FINALISTS ANNOUNCED FOR "THE 2013 BILLBOARD MUSIC AWARDS," AIRING LIVE FROM LAS VEGAS, SUNDAY, MAY 19 ON ABC

Taylor Swift, fun. and Maroon 5 Tie for the Lead as Contenders in 11 Award Categories, Followed by Rihanna, Carly Rae Jepsen and One Direction

Billboard announced today the highly anticipated 2013 Billboard Music Awards finalists, following the year-long tracking period of March 12, 2012 to March 10, 2013, including such names as Taylor Swift, fun., Maroon 5 and One Direction. Winners will be revealed on "The 2013 Billboard Music Awards" airing live from Las Vegas at the MGM Grand Garden Arena SUNDAY, MAY 19 (8:00-11:00 p.m., ET) on the ABC Television Network, sponsored by Chevrolet, Las Vegas and Samsung GALAXY S 4. The star-studded broadcast will be hosted by actor/comedian Tracy Morgan and executive-produced by Don Mischer. Visit www.billboard.com for information and updates.

Taylor Swift, fun. and Maroon 5 tie for the lead with nods in 11 award categories, followed by Rihanna and Carly Rae Jepsen as finalists in 10 and 9 categories, respectively. One Direction is the finalist with the next-highest count, with spots in an impressive 8 categories. Out of their 11 categories, the three leaders will all compete for Top Hot 100 Artist and Top Digital Songs Artist. Maroon 5 and fun. will also vie for Top Duo/Group, Top Radio Songs Artist, Top Hot 100 Song and Top Digital Song. Maroon 5 and Taylor Swift will compete for Top Artist, while fun. and Taylor Swift are both finalists for Top Streaming Song (Video).

Rihanna is a strong contender as a finalist in 10 categories, including Top Artist, Top Female Artist, Top Hot 100 Artist, Top Radio Songs Artist, Top Streaming Artist, Top R&B Artist, Album and Song, as well as Top Dance Song. Carly Rae Jepsen's breakout hit, "Call Me Maybe," earned her a finalist position in 6 separate song categories, including Top Hot 100 Song, Top Digital Song, Top Radio Song, Top Streaming Song (Video) and Top Pop Song.

Debuting for the first time this year, the Billboard Music Awards will also feature new EDM categories due to the overwhelming popularity of this genre, which will spotlight top electronic dance music artists, albums and songs.

Billboard Music Awards finalists were based on key fan interactions with music, including album and digital singles sales, radio airplay, touring, streaming and social interactions on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, VEVO, Spotify and other popular online destinations for music. These measurements were tracked year-round by Billboard and its data partners, including Nielsen Entertainment and Next Big Sound.

Additionally during the broadcast, Billboard will honor Prince with the coveted Billboard Icon Award, and the ingenuity of this year's hitmakers will be celebrated with the new Milestone Award, presented by Chevrolet. Fans can vote for their favorite finalist now at Billboard.com/milestone.

Billboard Music Awards tickets are on sale now, priced beginning at $75 for Upper Level and not including applicable service charges and taxes. Tickets are available at all Las Vegas Ticketmaster locations (select Smith's Food and Drug Centers and Ritmo Latino). Ticket sales are limited to four (4) per person. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000. Tickets also are available for purchase at www.mgmgrand.com or www.ticketmaster.com.

The finalists for the 2013 Billboard Music Awards are:

ARTIST AWARDS:

Top Artist:
Justin Bieber
Maroon 5
One Direction
Rihanna
Taylor Swift

Top New Artist:
Carly Rae Jepsen
Gotye
One Direction
PSY
The Lumineers

Top Male Artist:
Bruno Mars
Drake
Flo Rida
Jason Aldean
Justin Bieber

Top Female Artist:
Adele
Carly Rae Jepsen
Nicki Minaj
Rihanna
Taylor Swift

Top Duo/Group:
Coldplay
fun.
Maroon 5
Mumford & Sons
One Direction

Top Billboard 200 Artist:
Adele
Justin Bieber
Mumford & Sons
One Direction
Taylor Swift

