Nigerian superstars dominate newly-created American Music Awards Afrobeats category
The conversation was rather concise, because it was only a few weeks ago, at the Ghana-held Global Citizens Festival when the Recording Academy CEO, Harvey Mason Jr. revealed that the festival was consulting with relevant parties about the Grammys’ plan to carve out an Afrobeats category.
It seems that the American Music Awards has put this in place first, ahead of their next iteration next month and has has added new categories including one recognizing the ‘Afrobeats’ genre going global.
Among the nominations this year includes a talented spate of Afropop artists such as Wizkid, Burna Boy, Tems, CKay and Fireboy DML who were recognised by AMA under the “Favourite Afrobeats Artists,” category, which has inevitably spurred a lot of conversation over the past few days.
#AMAs Favorite Afrobeats Artist Nominees:
📣 @burnaboy
📣 @ckay_yo
📣 @fireboydml
📣 @temsbaby
📣 @wizkidayo pic.twitter.com/l2maRku9et— American Music Awards (@AMAs) October 13, 2022
As part of its 50th anniversary, the American Music Awards has added four new categories including Favorite K-Pop Artist, the first-ever AMA category dedicated to the K-Pop genre, Favorite Afrobeats Artist, Favorite Rock Song, and Favorite Rock Album, rounding out the Rock categories bringing the total to three in the genre.
The world’s largest fan-voted award show, the 2022 American Music Awards (AMAs), will air live on ABC from the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles on Sunday, November 20, 2022.
The AMAs celebrate the year’s top achievements in music determined by the fans, for the fans.
Below is the full list of nominees.
ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Adele
Bad Bunny
Beyoncé
Drake
Harry Styles
Taylor Swift
The Weeknd
NEW ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Dove Cameron
GAYLE
Latto
Måneskin
Steve Lacy
COLLABORATION OF THE YEAR
Carolina Gaitán, Mauro Castillo, Adassa, Rhenzy Feliz, Diane Guerrero, Stephanie Beatriz & Encanto Cast “We Don’t Talk About Bruno”
Elton John & Dua Lipa “Cold Heart – PNAU Remix”
Future ft. Drake & Tems “WAIT FOR U”
Lil Nas X ft. Jack Harlow “INDUSTRY BABY”
The Kid LAROI & Justin Bieber “STAY”
FAVORITE TOURING ARTIST
Bad Bunny
Coldplay
Ed Sheeran
Elton John
The Rolling Stones
FAVORITE MUSIC VIDEO
Adele “Easy On Me”
Bad Bunny ft. Chencho Corleone “Me Porto Bonito”
Harry Styles “As It Was”
Lil Nas X ft. Jack Harlow “INDUSTRY BABY”
Taylor Swift “All Too Well: The Short Film”
FAVORITE MALE POP ARTIST
Bad Bunny
Drake
Ed Sheeran
Harry Styles
The Weeknd
FAVORITE FEMALE POP ARTIST
Adele
Beyoncé
Doja Cat
Lizzo
Taylor Swift
FAVORITE POP DUO OR GROUP
BTS
Coldplay
Imagine Dragons
Måneskin
OneRepublic
FAVORITE POP ALBUM
Adele “30”
Bad Bunny “Un Verano Sin Ti”
Beyoncé “Renaissance”
Harry Styles “Harry’s House”
Taylor Swift “Red (Taylor’s Version)”
The Weeknd “Dawn FM”
FAVORITE POP SONG
Adele “Easy On Me”
Carolina Gaitán, Mauro Castillo, Adassa, Rhenzy Feliz, Diane Guerrero, Stephanie Beatriz & Encanto Cast “We Don’t Talk About Bruno”
Harry Styles “As It Was”
Lizzo “About Damn Time”
The Kid LAROI & Justin Bieber “STAY”
FAVORITE MALE COUNTRY ARTIST
Chris Stapleton
Cody Johnson
