SBS On Demand will be the Australian home of the 2021 Billboard Music Awards next week, streaming live and exclusive from Los Angeles at 10am AEST on Monday 24 May.
Celebrating great musical achievements, finalists for this year’s awards include artists such as Taylor Swift, Drake, Miley Cyrus and Lady Gaga. Multi-platform recording artist Nick Jonas is set to host.
Singer/songwriter The Weeknd leads the nominations, with 16 nods. Following The Weeknd is DaBaby with 11 nominations, and Pop Smoke – who was shot and killed in a home robbery in February 2020 – is a finalist in 10 categories.
Drake, who holds the record for the most Billboard Music Awards with 27, will receive the prestigious Artist of the Decade Award at next week’s event. During the 2010s, Drake had the most chart-topping albums with a grand total of nine, and 33 top 10 singles on the Billboard Hot 100.
Drake
P!nk will receive the distinguished ICON award. At 41 years old, she is the youngest recipient of the award.
“As a little girl, I always dreamed about being a singer and sharing my love of music with the world,” P!nk told People magazine.
“Years later, to receive the Billboard Music Awards Icon Award is hard to fathom!”
“I feel so honoured to join the ranks of music idols like Cher, Garth Brooks, Janet Jackson and Stevie Wonder,” she added. “It’s a true ‘pinch me’ moment and I feel humbled and blessed.”
Billboard Music Awards finalists and winners are based on key fan interactions with music, including audio and video streaming, album and digital song sales, radio airplay, and social engagement. This year’s awards are based on the chart period of March 21, 2020 through April 3, 2021.
The Awards will be available on SBS On Demand after broadcast.
The 2021 Billboard Music Awards air live from 10am AEST Monday 24 May, and feature performances from BTS, The Weeknd, Duran Duran, and P!nk