Top Hot 100 Artist:
Flo Rida
fun.
Maroon 5
Rihanna
Taylor Swift

Top Digital Songs Artist:
Carly Rae Jepsen
Flo Rida
fun.
Maroon 5
Taylor Swift

Top Radio Songs Artist:
Flo Rida
fun.
Maroon 5
Nicki Minaj
Rihanna

Top Touring Artist:
Bruce Springsteen
Coldplay
Lady Gaga
Madonna
Roger Waters

Top Social Artist:
Justin Bieber
Katy Perry
One Direction
Rihanna
Taylor Swift

Top Streaming Artist:
Baauer
Drake
Nicki Minaj
PSY
Rihanna

Top Pop Artist:
Adele
Bruno Mars
Justin Bieber
Maroon 5
One Direction

Top R&B Artist:
Alicia Keys
Chris Brown
Ne-Yo
Rihanna
Usher

Top Rap Artist:
Drake
Flo Rida
Nicki Minaj
Pitbull
PSY

Top Country Artist:
Carrie Underwood
Hunter Hayes
Jason Aldean
Luke Bryan
Taylor Swift

Top Rock Artist:
Bruce Springsteen
Coldplay
fun.
Gotye
Mumford & Sons

Top Latin Artist:
Don Omar
Jenni Rivera
Prince Royce
Romeo Santos
Shakira

Top Dance Artist:
Calvin Harris
David Guetta
Madonna
Skrillex
Swedish House Mafia

Top EDM Artist:
Calvin Harris
David Guetta
deadmau5
Skrillex
Swedish House Mafia

Top Christian Artist:
Casting Crowns
Chris Tomlin
Matt Redman
MercyMe
tobyMac

ALBUM AWARDS:

Top Billboard 200 Album:
Adele "21"
Mumford & Sons "Babel"
One Direction "Take Me Home"
One Direction "Up All Night"
Taylor Swift "Red"

Top Pop Album:
Adele "21"
Justin Bieber "Believe"
Maroon 5 "Overexposed"
One Direction "Take Me Home"
One Direction "Up All Night"

Top R&B Album:
Alicia Keys "Girl On Fire"
Chris Brown "Fortune"
Frank Ocean "Channel Orange"
Rihanna "Unapologetic"
Usher "Looking 4 Myself"

Top Rap Album:
2 Chainz "Based On A T.R.U. Story"
Kendrick Lamar "Good Kid, M.A.A.D. City"
Macklemore & Ryan Lewis "The Heist"
Nicki Minaj "Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded"
Rick Ross "God Forgives, I Don't"

Top Country Album:
Carrie Underwood "Blown Away"
Jason Aldean "Night Train"
Lionel Richie "Tuskegee"
Luke Bryan "Tailgates & Tanlines"
Taylor Swift "Red"

Top Rock Album:
fun. "Some Nights
Mumford & Sons "Babel"
Of Monsters And Men "My Head Is An Animal"
Phillip Phillips "The World From The Side of the Moon"
The Lumineers "The Lumineers"

Top Latin Album:
Jenni Rivera "Joyas Prestadas: Banda"
Jenni Rivera "Joyas Prestadas: Pop"
Jenni Rivera "La Misma Gran Senora"
Prince Royce "Phase II"
Romeo Santos "Formula: Vol. 1"

Top Dance Album:
David Guetta "Nothing But The Beat"
deadmau5 "Album Title Goes Here"
LMFAO "Sorry For Party Rocking"
Madonna "MDNA"
Skrillex "Bangarang"

Top EDM Album:
David Guetta "Nothing But The Beat"
deadmau5 "Album Title Goes Here"
Skrillex "Bangarang"
Skrillex "Scary Monsters And Nice Sprites"
Swedish House Mafia "Until Now"

Top Christian Album:
Casting Crowns "Come To The Well"
Lecrae "Gravity"
MercyMe "The Hurt & The Healer"
tobyMac "Eye On It"
Various Artists "Wow Hits 2013"

