It’s almost time for the 2019 Billboard Music Awards! Kelly Clarkson, who is hosting the award show for the second year in a row, announced a few of this year’s nominees along with Dan + Shay during Thursday’s episode of ‘Today’. So, how are the nominees selected? Well, there are a lot of factors. According to Billboard, the finalists are determined based on key interactions with fans, album and digital song sales, radio airplay, streaming, touring and social engagement. Of course, performance on the Billboard Charts plays a role, too. This year, the awards are based on a chart period from March 23, 2018 to March 7, 2019. While fans will have to wait until the big night to find out who takes home a trophy, they will not be kept in suspense for too long. The 2019 Billboard Music Awards will be broadcast from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on May 1 starting at 8pm. Courtesy e! news NOMINEES Top Female Artist Ariana Grande Cardi B Ella Mai Halsey Taylor Swift Top Male Artist Drake Ed Sheeran Post Malone Travis Scott XXXTentaction Top Artist Cardi B Drake Ariana Grande Post Malone Travis Scott Top Hot 100 Song “I Like It,” Cardi B, Bad Bunny & J Balvin “Lucid Dreams,” Juice Wrld “Girls Like You,” Maroon 5 featuring Cardi B “Better Now,” Post Malone “Sicko Mode,” Travis Scott Top Duo & Group BTS Imagine Dragons Maroon 5 Panic! At the Disco Dan + Shay Top New Artist Bazzi Juice Wrld Lil Baby Dua Lipa Ella Mai Top 100 Artist Cardi B Drake Ariana Grande Juice Wrld Post Malone Top Collaboration Cardi B, Bad Bunny & J Balvin, “I Like It” Khalid & Normani, “Love Lies” Maroon 5 featuring Cardi B, “Girls Like You” Marshmello & Bastille, “Happier” Post Malone featuring Ty Dolla Sign, “Psycho” Top Hot 100 Artist Cardi B Drake Ariana Grande Juice Wrld Post Malone Top Selling Song “I Like It,” Cardi B, Bad Bunny & J Balvin “In My Feelings,” Drake “Without Me,” Halsey “Shallow,” Lady Gaga & Bradley Cooper “Girls Like You,” Maroon 5 featuring Cardi B Top Social Artist BTS EXO GOT7 Ariana Grande Louis Tomlinson Billboard Chart Achievement Award Dan + Shay Drake Ariana Grande Lady Gaga & Bradley Cooper Dua Lipa Top Rap Artist Cardi B Drake Juice Wrld Post Malone Travis Scott Top Male Rap Artist Drake Post Malone Travis Scott Top Female Rap Artist Cardi B City Girls Nicki Minaj Top R&B Tour Beyoncé & Jay-Z Childish Gambino Bruno Mars Top R&B Female Artist H.E.R. Ella Mai Queen Naija Top R&B Male Artist Khalid The Weeknd XXXTentacion Top R&B Artist H.E.R. Khalid Ella Mai The Weeknd XXXTentacion Top Rap Tour Beyoncé & Jay-Z Drake Travis Scott Top Touring Artist Beyoncé & Jay-Z Bruno Mars Ed Sheeran Taylor Swift Justin Timberlake Top Radio Songs Artist Cardi B Drake Ariana Grande Maroon 5 Post Malone Top Streaming Songs Artist Cardi B Drake Ariana Grande Post Malone XXXTentatacion Top Songs Sales Artist Drake Ariana Grande Imagine Dragons Lady Gaga Post Malone Top Billboard 200 Artist Drake Ariana Grande Post Malone Travis Scott XXXTentacion 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 21 Pilots Top Rock Tour Elton John 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 Billboard 200 Album Cardi B, ‘Invasion of Privacy’ Drake, ‘Scorpion’ Post Malone, ‘Beerbongs & Bentleys’ Travis Scott, ‘AstroWorld’ Top Soundtrack ‘13 Reasons Why’: Season 2 ‘A Star Is Born’ ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ ‘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, ‘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 the Disco, ‘Pray for the Wicked’ 21 Pilots, ‘Trench’ Top Latin Album Anuel AA, ‘Real Hasta la Muerte’ Bad Bunny, ‘100PRE’ J Balvin, ‘Vibras’ Maulma, ‘F.A.M.E.’ Ozuna, ‘Aura’