “B.E.D.”
  • Khalid – “Location”
  • SZA – “Love Galore (ft. Travis Scott)”
  • Childish Gambino – “Redbone”
  • Bruno Mars – “That’s What I Like”

R&B Artist of the Year

  • Bruno Mars
  • Childish Gambino​
  • Khalid
  • Rihanna
  • The Weeknd

Best New R&B Artist

  • 6LACK
  • Kehlani
  • Kevin Ross​
  • Khalid
  • SZA

Latin Song of the Year

  • Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee – “Despacito”
  • Nicky Jam – “El Amante”
  • CNCO – “Hey DJ”
  • J Balvin – “Mi Gente (ft. Willy William)”
  • Enrique Iglesias – “Súbeme La Radio”

Latin Artist of the Year

  • CNCO
  • J Balvin
  • Luis Fonsi
  • Nicky Jam
  • Shakira

Best New Latin Artist

  • Abraham Mateo
  • Bad Bunny
  • Danny Ocean
  • Karol G
  • Ozuna

Regional Mexican Song of the Year

  • Christian Nodal – “Adios Amor”
  • Banda Carnaval – “Ella Es Mi Mujer”
  • Calibre 50 – “Las Ultras”
  • Gerardo Ortiz – “Regresa Hermosa”
  • Calibre 50 – “Siempre Te Voy A Querer”

Regional Mexican Artist of the Year

  • Banda Carnaval
  • Banda Los Recoditos
  • Banda Sinaloense MS de Sergio Lizarraga
  • Calibre 50
  • Gerardo Ortiz

Best New Regional Mexican Artist

  • Christian Nodal
  • Edwin Luna y La Trakalosa de Monterrey
  • El Fantasma
  • Ulices Chaidez y Sus Plebes

Producer of the Year

  • Andrew “Pop” Wansel and Warren “Oak” Felder
  • Andrew Watt
  • Benny Blanco
  • Justin Tranter
  • Steve Mac

Best Lyrics (Socially Voted Category)

  • Cardi B – “Bodak Yellow (Money Moves)”
  • Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee – “Despacito”
  • Shawn Mendes – “There’s Nothing Holding Me Back”
  • Taylor Swift – “Look What You Made Me Do”
  • Ed Sheeran – “Perfect”
  • Niall Horan – “Slow Hands”

Best Cover Song (Socially Voted Category)

  • Shawn Mendes – “All We Got”
  • HAIM – “Bad Liar”
  • Niall Horan – “Issues”
  • Khalid – “Lost”
  • Camila Cabello and Machine Gun Kelly – “Say You Won’t Let Go”
  • Harry Styles – “The Chain”
  • Ed Sheeran – “Touch”
  • Thirty Seconds to Mars – “The Tribute Song”

Best Fan Army presented by Taco Bell (Socially Voted Category)

  • Ariana Grande – Arianators
  • Justin Bieber – Beliebers
  • BTS – BTS Army
  • Camila Cabello – Camilizers
  • EXO – EXO-L
  • Fifth Harmony – Harmonizers
  • Demi Lovato – Lovatics
  • Shawn Mendes – Mendes Army
  • Little Mix – Mixers
  • Selena Gomez – Selenators
  • Miley Cyrus – Smilers
  • Taylor Swift – Swifties

Best Music Video (Socially Voted Category)

  • Selena Gomez – “Bad Liar”
  • Cardi B – “Bodak Yellow (Money Moves)”
  • Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee – “Despacito”
  • DJ Khaled – “I’m the One (ft. Justin Bieber, Quavo, Lil Wayne and Chance the Rapper)”
  • Taylor Swift – “Look What You Made Me Do”
  • Miley Cyrus – “Malibu”
  • Dua Lipa – “New Rules”
  • Ed Sheeran – “Shape of You”
  • Harry Styles – “Sign of the Times”
  • Demi Lovato – “Sorry Not Sorry”
  • Katy Perry – “Swish Swish (ft. Nicki Minaj)”
  • Bruno Mars – “That’s What I Like”
  • Shawn Mendes – “There’s Nothing Holding Me Back”

Social Star Award (Socially Voted Category)

  • Andrew Huang
  • Anitta
  • Christian Collins
  • Conor Maynard
  • dodie
  • Gabbie Hanna
  • JoJo Siwa
  • Mariah Belgrod
  • Max & Harvey
  • RoomieOfficial

Cutest Musician’s Pet (Socially Voted Category)

  • Batman – Demi Lovato
  • Bear Rexha – Bebe Rexha
  • Nugget – Katy Perry
  • Olivia – Taylor Swift
  • Pig Pig – Miley Cyrus
  • Toulouse – Ariana Grande

Best Boy Band (Socially Voted Category)     ​

  • AJR
  • BTS
  • CNCO
  • In Real Life
  • PRETTYMUCH
  • The Vamps
  • Why Don’t We

Best Solo Breakout (Socially Voted Category)

  • Camila Cabello
  • Harry Styles
  • Liam Payne
  • Louis Tomlinson
  • Niall Horan

Best Remix (Socially Voted Category)

