Post Malone tops AMA noms, Swift could break MJ's record
NEW YORK (AP) — Post Malone is the top contender at the 2019 American Music Awards, where Taylor Swift has a chance to moonwalk past Michael Jackson's record for most wins at the show.
Dick Clark Productions announced Thursday that Malone scored seven nominations, while newcomer Billie Eilish and Ariana Grande each earned six nominations. Swift, who has won 23 AMAs, is up for five awards and could surpass the King of Pop, who holds the record for the most wins with 24 trophies.
The fan-voted AMAs will air live Nov. 24 on ABC from the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles.
Swift, Malone and Grande, along with Drake and Halsey, are nominated for the top prize: artist of the year.
Malone's nominations include favorite male pop/rock artist, favorite rap/hip-hop artist, favorite rap/hip-hop album for "Hollywood's Bleeding" and favorite rap/hip-hop song for "Wow." His massive hit with Swae Lee, "Sunflower" from the Oscar-winning animated film "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse," is up for favorite pop/rock song and collaboration of the year.
Swift will compete for favorite female pop/rock artist, favorite adult contemporary artist, favorite pop/rock album for "Lover" and favorite music video for her equal rights anthem, "You Need to Calm Down."
Though Lizzo scored three nominations, her hit "Truth Hurts" — which is currently spending its seventh week on top of the Billboard Hot 100 chart — is absent (the AMA nominees reflect the time period of Sept. 28, 2018 through Sept. 26, 2019.
Lizzo's nominations include favorite soul/R&B song for "Juice" and favorite female soul/R&B artist, pitting her against Beyoncé and Ella Mai. Though she released her first album in 2013, Lizzo did pick up a new artist of the year nomination, and she has some stiff competition. Nominees include Eilish, arguably the year's top breakthrough act; Lil Nas X, whose hit "Old Town Road" is the longest-running No. 1 hit in the history of the Billboard charts; Luke Combs, who has dominated the country charts and launched multiple No. 1 hits; and Mai, who won a Grammy in her debut year and topped several R&B charts.
"Old Town Road" is the gift that keeps on giving — it helped Lil Nas X score five AMA nominations and gives Billy Ray Cyrus, who picked up four nods, a chance of winning his first AMA in 26 years (he won two awards in 1993).
DJ-producer Avicii earned a posthumous nomination for favorite electronic dance music artist, K-pop all-stars BTS picked up three nominations, while Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper earned two nominations, including collaboration of the year for "Shallow" and favorite soundtrack for "A Star Is Born," which will compete with "Bohemian Rhapsody" and "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse."
Here's the complete list of nominations:
ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Drake
Ariana Grande
Halsey
Post Malone
Taylor Swift
NEW ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Luke Combs
Billie Eilish
Lil Nas X
Lizzo
Ella Mai
COLLABORATION OF THE YEAR
Lady Gaga & Bradley Cooper "Shallow"
Lil Nas X ft. Billy Ray Cyrus "Old Town Road"
Marshmello & Bastille "Happier"
Shawn Mendes & Camila Cabello "Señorita"
Post Malone & Swae Lee "Sunflower (Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse)"
TOUR OF THE YEAR
BTS
Ariana Grande
Elton John
P!nk
Ed Sheeran
FAVORITE MUSIC VIDEO
Billie Eilish "bad guy"
Ariana Grande "7 rings"
Halsey "Without Me"
Lil Nas X ft. Billy Ray Cyrus "Old Town Road"
Taylor Swift "You Need to Calm Down"
FAVORITE SOCIAL ARTIST
BTS
Billie Eilish
EXO
Ariana Grande
Shawn Mendes
FAVORITE MALE ARTIST – POP/ROCK
Drake
Khalid
Post Malone
FAVORITE FEMALE ARTIST – POP/ROCK
Billie Eilish
Ariana Grande
Taylor Swift
FAVORITE DUO OR GROUP – POP/ROCK
BTS
Jonas Brothers
Panic! At The Disco
FAVORITE ALBUM – POP/ROCK
Billie Eilish "When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?"
Ariana Grande "thank u, next"
Taylor Swift "Lover"
FAVORITE SONG – POP/ROCK
Halsey "Without Me"
Jonas Brothers "Sucker"
Lil Nas X ft. Billy Ray Cyrus "Old Town Road"
Panic! At The Disco "High Hopes"
Post Malone & Swae Lee "Sunflower (Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse)"
FAVORITE MALE ARTIST – COUNTRY
Kane Brown
Luke Combs
Thomas Rhett
FAVORITE FEMALE ARTIST – COUNTRY
Kelsea Ballerini
Maren Morris
Carrie Underwood
FAVORITE DUO or GROUP – COUNTRY
Dan + Shay
Florida Georgia Line
Old Dominion
FAVORITE ALBUM – COUNTRY
Kane Brown "Experiment"
Dan + Shay "Dan + Shay"
Carrie Underwood "Cry Pretty"
FAVORITE SONG – COUNTRY
Luke Combs "Beautiful Crazy"
Dan + Shay "Speechless"
Blake Shelton "God’s Country"
FAVORITE ARTIST – RAP/HIP-HOP
Cardi B
Drake
Post Malone
FAVORITE ALBUM – RAP/HIP-HOP
Meek Mill "Championships"
Post Malone "Hollywood’s Bleeding"
Travis Scott "Astroworld"
FAVORITE SONG – RAP/HIP-HOP
Lil Nas X ft. Billy Ray Cyrus "Old Town Road"
Post Malone "Wow."
Travis Scott "SICKO MODE"
FAVORITE MALE ARTIST – SOUL/R&B
Chris Brown
Khalid
Bruno Mars
FAVORITE FEMALE ARTIST – SOUL/R&B
Beyoncé
Lizzo
Ella Mai
FAVORITE ALBUM – SOUL/R&B
Chris Brown "Indigo"
Khalid "Free Spirit"
Ella Mai "Ella Mai"
FAVORITE SONG – SOUL/R&B
Khalid "Talk"
Lizzo "Juice"
Ella Mai "Trip"
FAVORITE ARTIST – ALTERNATIVE ROCK
Billie Eilish
Imagine Dragons
Panic! At The Disco
FAVORITE ARTIST – ADULT CONTEMPORARY
Maroon 5
P!nk
Taylor Swift
FAVORITE ARTIST – LATIN
Bad Bunny
J Balvin
Ozuna
FAVORITE ARTIST – CONTEMPORARY INSPIRATIONAL
Lauren Daigle
for KING & COUNTRY
MercyMe
FAVORITE ARTIST – ELECTRONIC DANCE MUSIC
Avicii
Marshmello
The Chainsmokers
FAVORITE SOUNDTRACK
"A Star is Born" by Lady Gaga & Bradley Cooper
"Bohemian Rhapsody" by Queen
"Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse"
