Culture
Cardi B Leads In 2019 Billboard Music Award Nominations
Cardi B takes the lead in the 2019 Billboard Music Awards nominations, racking up 21 nominations in 18 categories including top artist, top female artist, top rap artist and top rap album.
Drake and Post Malone trail behind the Grammy Award winning artist, with each of them racking up 17 nominations. Travis Scott has earned 12 nominations, followed by the late XXXTentacion with 10, and Ariana Grande with nine.
Check out the nomination categories below.
ARTIST
Top Artist:
Cardi B
Drake
Ariana Grande
Post Malone
Travis Scott
Top New Artist:
Bazzi
Juice Wrld
Lil Baby
Dua Lipa
Ella Mai
Billboard Chart Achievement Award:
Dan + Shay
Drake
Ariana Grande
Lady Gaga & Bradley Cooper
Dua Lipa
Top Male Artist:
Drake
Post Malone
Travis Scott
Ed Sheeran
XXXTentacion
Top Female Artist:
Cardi B
Ariana Grande
Halsey
Ella Mai
Taylor Swift
Top Duo/Group:
BTS
Dan + Shay
Imagine Dragons
Maroon 5
Panic! At The Disco
Top Billboard 200 Artist:
Drake
Ariana Grande
Post Malone
Travis Scott
XXXTentacion
Top Hot 100 Artist:
Cardi B
Drake
Ariana Grande
Juice Wrld
Post Malone
Top Streaming Songs Artist:
Cardi B
Drake
Ariana Grande
Post Malone
XXXTentacion
Top Song Sales Artist:
Drake
Ariana Grande
Imagine Dragons
Lady Gaga
Post Malone
Top Radio Songs Artist:
Cardi B
Drake
Ariana Grande
Maroon 5
Post Malone
Top Social Artist:
BTS
EXO
GOT7
Ariana Grande
Louis Tomlinson
Top Touring Artist:
Beyoncé & JAY-Z
Bruno Mars
Ed Sheeran
Taylor Swift
Justin Timberlake
Top R&B Artist:
H.E.R.
Khalid
Ella Mai
The Weeknd
XXXTentacion
Top R&B Male Artist:
Khalid
The Weeknd
XXXTentacion
Top R&B Female Artist:
H.E.R.
Ella Mai
Queen Naija
Top R&B Tour:
Beyoncé & JAY-Z
Childish Gambino
Bruno Mars
Top Rap Artist:
Cardi B
Drake
Juice Wrld
Post Malone
Travis Scott
Top Rap Male Artist:
Drake
Post Malone
Travis Scott
Top Rap Female Artist:
Cardi B
City Girls
Nicki Minaj
Top Rap Tour:
Beyoncé & JAY-Z
Drake
Travis Scott
Top Country Artist:
Jason Aldean
Kane Brown
Luke Combs
Dan + Shay
Florida Georgia Line
Top Country Male Artist:
Jason Aldean
Kane Brown
Luke Combs
Top Country Female Artist:
Maren Morris
Kacey Musgraves
Carrie Underwood
Top Country Duo/Group:
Dan + Shay
Florida Georgia Line
Old Dominion
Top Country Tour:
Luke Bryan
Kenny Chesney
Shania Twain
Top Rock Artist:
Imagine Dragons
Lovelytheband
Panic! At The Disco
Queen
Twenty One Pilots
Top Rock Tour:
Elton John
The Rolling Stones
U2
Top Latin Artist:
Anuel AA
Bad Bunny
J Balvin
Ozuna
Romeo Santos
Top Dance/Electronic Artist:
Calvin Harris
Kygo
Marshmello
Odesza
The Chainsmokers
Top Christian Artist:
Cory Asbury
Lauren Daigle
For King & Country
Hillsong Worship
MercyMe
Top Gospel Artist:
Kirk Franklin
Koryn Hawthorne
Tori Kelly
Tasha Cobbs Leonard
Marvin Sapp
ALBUM AWARDS
Top Billboard 200 Album:
Cardi B “Invasion of Privacy”
Drake “Scorpion”
Post Malone “beerbongs & bentleys”
Travis Scott “ASTROWORLD”
XXXTentacion “?”