  • Katy Perry – “Bon Appétit (ft. Migos)” – 3LAU
  • Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee – “Despacito (ft. Justin Bieber)”
  • Blackbear – “do re mi (ft. Gucci Mane)”
  • Justin Bieber and BloodPop – “Friends (ft. Julia Michaels)”
  • Camila Cabello – “Havana (ft. Daddy Yankee)”
  • Lorde – “Homemade Dynamite (ft. Khalid, Post Malone and SZA)”
  • Francis & The Lights – “May I Have This Dance (ft. Chance The Rapper)”
  • J Balvin & Willy William – “Mi Gente (ft. Beyoncé)”
  • CNCO and Little Mix – “Reggaetón Lento”

Drake, the Chainsmokers lead 2017 Billboard Music Awards nominations

Billboard has announced the nominees for the 2017 Billboard Music Awards. On Monday (April 10), the music publication published their lengthy list of artists who have been nominated for the annual event. Heading over to ABC’s morning talk show, Good Morning America, Fall Out Boy guitarist Pete Wentz and Julia Michaels announced the first five of 52 categories of the annual awards show.

Leading the pack with a total of 22 nominations are Canadian rapper Drake and EDM duo the Chainsmokers. Drake is nominated for Top Artist, Top Male Artist, Top Hot 100 Artist, Top Rap Artist, Top Rap Tour, Top Billboard 200 Album, and more. As for the Chainsmokers, they’re nominated for Top Dance/Electronic Album, Top Hot 100 Song, Top Radio Song, and more.
Twenty One Pilots follow Drake and the Chainsmokers for a total of 17 nominations in several categories including Top Artist, Top Duo/Group, and Top Billboard 200 Artist. Rihanna follows Twenty One Pilots with a total of 14 nominations including Top Artist, Top Female Artist, and Top 100 Artist.

According to a press release from Billboard, the nominees are based on “key fan interactions with music, including album and digital songs sales, streaming, radio airplay, touring and social engagement.” The 2017 awards are based on the year-long period from March 18, 2016 to March 16, 2017.

The Billboard Music Awards will take place on May 21 and air on ABC. The complete list of nominees can be seen below.

2017 BILLBOARD MUSIC AWARDS NOMINEES:

Top Artist:
Adele
Beyoncé
Justin Bieber
The Chainsmokers
Drake
Ariana Grande
Shawn Mendes
Rihanna
Twenty One Pilots
The Weeknd

Top New Artist:
Alessia Cara
Desiigner
Lil Uzi Vert
Lukas Graham
Zayn

Billboard Chart Achievement Award Presented by Xfinity:
Luke Bryan
Nicki Minaj
The Chainsmokers
The Weeknd
Twenty One Pilots

Top Male Artist:
Justin Bieber
Drake
Future
Shawn Mendes
The Weeknd

Top Female Artist:
Adele
Beyoncé
Ariana Grande
Rihanna
Sia

Top Duo/Group:
The Chainsmokers
Coldplay
Florida Georgia Line
Guns N’ Roses
Twenty One Pilots

Top Billboard 200 Artist:
Beyoncé
Drake
Prince
Twenty One Pilots
The Weeknd

Top Hot 100 Artist:
The Chainsmokers
Drake
Rihanna
Twenty One Pilots
The Weeknd

Top Song Sales Artist:
The Chainsmokers
Drake
Prince
Justin Timberlake
Twenty One Pilots

Top Radio Songs Artist:
Justin Bieber
The Chainsmokers
Drake
Rihanna
Twenty One Pilots

Top Streaming Songs Artist:
The Chainsmokers
Desiigner
Drake
Rihanna
Twenty One Pilots

Top Social Artist:
Justin Bieber
BTS
Selena Gomez
Ariana Grande
Shawn Mendes

Top Touring Artist:
Justin Bieber
Beyoncé
Coldplay
Guns N’ Roses
Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band

Top R&B Artist:
Beyoncé
Bruno Mars
Frank Ocean
Rihanna
The Weeknd

Top R&B Tour:
Beyoncé
Lionel Richie
Rihanna

Top Rap Artist:
J. Cole
Desiigner
Drake
Future
Rae Sremmurd

Top Rap Tour:
Drake
Future
Kanye West

Top Country Artist:
Florida Georgia Line
Blake Shelton
Keith Urban
Chris Stapleton
Jason Aldean

Top Country Tour:
Luke Bryan
Kenny Chesney
Dixie Chicks

Top Rock Artist:
Coldplay
The Lumineers
Metallica
Twenty One Pilots
X Ambassadors

Top Rock Tour:
Coldplay
Guns ‘N’ Roses
Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band

Top Latin Artist:
J Balvin
Juan Gabriel
Los Plebes del Rancho de Ariel Camacho
Maluma
Nicky Jam

Top Dance/Electronic Artist:
The Chainsmokers
Calvin Harris
Major Lazer
DJ Snake
Lindsey Stirling

Top Christian Artist:
Lauren Daigle
Hillsong Worship
Hillary Scott & the Family
Skillet
Chris Tomlin