SONG AWARDS:

Top Hot 100 Song:
Carly Rae Jepsen "Call Me Maybe"
fun. "Some Nights"
Gotye Featuring Kimbra "Somebody That I Used To Know"
Maroon 5 "One More Night"
Maroon 5 Featuring Wiz Khalifa "Payphone"

Top Digital Song:
Carly Rae Jepsen "Call Me Maybe"
fun. Featuring Janelle Monae "We Are Young"
Gotye Featuring Kimbra "Somebody That I Used To Know"
Macklemore & Ryan Lewis Featuring Wanz "Thrift Shop"
Maroon 5 Featuring Wiz Khalifa "Payphone"

Top Radio Song:
Bruno Mars "Locked Out Of Heaven"
Carly Rae Jepsen "Call Me Maybe"
Gotye Featuring Kimbra "Somebody That I Used To Know"
Maroon 5 "One More Night"
Maroon 5 Featuring Wiz Khalifa "Payphone"

Top Streaming Song (Audio):
Carly Rae Jepsen "Call Me Maybe"
Ellie Goulding "Lights"
fun. "Some Nights"
fun. Featuring Janelle Monae "We Are Young"
Gotye Featuring Kimbra "Somebody That I Used To Know"

Top Streaming Song (Video):
Carly Rae Jepsen "Call Me Maybe"
fun. Featuring Janelle Monae "We Are Young"
Macklemore & Ryan Lewis Featuring Wanz "Thrift Shop"
PSY "Gangnam Style"
Taylor Swift "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together"

Top Pop Song:
Bruno Mars "Locked Out Of Heaven"
Carly Rae Jepsen "Call Me Maybe"
Ellie Goulding "Lights"
Maroon 5 "One More Night"
Maroon 5 Featuring Wiz Khalifa "Payphone"

Top R&B Song:
Alicia Keys Featuring Nicki Minaj "Girl On Fire"
Frank Ocean "Thinking Bout You"
Miguel "Adorn"
Rihanna "Diamonds"
Trey Songz "Heart Attack"

Top Rap Song:
Flo Rida "Whistle"
Flo Rida Featuring Sia "Wild Ones"
Kanye West, Big Sean, Pusha T, 2 Chainz "Mercy"
Macklemore & Ryan Lewis Featuring Wanz "Thrift Shop"
PSY "Gangnam Style"

Top Country Song:
Eric Church "Springsteen"
Florida Georgia Line "Cruise"
Hunter Hayes "Wanted"
Luke Bryan "Drunk On You"
Taylor Swift "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together"

Top Rock Song:
fun. "Some Nights"
fun. Featuring Janelle Monae "We Are Young"
Gotye Featuring Kimbra "Somebody That I Used To Know"
Phillip Phillips "Home"
The Lumineers "Ho Hey"

Top Latin Song:
Don Omar "Hasta Que Salga El Sol"
Don Omar Featuring Natty Natasha "Dutty Love"
Juan Magan Featuring Pitbull & El Cata "Bailando Por El Mundo"
Michel Telo "Ai Se Eu Te Pego"
Wisin & Yandel Featuring Chris Brown & T-Pain "Algo Me Gusta De Ti"

Top Dance Song:
Baauer "Harlem Shake"
David Guetta Featuring Sia "Titanium"
Nicki Minaj "Starships"
PSY "Gangnam Style"
Rihanna "Where Have You Been"

Top EDM Song:
Baauer "Harlem Shake"
Calvin Harris "Feel So Close"
Calvin Harris Featuring Florence Welch "Sweet Nothing"
David Guetta Featuring Sia "Titanium"
Swedish House Mafia Featuring John Martin "Don't You Worry Child"

Top Christian Song:
Big Daddy Weave "Redeemed"
Building 429 "Where I Belong"
Matt Redman "10,000 Reasons (Bless The Lord)"
newsboys "God's Not Dead (Like A Lion)"
tobyMac "Me Without You"

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About Don Mischer Productions

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