Ahead of tonight’s (May 23) Billboard Music Awards, Billboard has announced the winners from the non-televised categories. TV host Matthew Hoffman revealed the winners directly from the Billboard Music Awards’ Instagram Live.
Hoffman announced The Weeknd’s name seven times, as the Canadian crooner won in the following categories: Top Male Artist, Top Radio Songs Artist, Top R&B Artist, Top R&B Male Artist, Top R&B Song, Top R&B Album and Top Radio Song. It’s an impressive start for The Weeknd who is nominated for a whopping 16 awards this year. Several of the other categories he’s nominated in, including Top Selling Song and Top Billboard 200 Album, will be presented later tonight. Thankfully, fans will get to see Abel take the stage during the show regardless if he wins more awards since he’s slated to perform a medley of hits during the live broadcast.
The late Pop Smoke has also posthumously won several awards. Thus far, Pop has won Top New Artist, Top Rap Artist, Top Male Rap Artist and Top Rap Album for his debut Shoot for the Stars, Aim for the Moon. He’s nominated in a number of other categories, including the grand prize Top Artist category, which will also be announced during the show.
Drake nabbed two awards during the IG Live announcement special but his biggest honor will be the Artist of The Decade recognition he’s set to receive live.
While other awards shows allow committees to determine nominees, the Billboard Awards’ finalists are based on album and digital sales, streaming, radio airplay and social engagement. All of the nominees for the 51 categories are based on the chart period of March 21, 2020 through April 3, 2021. So, technically even some of the awards announced later tonight have been predetermined. Still, it’s worth tuning in to watch the winners accept their awards during the official ceremony.