Top Gospel Artist:
Jekalyn Carr
Kirk Franklin
Travis Greene
Tamela Mann
Hezekiah Walker

Top Billboard 200 Album:
Beyoncé, Lemonade
Drake, Views
Rihanna, ANTI
Twenty One Pilots, Blurryface
The Weeknd, Starboy

Top Soundtrack/Cast Album:
Hamilton: An American Musical
Moana
Purple Rain
Suicide Squad: The Album
Trolls

Top R&B Album:
Beyoncé, Lemonade
Bruno Mars, 24K Magic
Frank Ocean, Blonde
Rihanna, ANTI
The Weeknd, Starboy

Top Rap Album:
J. Cole, 4 Your Eyez Only
Drake, Views
Kevin Gates, Isla
DJ Khaled, Major Key
A Tribe Called Quest, We Got It From Here…Thank You For Your Service

Top Country Album:
Jason Aldean, They Don’t Know
Florida Georgia Line, Dig Your Roots
Blake Shelton, If I’m Honest
Chris Stapleton, Traveller
Keith Urban, Ripcord

Top Rock Album:
The Lumineers, Cleopatra
Metallica, Hardwired…To Self Destruct
Radiohead, A Moon Shaped Pool
Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Getaway
Twenty One Pilots, Blurryface

Top Latin Album:
J Balvin, Energia
CNCO, Primera Cita
Juan Gabriel, Los Duo 2
Juan Gabriel, Vestido De Etiqueta: Por Eduardo Magallanes
Los Plebes del Rancho de Ariel Camacho, Recuerden Mi Estilo

Top Dance/Electronic Album:
The Chainsmokers, Bouquet
The Chainsmokers, Collage
Flume, Skin
Kygo, Cloud Nine
Lindsey Stirling, Brave Enough

Top Christian Album:
Casting Crowns, The Very Next Thing
Lauren Daigle, How Can It Be
Joey + Rory, Hymns
Hillary Scott & The Family, Love Remains
Skillet, Unleashed

Top Gospel Album:
Tamela Mann, One Way
Kirk Franklin, Losing My Religion
Travis Greene, The Hill
Tasha Cobbs, One Place: Live
Hezekiah Walker, Better: Azusa – The Next Generation 2

Top Hot 100 Song:
The Chainsmokers Featuring Halsey, “Closer”
The Chainsmokers Featuring Daya, “Don’t Let Me Down”
Drake Featuring WizKid & Kyla, “One Dance”
Justin Timberlake, “Can’t Stop The Feeling!”
Twenty One Pilots, “Heathens”

Top Selling Song:
The Chainsmokers feat. Halsey, “Closer”
The Chainsmokers feat. Daya, “Don’t Let Me Down”
Drake feat. WizKid & Kyla “One Dance”
Justin Timberlake, “Can’t Stop The Feeling!”
Twenty One Pilots, “Heathens”

Top Radio Song:
The Chainsmokers feat. Halsey, “Closer”
The Chainsmokers feat. Daya, “Don’t Let Me Down”
Drake feat. WizKid & Kyla “One Dance”
Sia feat. Sean Paul, “Cheap Thrills”
Justin Timberlake, “Can’t Stop The Feeling!”

Top Streaming Song (Audio):
The Chainsmokers feat. Halsey, “Closer”
Drake feat. WizKid & Kyla, “One Dance”
D.R.A.M. feat. Lil Yachty, “Broccoli”
Rihanna, “Needed Me”
The Weeknd feat. Daft Punk, “Starboy”

Top Streaming Song (Video):
The Chainsmokers feat. Halsey, “Closer”
Desiigner, “Panda”
Zay Hilfigerr & Zayion McCall, “JuJu on That Beat (TZ Anthem)
Rae Sremmurd feat. Gucci Mane, “Black Beatles”
Twenty One Pilots, “Heathens”

Top Collaboration:
The Chainsmokers feat. Halsey, “Closer”
The Chainsmokers feat. Daya, “Don’t Let Me Down”
Drake feat. WizKid & Kyla, “One Dance”
Sia feat. Sean Paul, “Cheap Thrills”
The Weeknd feat. Daft Punk, “Starboy”

Top R&B Song:
Drake feat. WizKid & Kyla, “One Dance”
Bruno Mars, “24K Magic”
Rihanna, “Needed Me”
Rihanna feat. Drake, “Work”
The Weeknd feat. Daft Punk, “Starboy”

Top R&B Collaboration:
Drake feat. WizKid & Kyla, “One Dance”
PARTYNEXTDOOR feat. Drake, “Come And See Me”
Rihanna feat. Drake, “Work”
The Weeknd feat. Daft Punk “I Feel It Coming”
The Weeknd feat. Daft Punk, “Starboy”

Top Rap Song:
Desiigner, “Panda”
Drake, “Fake Love”
D.R.A.M. feat. Lil Yachty, “Broccoli”
Migos feat. Lil Uzi Vert, “Bad And Boujee”
Rae Sremmurd feat. Gucci Mane, “Black Beatles”

