BILLBOARD ANNOUNCES FINALISTS FOR THE 2011 BILLBOARD MUSIC AWARDS

Rihanna Takes the Lead as a Contender in 18 Award Categories

Billboard released the finalists for the 2011 Billboard Music Awards today at a press conference in Las Vegas. The winners will be announced on "The 2011 Billboard Music Awards" telecast, airing live SUNDAY, MAY 22 (8:00-11:00 p.m., ET,PT) on the ABC Television Network. 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 a finalist in 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 46 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 to billboard@brandlinkcommunications.com. For 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)

About Billboard

Now in its 117th year, Billboard is the world's premier music brand consisting of Billboard magazine, Billboard Events, Billboard Bulletin, Billboard.biz and Billboard.com�the online destination of choice for millions of music fans. The Billboard brand is built on its exclusive charts and unrivaled reporting on the latest news, issues and trends across all genres of music. Most recently, Billboard launched the new Uncharted ranking of undiscovered artists, tracking their rising popularity across the Internet. Billboard reaches tens of millions of consumers daily through many strategic relationships with major companies including Reuters, SanDisk, Telemundo, Microsoft Zune, Napster, GTech, Motorola, AT&T, Sony Music Entertainment and Amazon. These relationships leverage Billboard's brand recognition, proprietary chart data and information resources to develop products, live events and print, television, radio, digital and mobile platforms. Billboard produces conferences year-round with programming to address music's role in media and entertainment, including music showcases and awards shows to spotlight talent. In addition to North America, Billboard operates businesses in Brazil, Greece, Japan, Korea and Russia.

Billboard is owned by Prometheus Global Media, a diversified company with leading assets in the media and entertainment arenas, including: Music (Billboard and its related conferences and events, including The Billboard Latin Music Awards), Entertainment (The Hollywood Reporter, Backstage, ShowEast, Cineasia, and CineEurope); and Advertising & Marketing (Adweek, Adweek Conferences and The CLIO Awards

About Chevrolet

Founded in Detroit in 1911, Chevrolet celebrates its centennial as a global automotive brand with annual sales of about 4.25 million vehicles in more than 130 countries. Chevrolet provides consumers with fuel-efficient, safe and reliable vehicles that deliver high quality, expressive design, spirited performance and value. The Chevrolet portfolio includes iconic performance cars such as Corvette and Camaro; dependable, long-lasting pickups and SUVs such as Silverado and Suburban; and award-winning passenger cars and crossovers such as Spark, Cruze, Malibu, Equinox and Traverse. Chevrolet also offers "gas-friendly to gas-free" solutions including Cruze Eco and Volt. Cruze Eco offers 42 mpg highway while Volt offers 35 miles of electric, gasoline-free driving and an additional 344 miles of extended range. Most new Chevrolet models offer OnStar safety, security and convenience technologies including OnStar Hands-Free Calling, Automatic Crash Response and Stolen Vehicle Slowdown. More information regarding Chevrolet models can be found at www.chevrolet.com.

About The LVCVA

The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) is charged with marketing Southern Nevada as a tourism and convention destination worldwide, and also with operating the Las Vegas Convention Center and Cashman Center. With approximately 149,000 hotel rooms in Las Vegas alone and more than 10.5 million square feet of meeting and exhibit space citywide, the LVCVA mission centers on attracting ever-increasing numbers of leisure and business visitors to the area. For more information, go to www.lvcva.com or www.VisitLasVegas.com.

About the MGM Grand Garden Arena

The MGM Grand Garden Arena is home to concerts, championship boxing and premier sporting and special events. The Arena offers comfortable seating for as many as 16,800 with excellent sightlines and state-of-the-art acoustics, lighting and sound. Prominent events to date have included world championship fights between Evander Holyfield and Mike Tyson as well as Oscar de la Hoya vs. Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao vs. Miguel Cotto; and concerts by The Rolling Stones, Madonna, Elton John, Bruce Springsteen, Paul McCartney, Bette Midler, George Strait, Janet Jackson, Phil Collins, Billy Joel, U2, �N Sync, Sting, Coldplay, Alicia Keys, Lady Gaga, Jimmy Buffett and the Barbra Streisand Millennium Concert. The MGM Grand Garden Arena also is home to the annual Academy of Country Music Awards and the Frozen Fury NHL pre-season game which features the Los Angeles Kings vs. Colorado Avalanche.

About Don Mischer Productions

Don Mischer is an internationally acclaimed producer and director of television and live events. He has been honored with fifteen Emmy Awards, a record ten Directors Guild of America Awards for Outstanding Directorial Achievement, two NAACP Image Awards, a Peabody Award for excellence in broadcasting and more. Don Mischer Productions credits range from We Are One: The Obama Inaugural Celebration at the Lincoln Memorial and the 100th Anniversary of Carnegie Hall; to the Super Bowl Halftime Shows (Prince, The Rolling Stones, Paul McCartney and Bruce Springsteen), and the Opening Ceremonies of both the Winter and Summer Olympic Games to name a few.