Music's official popularity contest, better known as The Billboard Award, has officially unveiled their lineup of nominations. Unsurprisingly, many of the year's streaming giants are present and accounted for, with Drake, Post Malone, Cardi B, and Travis Scott cleaning up in a variety of departments. And while he may no longer be with us, XXXTentacion's presence remains felt, with the late Floridian having secured an impressive ten nominations for his ? album.
Receiving nods in the Top Male Artist, Top Billboard 200 Artist and Top Streaming Songs Artist categories (among others), X's posthumous success is a reminder of his significant impact, despite his relatively short-lived career. Along with X, Cardi, Drake, Posty, and Travis Scott held it down for the hip-hop cause, as they made up an exclusive committee of the year's most popular streaming artists. Check out some of the pertinent nominations below, and take a moment to examine the current state of mainstream hip-hop. Do you feel like the game is in a good place? Sound off below.
Top Male Artist:
Drake
Post Malone
Travis Scott
Ed Sheeran
XXXTentacion
Top Billboard 200 Artist:
Drake
Ariana Grande
Post Malone
Travis Scott
XXXTentacion
Top Streaming Songs Artist:
Cardi B
Drake
Ariana Grande
Post Malone
XXXTentacion
Top R&B Artist:
H.E.R.
Khalid
Ella Mai
The Weeknd
XXXTentacion
Top R&B Male Artist:
Khalid
The Weeknd
XXXTentacion
ALBUM AWARDS
Top Billboard 200 Album:
Cardi B - Invasion of Privacy
Drake - Scorpion
Post Malone - Beerbongs & Bentleys
Travis Scott - Astroworld
XXXTentacion - ?
Top R&B Album:
Ella Mai - Ella Mai
H.E.R. - H.E.R.
Khalid - American Teen
The Weeknd - My Dear Melancholy
XXXTentacion - 17
Top Rap Album:
Cardi B - Invasion of Privacy
Drake - Scorpion
Post Malone - Beerbongs & Bentleys
Travis Scott - Astroworld
XXXTentacion - ?
Top Streaming Song (Audio):
Cardi B, Bad Bunny & J Balvin - "I Like It"
Juice Wrld - "Lucid Dreams"
Post Malone - "Better Now"
Travis Scott - "Sicko Mode"
XXXTentacion - "Sad!"
Top Streaming Song (Video):
Drake - “In My Feelings”
Juice Wrld - “Lucid Dreams”
Maroon 5 (Featuring Cardi B) - “Girls Like You”
Travis Scott - "Sicko Mode"
XXXTentacion - "Sad!"