Top Rap Collaboration:
D.R.A.M. feat. Lil Yachty, “Broccoli”
Zay Hilfigerr & Zayion McCall, “JuJu on That Beat (TZ Anthem)
Machine Gun Kelly & Camila Cabello, “Bad Things”
Migos feat. Lil Uzi Vert, “Bad and Boujee”
Rae Sremmurd feat. Gucci Mane, “Black Beatles”

Top Country Song:
Kenny Chesney feat. Pink, “Setting The World On Fire”
Florida Georgia Line, “H.O.L.Y.”
Florida Georgia Line feat. Tim McGraw, “May We All”
Little Big Town, “Better Man”
Keith Urban, “Blue Ain’t Your Color”

Top Country Collaboration:
Dierks Bentley feat. Elle King, “Different For Girls”
Kenny Chesney feat. Pink, “Setting The World On Fire”
Eric Church feat. Rhiannon Giddens, “Kill A Word”
Florida Georgia Line feat. Tim McGraw, “May We All”
Chris Young feat. Vince Gill, “Sober Saturday Night”

Top Rock Song:
Lil Wayne, Wiz Khalifa & Imagine Dragons with Logic & Ty Dolla $ign feat. X Ambassadors, “Sucker For Pain”
Twenty One Pilots, “Heathens”
Twenty One Pilots, “Ride”
Twenty One Pilots, “Stressed Out”
X Ambassadors, “Unsteady”

Top Latin Song:
Daddy Yankee, “Shaky Shaky”
Enrique Iglesias feat. Wisin, “Duele El Corazon”
Nicky Jam, “Hasta El Amanecer”
Shakira feat. Maluma, “Chantaje”
Carlos Vives & Shakira, “La Bicicleta”

Top Dance/Electronic Song:
The Chainsmokers feat. Halsey, “Closer”
The Chainsmokers feat. Daya, “Don’t Let Me Down”
Calvin Harris feat. Rihanna, “This Is What You Came For”
Major Lazer feat. Justin Bieber & MO, “Cold Water”
DJ Snake feat. Justin Bieber, “Let Me Love You”

Top Christian Song:
Lauren Daigle, “Trust In You”
Hillary Scott & The Family, “Thy Will”
Skillet, “Feel Invincible”
Ryan Stevenson feat. GabeReal, “Eye Of The Storm”
Zach Williams, “Chain Breaker”

Top Gospel Song:
Jekalyn Carr, “You’re Bigger”
Tasha Cobbs, Featuring Kierra Sheard “Put A Praise On It”
Kirk Franklin, “Wanna Be Happy??”
Travis Greene, “Made A Way”
Hezekiah Walker, “Better”

iHeartRadio Music Awards 2017 announce nominees

Now that 2016 has come to an end, iHeartMedia is ready to celebrate the artists that were widely played on their radio stations throughout the year. On Wednesday (Jan. 4), iHeartMedia announced the nominees for the 2017 iHeartRadio Music Awards. Leading the pack with a total of 12 nominations, including “Male Artist of the Year” is Drake. Trailing behind the Canadian rapper by one nomination, are The Chainsmokers with a total of 11 nods including the inaugural “Best New Pop Artist” category.

Other artists who have received multiple nominations this year include Rihanna (10), Twenty One Pilots (9), Justin Bieber (6), Ariana Grande (4), Beyoncé (4), Sia (4), and Adele (2).

“When we created this awards show four years ago, we set out to celebrate the music that we play on iHeartRadio every day,” said Tom Poleman, President of National Programming Groups for iHeartMedia. “The core of iHeartRadio is these artists, their songs and our listeners. This night recognizes all three.”

Unlike the previous years, this year will mark the debut of several new categories including “Producer of the Year,” “Label of the Year,” and “Best Music Video.” In addition to the slew of new categories, there will also be a total of eight socially voted categories. These include “Best Lyrics,” “Best Collaboration,” “Best Fan Army,” and more. These eight categories give the fans a chance to participate in voting for their favorite acts.

Voting for the “Best Fan Army” category began this past Tuesday (Jan. 3) and will stay open until the night of the awards show. Voting for the other socially vote awards and will be available until Feb. 24. Fans can vote for their favorite artists by visiting iHeartRadio’s website here.

“The biggest artists in music show up every year because this is the awards show that fans truly control,” said John Sykes, President of iHeartMedia Entertainment Enterprises.

Along with the nominees announcement, Bruno Mars was confirmed as the first artist to perform at the show.

Tickets for the 2017 iHeartRadio Music Awards will go on sale to the general public on Saturday, Jan. 7, at 10 a.m. PT. Currently, Chase Credit and Debit Cardholder can purchase tickets early thanks to an exclusive Chase Cardholder pre-sale. Pre-sales began Wednesday (Jan. 4) and will end this Friday, Jan. 6, or until tickets sell out.

The 2017 iHeartRadio Music Awards will take place Sunday, March 5 from The Forum in Los Angeles. The event will air live on TBS, TNT, and truTV beginning at 8 p.m. ET. The show will also be simulcast on iHeartMedia’s stations nationwide, as well as on iHeartRadio, their all-in-one digital music and live streaming radio service.

