Los Angeles, April 5: After winning Top Female Rap Artist last year, rapper Cardi B is the leading contender at the 2019 Billboard Music Awards with 21 nominations. NBC and Dick Clark Productions on Thursday announced that the 26-year-old rapper is up for honours including Top Artist, Top Female Artist, Top Rap Artist, Top Selling Song and Top Rap Album, reports billboard.com. James Corden All Set to Host 2019 Tony Awards.

The "I like it" rapper is nominated 21 times in 18 categories -- just missing the record for most nominations set by Drake and The Chainsmokers, who each had 22 in 2017. Cardi B will compete against herself in three categories -- Top Hot 100 Song, Top Selling Song, and Top Collaboration. Following Cardi B, Drake and Post Malone each have 17 nominations. Travis Scott is up for 12 awards, and XXXTentacion is up for 10.

Among the other nominees are Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper -- who are up for the chart achievement award, top soundtrack for "A Star Is Born", and Top Selling song for "Shallow". Gaga is up separately for Top Song Sales Artist. For this year's ceremony, there are two fan-voted categories -- Top Social Artist, and Chart Achievement. American singer-songwriter Kelly Clarkson will host the award ceremony in Las Vegas on May 1. Cardi B Back on Instagram, Announces New Single with THIS Grammy Award Winning Artist.

Here are some of the nominations:

* 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 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 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"

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 05, 2019 04:03 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).