Top Soundtrack:
“13 Reasons Why: Season 2”
“A Star is Born” by Lady Gaga & Bradley Cooper
“Bohemian Rhapsody” by Queen
“Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse”
“The Greatest Showman”
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 Country Album:
Jason Aldean “Rearview Town”
Kane Brown “Kane Brown”
Luke Combs “This One’s For You”
Dan + Shay “Dan + Shay”
Carrie Underwood “Cry Pretty”
Top Rock Album:
Dave Matthews Band “Come Tomorrow”
Imagine Dragons “Origins”
Mumford & Sons “Delta”
Panic! At This Disco “Pray For The Wicked”
Twenty One Pilots “Trench”
Top Latin Album:
Anuel AA “Real Hasta la Muerte”
Bad Bunny “X 100PRE”
J Balvin “Vibras”
Maluma “F.A.M.E.”
Ozuna “Aura”
Top Dance/Electronic Album:
Clean Bandit “What Is Love?”
David Guetta “7”
Kygo “Kids in Love”
Major Lazer “Major Lazer Essentials”
The Chainsmokers “Sick Boy”
Top Christian Album:
Cory Asbury “Reckless Love”
Lauren Daigle “Look Up Child”
For King & Country “Burn The Ships”
Hillsong Worship “There Is More”
Zach Williams “Chain Breaker”
Top Gospel Album:
Snoop Dogg & Various Artists “Snoop Dogg Presents Bible of Love”
Aretha Franklin “Gospel Greats”
Koryn Hawthorne “Unstoppable”
Tori Kelly “Hiding Place”
Jonathan McReynolds “Make Room”
SONG AWARDS
Top Hot 100 Song:
Cardi B, Bad Bunny & J Balvin “I Like It”
Juice Wrld “Lucid Dreams”
Maroon 5 ft. Cardi B “Girls Like You”
Post Malone “Better Now”
Travis Scott “SICKO MODE”
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 ft. Cardi B “Girls Like You”
Travis Scott “SICKO MODE”
XXXTentacion “SAD!”
Top Selling Song:
Cardi B, Bad Bunny & J Balvin “I Like It”
Drake “In My Feelings”
Halsey “Without Me”
Lady Gaga & Bradley Cooper “Shallow”
Maroon 5 ft. Cardi B “Girls Like You”
Top Radio Song:
Khalid & Normani “Love Lies”
Maroon 5 ft. Cardi B “Girls Like You”
Post Malone “Better Now”
Bebe Rexha & Florida Georgia Line “Meant to Be”
Zedd, Maren Morris & Grey “The Middle”
Top Collaboration:
Cardi B, Bad Bunny & J Balvin “I Like It”
Khalid & Normani “Love Lies”
Maroon 5 ft. Cardi B “Girls Like You”
Marshmello & Bastille “Happier”
Post Malone ft. Ty Dolla $ign “Psycho”
Top R&B Song:
DJ Khaled ft. Justin Bieber, Chance The Rapper & Quavo “No Brainer”
Ella Mai “Boo’d Up”
Ella Mai “Trip”
Khalid “Better”
Lil Dicky ft. Chris Brown “Freaky Friday”
Top Rap Song:
Cardi B, Bad Bunny & J Balvin “I Like It”
Drake “In My Feelings”
Juice Wrld “Lucid Dreams”
Post Malone “Better Now”
Travis Scott “SICKO MODE”
Top Country Song:
Kane Brown “Heaven”
Luke Combs “She Got the Best of Me”
Dan + Shay “Speechless”
Dan + Shay “Tequila”
Bebe Rexha & Florida Georgia Line “Meant to Be”
Top Rock Song:
Foster The People “Sit Next to Me”
Imagine Dragons “Natural”
Imagine Dragons “Whatever It Takes”
Lovelytheband “broken”
Panic! At The Disco “High Hopes”
Top Latin Song:
Bad Bunny ft. Drake “Mia”
Daddy Yankee “Dura”
DJ Snake ft. Selena Gomez, Ozuna & Cardi B “Taki Taki”
Nicky Jam & J Balvin “X”
Casper Magico, Nio Garcia, Darell, Nicky Jam, Bad Bunny & Ozuna “Te Bote”
Top Dance/Electronic Song:
DJ Snake ft. Selena Gomez, Ozuna & Cardi B “Taki Taki”
Calvin Harris & Dua Lipa “One Kiss”
Marshmello & Bastille “Happier”
Tiësto & Dzeko ft. Preme & Post Malone “Jackie Chan”
Zedd, Maren Morris & Grey “The Middle”
Top Christian Song:
Cory Asbury “Reckless Love”
Lauren Daigle “You Say”
For King & Country “joy.”