The complete list of nominees can be seen below.

Song of the Year:

  •         “Can’t Stop The Feeling” – Justin Timberlake
  •         “Cheap Thrills” – Sia featuring Sean Paul
  •         “Closer” – The Chainsmokers featuring Halsey
  •         “One Dance” – Drake featuring Wizkid and Kyla
  •         “Stressed Out” – Twenty One Pilots

Female Artist of the Year: 

  •         Adele
  •         Ariana Grande
  •         Rihanna
  •         Selena Gomez
  •         Sia

Male Artist of the Year:

  •         Drake
  •         Justin Bieber
  •         Luke Bryan
  •         Shawn Mendes
  •         The Weeknd

Best Duo/Group of the Year: 

  •         Coldplay
  •         DNCE
  •         Florida Georgia Line
  •         The Chainsmokers
  •         Twenty One Pilots

Alternative Rock Song of the Year:

  •         “Bored to Death” – blink-182
  •         “Dark Necessities” – Red Hot Chili Peppers
  •         “Heathens” – Twenty One Pilots
  •         “Ride” – Twenty One Pilots
  •         “Trouble” – Cage the Elephant

Alternative Rock Artist of the Year:

  •         blink-182
  •         Cage the Elephant
  •         Coldplay
  •         The Strumbellas
  •         Twenty One Pilots

Rock Song of the Year:

  •         “Bang Bang” – Green Day
  •         “Dark Necessities” – Red Hot Chili Peppers
  •         “Take Me Down” – The Pretty Reckless
  •         “The Devil’s Bleeding Crown” – Volbeat
  •         “The Sound of Silence” – Disturbed

Rock Artist of the Year:

  •         Disturbed
  •         Five Finger Death Punch
  •         Red Hot Chili Peppers
  •         Shinedown
  •         Volbeat

Country Song of the Year:

  •         “Church Bells” –  Carrie Underwood
  •         “Snapback” –  Old Dominion
  •         “Somewhere on a Beach” –  Dierks Bentley
  •         “T-Shirt” – Thomas Rhett
  •         “You Should Be Here” – Cole Swindell

Country Artist of the Year:

  •         Carrie Underwood
  •         Jason Aldean
  •         Keith Urban
  •         Luke Bryan
  •         Thomas Rhett

Dance Song of the Year:

  •         “Closer” – The Chainsmokers featuring Halsey
  •         “Cold Water” – Major Lazer featuring Justin Bieber and MØ
  •         “Don’t Let Me Down” –  The Chainsmokers featuring Daya
  •         “I Took A Pill in Ibiza” –  Mike Posner
  •         “Let Me Love You” –  DJ Snake featuring Justin Bieber

Dance Artist of the Year: 

  •         Calvin Harris
  •         DJ Snake
  •         Flume
  •         Major Lazer
  •         The Chainsmokers

Hip-Hop Song of the Year: 

  •         “All the Way Up” – Fat Joe and Remy Ma featuring French Montana
  •         “Controlla” – Drake
  •         “For Free” – DJ Khaled featuring Drake
  •         “One Dance” – Drake featuring Wizkid and Kyla
  •         “Panda” – Desiigner

Hip-Hop Artist of the Year:

  •         Desiigner
  •         DJ Khaled
  •         Drake
  •         Future
  •         J. Cole

R&B Song of the Year:

  •         “Exchange” – Bryson Tiller
  •         “Needed Me” – Rihanna
  •         “No Limit” – Usher featuring Young Thug
  •         “Sorry” – Beyoncé
  •         “Work” – Rihanna featuring Drake

R&B Artist of the Year: 

  •         Beyoncé
  •         Bryson Tiller
  •         Rihanna
  •         The Weeknd
  •         Usher

Latin Song of the Year: 

  •         “Ay Mi Dios” – IAmChino featuring Pitbull, Yandel and El Chacal
  •         “De Pies a Cabeza” – Mana featuring Nicky Jam
  •         “Duele el Corazon” – Enrique Iglesias featuring Wisin
  •         “La Carretera” – Prince Royce
  •         “Ya Me Enteré” – Reik featuring Nicky Jam

Latin Artist of the Year: 

  •         Enrique Iglesias
  •         J Balvin
  •         Nicky Jam
  •         Prince Royce
  •         Yandel

Regional Mexican Song of the Year:

  •         “Amor del Bueno” – Calibre 50
  •         “Cicatrices” – Regulo Caro
  •         “Me Está Gustando” – Banda Los Recoditos
  •         “¿Por Qué Terminamos?” – Gerardo Ortiz
  •         “Solo con Verte” – Banda Sinaloense MS de Sergio Lizárraga

Regional Mexican Artist of the Year: 

  •         Banda El Recodo de Cruz Lizárraga
  •         Banda Los Recoditos
  •         Calibre 50
  •         Gerardo Ortiz
  •         Remmy Valenzuela

Best New Rock/Alternative Rock Artist: (New Category)

