Watch the American Music Awards 2018 Nominations Livestream
KANE BROWN, ELLA MAI, NORMANI AND BEBE REXHA TO ANNOUNCE THE '2018 AMERICAN MUSIC AWARDS' NOMINATIONS
LIVE FROM YOUTUBE SPACE LA, WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 12 AT 9:00 A.M. PDT
Watch the Livestream Right Here
Chart-topping artists Kane Brown and Ella Mai, American Music Award-winning artist Normani and award-winning singer/songwriter Bebe Rexha will announce the 2018 American Music Awards nominations LIVE from YouTube Space LA on Wednesday, Sept. 12. The event will stream live on the official American Music Awards YouTube channel (YouTube.com/TheAMAs) at 9:00 a.m. PDT and will include a panel discussion regarding the nominations with Billboard correspondent, Chelsea Briggs, and the presenting talent. The 2018 American Music Awards, the world's largest fan-voted awards show where music enthusiasts watch their favorite artists and pop-culture icons come together to honor idols, newcomers and record-breakers in the contemporary music scene, will broadcast live from the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles on Tuesday, Oct. 9 at 8:00 p.m. EDT, on ABC.
Watch the nominations livestream below
Breakthrough star Kane Brown shows no sign of slowing down. Since the release of his self-titled album in December 2016, he has earned gigantic hits, platinum and multi-platinum RIAA certifications, more than one-billion career audio and video streams, award wins, and sold-out concerts. As Brown prepares for the launch of his follow-up album on Nov. 9, fans and critics are focused on his unique musical party. He's been singled out by the New York Times as "one of Nashville's most promising young stars and also one of its most flexible" and by Billboard, which asserted the North Georgia native, "distinguished himself with an unorthodox path and unvarnished lyrics" also adding that Brown's irresistible state-of-the-art sound has the power to "ultimately bring folks together." After topping the Billboard Top Country Albums chart with his platinum-certified "Kane Brown," he did it again in 2017 thanks to the deluxe editionreissue of the album, which also sent the set into Top 5 on the all-genre Billboard200. That same week (Oct. 28, 2017), the 24-year-old singer/songwriter made history by becoming the first artist to top all five of Billboard's main country charts with his No. 1 Top Country Album; a No. 1 debut on Country Digital Song Sales with the double-platinum "Heaven"; and No. 1s on Country Airplay, Hot Country Songs, and Country Streaming Songs with the triple-platinum "What Ifs" featuring Lauren Alaina. In addition to making Billboard history, the outstanding accomplishment also garnered a Guinness World Record.
And the records and accolades keep adding up, "Kane Brown" holds 2018's longest reign on Billboard's Top Country Albums Chart with 10 weeks at No. 1. Brown's multiweek No. 1 song "Heaven" became one of only two singles in the past decade to remain Top 5 for 14 weeks or more on the BillboardCountry Airplay Chart. Additionally, his triple-platinum No. 1 hit "What Ifs" recently became the third most-streamed country song of all time. Brown's highly anticipated follow-up album on RCA Nashville/Zone 4 is produced by multiple-award winner Dann Huff. The new recording features several tracks co-written by Brown including his current single, "Lose It," which was singled out by the New York Times as "urgent and saucy … broad-spectrum ecstasy" and continues to gain momentum as a Top 20-and-climbing hit on Billboard and Mediabase country airplay charts and Nielson's Country Core On-demand Audio and Video Streaming charts.
10 Summers and Interscope Records artist, Ella Mai, is searing her way up the charts, breaking long-held records with her RIAA certified double-platinum single, "Boo'd Up." The 23-year-old became the first woman since Beyoncé in 2012 to hit No. 1 on Billboard's Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay, Adult R&B Songs and R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay charts. With three EPs under her belt and her new single "Trip" climbing the charts, Ella Mai is now prepping her full-length debut album to be released this October. The breakout star will be joining the esteemed Bruno Mars on his 24K Magic World Tour beginning in October, after recently wrapping her sold-out headlining tour.
Best-known as one of the four members in the multiplatinum group Fifth Harmony, Normani explores a new musical direction on "Love Lies" with Khalid. Since its release, the "slow-burning R&B ballad" (The FADER) has been streamed over 500 million times while the song's official video has over 70 million views on YouTube. With over 375 million streams on Spotify alone, the song broke the Top 5 on the streaming platform's US (No. 2) and Global (No. 3) Viral Charts. Featured as Zane Lowe's World Record, "Love Lies" also went No. 2 on iTunes' R&B/Soul Top Songs chart and No. 9 on the Top Songs chart across all genres. "Love Lies" is currently No. 2 on Billboard's Pop Songs airplay chart and No. 11 on the Billboard Hot 100. Born in Atlanta, Normani grew up in New Orleans before moving to Houston at 9 years old with her family after Hurricane Katrina. Always excited about music, Normani began dancing at the age of 3 and grew up idolizing entertainers like Janet Jackson, Michael Jackson and Beyonce. Inspired by her love for pop and R&B, "Love Lies" offers a closer look to Normani's personal style as an artist and demonstrates her "smooth vocals" (Billboard) and "velvety range" (Vulture). Outside of the recording studio, Normani is the global ambassador to the American Cancer Society and works with A Place Called Home, lending her name and time to various events. She is also a diversity ambassador for The CyberSmile Foundation, a multi-award-winning anti-cyberbullying nonprofit organization.
Singer/songwriter Bebe Rexha has accumulated more than 12 million overall single sales, 6 billion total global streams and a radio audience of more than 10 billion. Her highly anticipated debut album, "Expectations," was released June 22 on Warner Bros. Records and features her newest chart-climbing single, "I'm a Mess," as well as Bebe's lead single, the global No. 1 record-breaking smash "Meant To Be" with Florida Georgia Line. Bebe, whom Billboard calls "one of the most daring artists of 2017," burst onto the scene in 2013 when she penned the song "Monster," which became a worldwide hit for Eminem and Rihanna, and went RIAA 6x platinum stateside. Since then, Bebe co-wrote and carried the instantly recognizable hook for the 3x platinum "Hey Mama," by David Guetta, Nicki Minaj and Afrojack, which was nominated for a Billboard Music Award for Top Dance/Electronic Song. She also hit No. 1 both on the Billboard Pop Songs and Hot Rap Songs charts with her platinum-selling smash single, "Me, Myself & I" with G-Eazy. Her single, "I Got You" has more than 244 million views and "No Broken Hearts," featuring Nicki Minaj, has more than 241 million views; she is featured on Martin Garrix's single, "In The Name of Love," which has amassed more than 332 million views. Bebe released her second EP, "All Your Fault: Part 1," and the follow-up, "All Your Fault: Part 2," last year to rave reviews.
American Music Awards nominees are based on key fan interactions as reflected on Billboard.com, including streaming, album and digital song sales, radio airplay, social activity and touring. These measurements are tracked by Billboard and its data partners, including Nielsen Music and Next Big Sound, and reflect the time period of Sept. 15, 2017, through Aug. 9, 2018.