Hillsong Worship “Who You Say I Am”
Tauren Wells “Known”
Top Gospel Song:
Todd Dulaney “Your Great Name”
Koryn Hawthorne “Won’t He Do It”
Tori Kelly ft. Kirk Franklin “Never Alone”
Jason Nelson “Forever”
Brian Courtney Wilson “A Great Work”
Rihanna has crossed 200 million RIAA singles certifications in the United States, becoming the first Black vocalist and first female artist in the organization’s 73-year history to reach the milestone. Her total now stands at 200.5 million.
Two certification updates on April 10 pushed her over the mark. “Unfaithful,” track three on her 2006 album A Girl Like Me, was certified 4x Platinum in celebration of the album’s 20th anniversary. Her 2005 single “If It’s Lovin That You Want,” the second single from her debut album Music of the Sun, also crossed the 1x Platinum threshold more than two decades after its release. Platinum status represents one million equivalent units in the United States, with the RIAA counting 150 on-demand streams as the equivalent of one digital purchase.
Among all artists, she ranks third behind Drake at 277.5 million and Morgan Wallen at 215 million.
Rihanna hasn’t released an album since Anti in 2016. Catalog staples like “Umbrella,” “We Found Love,” “Only Girl (In the World),” and “Don’t Stop the Music” continue to accumulate certifications without new music driving them. Outside of her Super Bowl halftime show in 2023 and contributions to the Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and Smurfs soundtracks, she has released no new solo music in nearly a decade.
As previously reported by miixtapechiick.com, Rihanna was spotted in the studio at 2 a.m. earlier this year and told Harper’s Bazaar in 2025 that she had “cracked the code” on the direction for her next project.
J. Cole made his debut with the Nanjing Monkey Kings in the Chinese Basketball Association on Saturday night, finishing without a point in eight minutes off the bench as Nanjing lost 95-81 to the Guangzhou Loong Lions.
Cole went 0-for-5 from the field, with all five attempts coming from behind the three-point line. He finished with one rebound and one assist. Cole addressed the outing on his blog afterward, keeping it straightforward. “I got to play 8 minutes in one of the top leagues in the world, got a few good looks but wasn’t able to hit one,” he wrote. “A couple more games and maybe those shots would have started to fall! Either way I’m fulfilled and grateful! Sh*t, I feel like I dropped 20!!!”
He also explained why he only appeared in one game. “Initially I was scheduled to play in at least 3 games for the Nanjing Monkey Kings of the CBA. The work visa process took way longer than expected, so I was only able to play in one before heading back.”
Saturday’s game was Cole’s third time suiting up for a professional team. He played for the Rwanda Patriots in the Basketball Africa League in 2021 and the Scarborough Shooting Stars in Canada the following year.
Rihanna was spotted in Paris last week with her daughter Rocki Irish Mayers, marking one of the baby girl’s first public outings since her birth in September 2025. A$AP Rocky was also present, spending the day with their eldest son RZA. Their youngest son Riot did not appear in photos from the outing.
Rocki was dressed in a vintage Dior green-and-black John Galliano beanie from 2002, a gray pleated Dior dress layered over jeans and sneakers. Rihanna wore a Carhartt hat, a Prada striped polo shirt, and carried her “Dracula” Dior bag. Rocky and RZA were photographed walking hand in hand nearby, with RZA in a pink-striped tee and dark shades.
Rihanna announced Rocki’s birth on Instagram on September 24, 2025, posting a photo holding her newborn alongside pink silk baby boxing gloves. “Rocki Irish Mayers Sept 13 2025,” she captioned it. During the Smurfs premiere earlier this year, she spoke about her sons’ reaction to having a little sister. “I’ve always wanted a girl,” she said. “But God knows best, right? And I love my boys.”
Rihanna and Rocky welcomed RZA in May 2022, Riot Rose in 2023, and Rocki Irish in September 2025.
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