  •         Foals
  •         Kaleo
  •         Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats
  •         Red Sun Rising
  •         The Strumbellas

Best New Country Artist: (New Category)

  •         Chris Lane
  •         Chris Stapleton
  •         Granger Smith
  •         Kelsea Ballerini
  •         Maren Morris

Best New Hip-Hop Artist: (New Category)

  •         Chance the Rapper
  •         Desiigner
  •         D.R.A.M.
  •         Kent Jones
  •         Kevin Gates

Best New Latin Artist: (New Category)

  •         Carlos Rivera
  •         Christian Daniel
  •         CNCO
  •         IAmChino
  •         Sofia Reyes

Best New R&B Artist: (New Category)

  •         Belly
  •         Bryson Tiller
  •         Dreezy
  •         Kayla Brianna
  •         Ro James

Best New Regional Mexican Artist: (New Category)

  •         Adriel Favela
  •         Banda Los Sebastianes
  •         Cheyo Carrillo
  •         Joss Favela
  •         La Séptima Banda

Best New Pop Artist: (New Category)

  •         Alessia Cara
  •         Daya
  •         Lukas Graham
  •         The Chainsmokers
  •         ZAYN

Producer of the Year: (New Category)

  •         Benny Blanco
  •         Greg Kurstin
  •         Max Martin
  •         Mike Elizondo
  •         The Chainsmokers

Best Lyrics: *Socially Voted Category

  •         “7 Years” – Lukas Graham
  •         “Came Here to Forget” – Blake Shelton
  •         “Cheap Thrills” – Sia featuring Sean Paul
  •         “Closer” – The Chainsmokers featuring Halsey
  •         “Heathens” – Twenty One Pilots
  •         “Love Yourself” – Justin Bieber
  •         “Scars to Your Beautiful” – Alessia Cara
  •         “Send My Love (To Your New Lover)” – Adele
  •         “Too Good” – Drake featuring Rihanna
  •         “You Should Be Here” – Cole Swindell

Best Collaboration: *Socially Voted Category

  •         “Cheap Thrills” – Sia featuring Sean Paul
  •         “Closer” – The Chainsmokers featuring Halsey
  •         “Don’t Let Me Down” – The Chainsmokers featuring Daya
  •         “This is What You Came For” – Calvin Harris featuring Rihanna
  •         “Work” – Rihanna featuring Drake

Best Cover Song: *Socially Voted Category

  •         “All I Ask” – Bruno Mars
  •         “Ex’s and Oh’s” – Fifth Harmony
  •         “Fast Car” – Justin Bieber
  •         “Hands to Myself” – DNCE
  •         “Here” – Shawn Mendes
  •         “How Will I Know” – Ariana Grande
  •         “Love on the Brain” – Kelly Clarkson
  •         “Purple Rain” – Jennifer Hudson and the cast of The Color Purple
  •         “Sound of Silence” – Disturbed
  •         “Too Good” – Zara Larsson

Best Song from a Movie: *Socially Voted Category

  •         “Can’t Stop the Feeling” – Justin Timberlake (Trolls)
  •         “Falling for You” – Ellie Goulding (Bridget Jones’s Baby)
  •         “Girls Talk Boys” – 5 Seconds of Summer (Ghostbusters)
  •         “Heathens” – Twenty One Pilots (Suicide Squad)
  •         “Just Like Fire” – P!nk (Alice Through the Looking Glass)

Best Music Video: (New Category) *Socially Voted Category

  •         “Can’t Stop the Feeling” – Justin Timberlake
  •         “Don’t Let Me Down” – The Chainsmokers featuring Daya
  •         “Formation” – Beyoncé
  •         “Hasta El Amanecer” – Nicky Jam
  •         “Heathens” – Twenty One Pilots
  •         “Hymn for the Weekend” – Coldplay
  •         “I Took A Pill In Ibiza” – Mike Posner
  •         “Pillowtalk” – ZAYN
  •         “Side to Side” – Ariana Grande featuring Nicki Minaj
  •         “This is What You Came For” – Calvin Harris featuring Rihanna
  •         “Work” – Rihanna featuring Drake
  •         “Work From Home” – Fifth Harmony featuring Ty Dolla $ign

Best Underground Alternative Band: (New Category) *Socially Voted Category

  •         Hey Violet
  •         Pierce the Veil
  •         PVRIS
  •         Sleeping With Sirens
  •         Tonight Alive

Social Star Award: (New Category) *Socially Voted Category

  •         Alex Aiono from YouTube
  •         Baby Ariel from Musical.ly
  •         Emma McGann from YouNow
  •         Hailey Knox from YouNow
  •         Jack and Jack from Snapchat
  •         Jacob Sartorius from Musical.ly
  •         Marcus Perez from Facebook
  •         Steph Clavin from Instagram
  •         Todrick Hall from YouTube
  •         xYego from Smule