Luke Combs
Morgan Wallen
Walker Hayes
FAVORITE FEMALE COUNTRY ARTIST
Carrie Underwood
Lainey Wilson
Maren Morris
Miranda Lambert
Taylor Swift
FAVORITE COUNTRY DUO OR GROUP
Dan + Shay
Lady A
Old Dominion
Parmalee
Zac Brown Band
FAVORITE COUNTRY ALBUM
Carrie Underwood “Denim & Rhinestones”
Luke Combs “Growin’ Up”
Cody Johnson “Human: The Double Album”
Taylor Swift “Red (Taylor’s Version)”
Walker Hayes “Country Stuff: The Album”
FAVORITE COUNTRY SONG
Chris Stapleton “You Should Probably Leave”
Cody Johnson “’Til You Can’t”
Dustin Lynch ft. MacKenzie Porter “Thinking ‘Bout You”
Jordan Davis ft. Luke Bryan “Buy Dirt”
Morgan Wallen “Wasted on You”
FAVORITE MALE HIP-HOP ARTIST
Drake
Future
Kendrick Lamar
Lil Baby
Lil Durk
FAVORITE FEMALE HIP-HOP ARTIST
Cardi B
GloRilla
Latto
Megan Thee Stallion
Nicki Minaj
FAVORITE HIP-HOP ALBUM
Future “I NEVER LIKED YOU”
Gunna “DS4EVER”
Kendrick Lamar “Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers”
Lil Durk “7220”
Polo G “Hall of Fame 2.0”
FAVORITE HIP-HOP SONG
Future ft. Drake & Tems “WAIT FOR U”
Jack Harlow “First Class”
Kodak Black “Super Gremlin”
Latto “Big Energy”
Lil Nas X ft. Jack Harlow “INDUSTRY BABY”
FAVORITE MALE R&B ARTIST
Brent Faiyaz
Chris Brown
GIVĒON
Lucky Daye
The Weeknd
FAVORITE FEMALE R&B ARTIST
Beyoncé
Doja Cat
Muni Long
Summer Walker
SZA
FAVORITE R&B ALBUM
Beyoncé “Renaissance”
Drake “Honestly, Nevermind”
Silk Sonic (Bruno Mars & Anderson .Paak) “An Evening with Silk Sonic”
Summer Walker “Still Over It”
The Weeknd “Dawn FM”
FAVORITE R&B SONG
Beyoncé “BREAK MY SOUL”
Muni Long “Hrs And Hrs”
Silk Sonic (Bruno Mars & Anderson .Paak) “Smokin Out The Window”
SZA “I Hate U”
Wizkid ft. Tems “Essence”
FAVORITE MALE LATIN ARTIST
Bad Bunny
Farruko
J Balvin
Jhayco
Rauw Alejandro
FAVORITE FEMALE LATIN ARTIST
Anitta
Becky G
Kali Uchis
KAROL G
ROSALÍA
FAVORITE LATIN DUO OR GROUP
Banda MS de Sergio Lizárraga
Calibre 50
Eslabon Armado
Grupo Firme
Yahritza Y Su Esencia
FAVORITE LATIN ALBUM
Bad Bunny “Un Verano Sin Ti”
Farruko “La 167”
J Balvin “JOSE”
Rauw Alejandro “Vice Versa”
ROSALÍA “MOTOMAMI”
FAVORITE LATIN SONG
Bad Bunny ft. Chencho Corleone “Me Porto Bonito”
Becky G x KAROL G “MAMIII”
KAROL G “PROVENZA”
Rauw Alejandro “Todo de Ti”
Sebastián Yatra “Dos Oruguitas”
FAVORITE ROCK ARTIST
Imagine Dragons
Machine Gun Kelly
Måneskin
Red Hot Chili Peppers
The Lumineers
FAVORITE ROCK SONG **New**
Foo Fighters “Love Dies Young”
Imagine Dragons x JID “Enemy”
Kate Bush “Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God)”
Måneskin “Beggin’”
Red Hot Chili Peppers “Black Summer”
FAVORITE ROCK ALBUM **New**
Coldplay “Music of the Spheres”
Ghost “Impera”
Imagine Dragons “Mercury – Act 1”
Machine Gun Kelly “mainstream sellout”
Red Hot Chili Peppers “Unlimited Love”
FAVORITE INSPIRATIONAL ARTIST
Anne Wilson
for KING & COUNTRY
Katy Nichole
Matthew West
Phil Wickham
FAVORITE GOSPEL ARTIST
CeCe Winans
DOE
Dewey Smith
Maverick City Music
Tamela Mann
FAVORITE DANCE/ELECTRONIC ARTIST
Diplo
Marshmello
Swedish House Mafia
The Chainsmokers
Tiësto
FAVORITE SOUNDTRACK
“ELVIS”
“Encanto”
“Sing 2”
“Stranger Things: Soundtrack from the Netflix Series, Season 4”
“Top Gun: Maverick”
FAVOURITE K-POP ARTIST **New**
BLACKPINK
BTS
SEVENTEEN
TOMORROW X TOGETHER
TWICE