It’s that time of year!

After being delayed due to the global health crisis, the Billboard Music Awards are back for its 2020 instalment. And today the much anticipated nominees were revealed.

Kelly Clarkson is back as BBMAs host and executive producer too.

Moments ago on the TODAY Show, the full list of finalists for the October 14 ceremony was unveiled.

In an interesting move, this year’s awards are based on the chart period of March 23, 2019 through March 14, 2020, set for the originally scheduled April 29, 2020 show.

See who’s up for what after the jump…

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Victoria Monet‘s no stranger to winning praise for writing hits for other artists (see: Ariana Grande’s ‘7 Rings’ and ‘Thank U, Next,’ Chloe x Halle‘s ‘Do It,’ and more), but on August 7 the multi-talented songstress launched her own work to Billboard battle (as we reported here).

Her long-awaited debut album, ‘Jaguar’ pounced onto record shelves as her first official body of work after delivering four EPs between 2014-2018.

Garnering critical acclaim for the LP’s three leading singles – ‘Ass Like That,’ ‘Moment,’ and the Khalid-assisted ‘Experience’ – look inside to see if the set was able to mirror that success commercially.

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Since setting sail as an independent artist last year, Tinashe has not only been releasing more music, she’s also been speaking up about her rocky tenure in the major label system.

In a new interview, she continues along said trajectory and elaborates on the hurdles she experienced trying to navigate an infrastructure that had a very different set of rules (and budgets) for music deemed Urban and music labeled Pop.

Now, in the wake of several labels committing to eradicate the term “Urban,” the singer is proposing a more holistic solution: bulldoze the idea of genres altogether.

Full story below…

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Alicia Keys has surprised fans by revealing that she was an original member of the group which would become 3LW.

Full story below…

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N.W.A.’s ‘F*ck the Police’ first appeared on the group’s debut studio album, 1988’s ‘Straight Outta Compton,’ as a mean to protest police brutality.

Over 30 years later, the song still serves as an anthem for protestors and detesters of racial injustice perpetuated at the hands of law enforcement.

As demonstrations and riots continue across the nation in the wake of the death of George Floyd, the tune’s been streamed at a rate nearly 4x higher than it was before.

Details inside:

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Those who thought Lil Wayne had put promotion of his latest album ‘Funeral’ to rest will be pleasantly surprised to see there are more tunes getting the visual treatment.

The latest launched from the LP are ‘Piano Trap’ and ‘Not Me.’

Doubling up by releasing one extended music video featuring both songs, the Ricky x Willis-directed visual sees Wayne showing off his skateboarding skills.  Taking to our friends at ‘Rolling Stone’ to discuss the creation of the clip, the 37-year-old said:

“I was happiest with the banger at the end! In Barcelona, the 180 to fake shuv! It was like 5 a.m. and those homies who was lit at the end were unknown to me!They were just out there kickin it,” he exclaimed. “And they literally didn’t bother me until I landed that shit! And it took me about an hour or two.”

See the action inside:

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While the music industry as a whole has reported a notable reduction in streaming as a result of the coronavirus pandemic’s enduring impact (click here to read), some of its acts are boasting the opposite.

Many U.S. cities – in an effort to reduce spread of the disease and encourage social distancing – have mandated their residents not only limit leaving their houses to “essential travel” (like grocery shopping and doctor’s), but also work from home when able.

The increase in companies participating in the trend oddly spiked renewed interest in the now defunct fivesome Fifth Harmony‘s 2016 hit, ‘Work From Home’ (found aboard their last album as a quintet, ‘7/27’).

More inside:

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Normani poured out a steady flow of hits last year and looks set to do the same in 2020, as she builds towards the release of her long-awaited debut solo album.

Speaking to Rolling Stone, she teased summer as a possible window for fresh material.

But it may be coming sooner, based on new studio footage.

Details below…

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SZA is not a happy camper.

Following the release of the Rolling Stone cover she shared with Normani and Megan Thee Stallion, the TDE songstress has declared that she is done with traditional methods of promotion. (more…)

With little warning, Hip Hop veteran Missy Elliott sent fans into a frenzy when she announced the release of her long-awaited project, ‘ICONOLOGY.’ 

Hitting digital shelves on August 23, the 5-song EP – her first body of work since 2005’s ‘The Cookbook’ LP – came as a celebrated reunion with longtime collaborator Timbaland and was also accompanied by a Dave Meyers-directed music video for its first single, ‘Throw It Back.’  Later promoted as part of a medley during her MTV VMA Video Vanguard performance (click here to watch), ‘Back’s first televised showing helped kick off a week of promo for the femcee which also featured radio and Web interviews.

Now, with its first official tracking week of sales in its rearview, Elliott – despite stiff competition from the likes of Taylor Swift and more – can see the fruit of her labor.  Look inside to find out where she landed on this week’s Billboard 200:

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Normani just wrapped a much praised guest stint on Ariana Grande‘s ‘Sweetener Tour.’ But their creative collaboration is continuing – and this time, it’s on record!

Details below…

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It’s just a great week to be Ed Sheeran.

The 28-year-0ld singer-songwriter, who is currently sitting atop the Billboard 200 with his fourth studio album, ‘No. 6 Collaborations Project,’ recently got news that he’s unseated Rock legends U2 for highest grossing tour of all time.

Details inside:

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