Best Fan Army presented by Taco Bell: *Socially Voted Category

  •         5 Seconds of Summer – 5SOSFam
  •         Ariana Grande – Arianators
  •         Beyoncé – Beyhive
  •         Britney Spears – Britney Army
  •         Demi Lovato – Lovatics
  •         Fifth Harmony – Harmonizers
  •         Justin Bieber – Beliebers
  •         Katy Perry – KatyCats
  •         Lady Gaga – Little Monsters
  •         Rihanna – Rihanna Navy
  •         Selena Gomez – Selenators
  •         Shawn Mendes – Mendes Army
  •         Twenty One Pilots – #twentyonepilots (The Skeleton Clique)

Watch the Ragtime Gals Cover Rihanna with Special Guest

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We all know Rihanna’s song “Bitch Better Have My Money” is about how her accountant ran away with her money resulting her almost going bankrupt, even though the singer is reportedly worth millions of dollars. So what happens when you combine the song, which has a crazy-ass music video and “what the hell” lyrics to boost and a barbershop quartet featuring a special guest?

The video below which finds Jimmy Fallon’s barbershop quartet, The Ragtime Gals, giving the rough-around-the-edges song a classic and almost family friendly sound (even though, we won’t call the song and its lyrics family friendly). In addition to the “wholesome” sound, the video also features a special guest contributing some vocals; Joseph Gordon-Levitt

Check out the video for the cover below.

NFL to Charge Artists to Play Halftime Show

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We all know that the National Football League does not pay artists to perform at the famous Super Bowl’s Halftime Show because they believe that the exposure that the artists get during “football’s biggest night,” is worth the money the artists are out.

Today, word has gotten out that the NFL will keep up this tradition, but now, they have added something else to the mix; artists will have to pay in order to perform during the high-rated halftime show.

“In a twist this year, the league has asked artists under consideration for the high-profile gig to pay to play,” reports the Wall Street Journal. As if the subject of having to pay to play a show wasn’t already a big issue in the music world for up and coming artists and venues.

Not only did the WSJ report this, but they also claim the league have also revealed the top three contenders for the high-profiled show. Those that are apparently being considered are Rihanna, Coldplay, and Katy Perry. Guess that petition we signed a while ago to get “Weird Al” Yankovich to perform was thrown to the side. Darn.

Though there has been no official confirmation, some NFL employees have allegedly begun to approach the three acts to see if “they would be willing to contribute a portion of their post-Super Bowl tour income to the league, or if they would make some other type of financial contribution in exchange for the halftime gig.”

As it was predicted, the WSJ have claimed that the response to their offer has been less than lackluster. Considering what the NFL wants in return for the gig, they would be lucky to get the guy who plays spoons on the corner to come in and perform for the halftime show. Is it us, or does this somewhat resemble that pesky epidemic of payola which we are sure is still going on. If you aren’t sure what exactly payola is, don’t feel bad, head on over here and get a quick lesson.

iHeartRadio Music Awards Announce Nominees

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The inaugural iHeartRadio Music Awards are set to air May 1st on NBC from the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles and some of the finalist for many of the categories have just been revealed.

In an effort to keep up with all the music awards that come out way, iHeartRadio decided to come up with one of their own that will keep the online radio conglomerate in the front of young listeners’ minds. Rihanna, Justin Timberlake and Imagine Dragons are just some of the biggest names in music that happen to have several nominations to their name.

Rihanna has landed a total of seven entries in five categories, including “Artist of the Year,” “Song of the Year” and “Best Collaboration” for her duet with Eminem on “Monster.” Timberlake received a total of five entries in four categories, including “Artist of the Year” as well as “Song of the Year.” Imagine Dragons are up for four nominations, including “Artist of the Year” and “Best New Artist.”

The nominations were chosen by the newly introduced iHeartRadio chart which “compiles airplay-based listener feedback and performance data, digital streaming data from the iHeartRadio platform and sales, social video data and tags from Big Champagne and Shazam.”

The full list of nominees and the categories they are up for can be seen below.

IHEARTRADIO MUSIC AWARD NOMINEES:

Artist of the Year:
Imagine Dragons
Justin Timberlake
Macklemore & Ryan Lewis
Maroon 5
Rihanna

Song of the Year:
“Hold On We’re Going Home” – Drake ft. Majid Jordan
“Mirrors” – Justin Timberlake
“Radioactive” – Imagine Dragons
“Stay” – Rihanna ft. Mikky Ekko
“The Monster” – Eminem ft. Rihanna

Best Collaboration:
“Holy Grail” – Jay Z ft. Justin Timberlake
“Stay” – Rihanna ft. Mikky Ekko
“Suit & Tie” – Justin Timberlake ft. Jay Z
“The Monster” – Eminem ft. Rihanna
“Timber” – Pitbull ft. Ke$ha

Best New Artist:
Florida Georgia Line
Icona Pop
Imagine Dragons
Lorde
Macklemore & Ryan Lewis
Passenger

Country Song of the Year:
“Boys ‘Round Here” – Blake Shelton
“Highway Don’t Care” – Tim McGraw with Taylor Swift
“It Goes Like This” – Thomas Rhett
“Mine Would Be You” – Blake Shelton
“That’s My Kind of Night” – Luke Bryan

