Entertainment

Cardi B and Drake lead the way in American Music Awards nominations

The ceremony takes place in October.
The ceremony takes place in October. The ceremony takes place in October.

Cardi B and Drake lead the way in nominations for the American Music Awards.

This year’s ceremony, where awards are voted for by fans, will be held in October and the nominations were announced at an event in Los Angeles on Wednesday.

Cardi B is up for eight awards, including new artist and favourite music video. She is level with Drake, whose nods include the video of the year.

Cardi B AMAs
Cardi B AMAs Cardi B has been nominated in this year’s American Music Awards (Danny Lawson/PA)

Post Malone is up for six, level with Ed Sheeran.

Drake, Imagine Dragons, Malone, Sheeran and Taylor Swift will go head-to-head for the coveted artist of the year prize.

Swift, who is nominated in four categories for her album Reputation, has won 19 AMAs and could overhaul Whitney Houston’s career haul of 21.

K-pop superstars BTS are nominated in the favourite social artist category, becoming the first Korean group to receive a nomination at the AMAs.

The rapper XXXTentacion, who was shot dead aged 20 in June, received two posthumous nominations, one for favourite album in the R&B/Soul category and another for best new artist.

British star Ella Mai is up against Rihanna and SZA in the favourite female artist in the soul and R&B category.

The American Music Awards were created by Dick Clark in 1973, with the first ceremony held a year later.

The AMAs, hosted by Tracee Ellis Ross, will take place on October 9.