Hip Hop/R&B Song of the Year:
“Blurred Lines” – Robin Thicke ft. T.I. & Pharrell
“Hold On We’re Going Home” – Drake ft. Majid Jordan
“Holy Grail” – Jay Z ft. Justin Timberlake
“Pour It Up” – Rihanna
“Started From The Bottom” – Drake

EDM Song of the Year:
“Get Lucky” – Daft Punk ft. Pharrell
“Stay The Night” – Zedd ft. Hayley Williams
“Summertime Sadness” – Lana Del Rey ft. Cedric Gervais
“Sweet Nothing” – Calvin Harris ft. Florence Welch
“Wake Me Up” – Avicii

Alternative Rock Song of the Year:
“Demons” – Imagine Dragons
“Do I Wanna Know?” – Arctic Monkeys
“Pompeii” – Bastille
“Royals” – Lorde
“Safe And Sound” – Capital Cities

Best Lyrics:
“Wake Me Up” – Avicii (Vocals by Aloe Blacc)
“I Love It (ft. Charli XCX)” – Icona Pop
“Say Something” – A Great Big World
“Same Love” – Macklemore & Ryan Lewis
“Wrecking Ball” – Miley Cyrus

Best Fan Army:
Arianators – Ariana Grande
Little Monsters – Lady Gaga
Lovatics – Demi Lovato
Mahomies – Austin Mahone
Rihanna Navy – Rihanna
Swifties – Taylor Swift

Eminem and Rihanna Announce “Monster” Tour

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Eminem and Rihanna teased last month that they would be heading out on a tour together, but the announcement was just that, a tease.

Today, it was confirmed the two music powerhouses will be joining forces and heading out on a co-headlining “Monster” tour (not to be confused with any of Lady Gaga’s tours). The tour is slated to begin its trek on August 7 with a show at the Rose Bowl in Los Angeles followed by a stop at New York’s Metlife Stadium on August 16. The tour will wrap up in Eminem’s hometown of Detroit at the Comerica Park on August 22.

If you believe what reports are claiming then the tour stops will coincide with Eminem’s somewhat confirmed appearance at Lollapalooza during the weekend of August 1st-3rd as well as his appearance at British Columbia’s Squamish Valley Music Festival due to take place during the weekend of August 8th-10th.

Fans with American Express card can qualify to purchase pre-sale tickets beginning on March 20 while a Facebook pre-sale will begin on March 22. A Livenation app pre-sale will be held on March 27 while general public tickets will go on sale on March 28 beginning at 10 a.m. through Livenation’s website.

THE MONSTER TOUR DATES:

08/07 – Los Angeles, CA @ Rose Bowl
08/16 – E. Rutherford, NJ @ MetLife Stadium
08/22 – Detroit, MI @ Comerica Park

Shakira/Rihanna Collab Video Premieres

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Shakira has done some duets in the past that are pretty good, but for some reason the one with Rihanna is a little better than the rest. Don’t ask, we’re not sure why we like the catchy song with the weird title so much.

Check the video which features Shakira and Rihanna doing what they do best; singing, dancing, prancing around half-naked while gyrating on a wall.

“Can’t Remember to Forget” will be featured on Shakira’s upcoming tenth album and has already made its way to Number 28 on Billboard’s Hot 100. The song reached the Number One spot on Billboard Social 50 which ranks the most popular artist on social media platforms like YouTube, Vevo, Facebook, Twitter, SoundCloud, Wikipedia, Myspace and Instagram.

The Shakira and Rihanna Collab Has Landed

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Last week, it was revealed that a collaboration between Shakira and Rihanna would be in our near future and now the song has finally been released.

The song is titled, “Can’t Remember to Forget” premiered on Ryan Seacrest’s radio show to bring a little bit of south of the border sunshine to the otherwise grime Monday.

The full track can be heard below:

On January 6, Rihanna had posted on her Instagram the news in a cryptic way that featured two chairs baring the superstars’ names on them and the caption, “One. Week. Countdown.” A few days later, the Barbados pop star released another picture, the official cover art for the single featuring both her and Shakira.

“Working with her was utopia,” Shakira revealed during and interview for the January 14th issue of Glamour. “She’s the sexiest woman on the planet. And at the end of the day, we’re both basically just Caribbean girls. The chemistry was so good and so real.”

So what do you guys think? Did the Caribbean girls get it right?

Eminem Releases His Inner “Monster” in New Video

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This past weekend, a teaser for Eminem’s new single “The Monster” which features Rihanna was released giving fans a taste of what to expect in the video.

The teaser only truly gave us the information that the rapper is in the middle of having a therapy session with a therapist who is played by Rihanna. Rihanna places a tape into the television which reveals three words that probably mean a lot to the rapper.

The words included “violence” which we know is something he went through. “Family” which is something very important to him, hence the snippet of video showing his youngest daughter. And then there’s the word, “addiction” which he recently revealed he fought through.

During the weekend, there was no definite date as to when the video would premiere, but it looks like we didn’t need to look any further than today, because it has been released.

Check out the video, which comes in at over five minutes, here.

PS, the video says explicit so, that’s our disclaimer.