Drake and Cardi B lead American Music Awards with 8 nominations each

New York — Rap has easily dominated the pop charts and on streaming services in the last few years, and that's reflected at the 2018 American Music Awards.

Drake and Cardi B are the leaders with eight nominations each — earning bids in both the pop/rock and rap/hip-hop categories.

Drake has the year's top-selling album with Scorpion and also scored three No. 1 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. He will compete for artist of the year alongside Taylor Swift, Ed Sheeran, Imagine Dragons and Post Malone.

In the rap/hip-hop and pop/rock categories, Drake earned nominations for favourite male artist, favourite album and favourite song with God's Plan.

Rapper-singer XXXTentacion, a streaming juggernaut before his death in June and afterward, earned nominations for new artist of the year and favorite soul/R&B album for his 2017 debut, 17.

Rihanna, who has barely released music since Anti dropped in 2016, picked up a nomination for favourite soul/R&B female artist alongside SZA and Boo'd Up newcomer Ella Mai, while Cardi B's Invasion of Privacy was surprisingly shut of the favourite rap/hip-hop album category.

Cardi B's collaboration with Bruno Mars, the remix of Finesse, earned two nominations and the rapper also earned nods for favourite social artist and favourite music video.

Sheeran and Malone each earned six nominations, while Camila Cabello is up for five honours. The fan-voted AMAs will air live 9 October from the Microsoft Theatre in Los Angeles.

SEE THE FULL LIST OF NOMINEES HERE:

Artist of the Year

Drake
Imagine Dragons
Post Malone
Ed Sheeran
Taylor Swift

New Artist of the Year presented by Capital One Savor Card

Camila Cabello
Cardi B
Khalid
Dua Lipa
XXXTENTACION

Collaboration of the Year

Camila Cabello ft. Young Thug “Havana”
Post Malone ft. 21 Savage “Rockstar”
Bruno Mars & Cardi B “Finesse”?
Bebe Rexha & Florida Georgia Line “Meant To Be”
Zedd, Maren Morris & Grey “The Middle”

Tour of the Year

Beyoncé & JAY-Z
Bruno Mars
Ed Sheeran
Taylor Swift
U2

Favourite Music Video

Camila Cabello ft. Young Thug “Havana”
Cardi B “Bodak Yellow (Money Moves)”
Drake “God’s Plan”

Favourite Social Artist

BTS
Cardi B
Ariana Grande
Demi Lovato
Shawn Mendes

Favourite Male Artist - Pop/Rock

Drake
Post Malone
Ed Sheeran

Favourite Female Artist - Pop/Rock

Camila Cabello
Cardi B
Taylor Swift

Favourite Duo or Group - Pop/Rock

Imagine Dragons
Maroon 5
Migos

Favourite Album - Pop/Rock

Drake “Scorpion”
Ed Sheeran “÷ (Divide)”
Taylor Swift “reputation”

Favourite Song - Pop/Rock

Camila Cabello ft. Young Thug “Havana”
Drake “God’s Plan”
Ed Sheeran “Perfect”

Favourite Male Artist - Country

Kane Brown
Luke Bryan
Thomas Rhett

Favourite Female Artist - Country

Kelsea Ballerini
Maren Morris
Carrie Underwood

Favourite Duo or Group - Country

Dan + Shay
Florida Georgia Line
LANCO

Favourite Album - Country

Kane Brown “Kane Brown”
Luke Combs “This One’s For You”
Thomas Rhett “Life Changes”

Favourite Song - Country

Kane Brown “Heaven”
Dan + Shay “Tequila”
Bebe Rexha & Florida Georgia Line “Meant To Be”

Favourite Artist - Rap/Hip-Hop

Cardi B
Drake
Post Malone

Favourite Album - Rap/Hip-Hop

Drake “Scorpion”
Lil Uzi Vert “Luv Is Rage 2”
Post Malone “beerbongs & bentleys”

Favourite Song - Rap/Hip-Hop 

Cardi B “Bodak Yellow (Money Moves)”
Drake “God’s Plan”
Post Malone ft. 21 Savage “Rockstar”

Favourite Male Artist - Soul/R&B

Khalid
Bruno Mars
The Weeknd

Favourite Female Artist - Soul/R&B

Ella Mai
Rihanna
SZA

Favourite Album - Soul/R&B 

Khalid “American Teen”
SZA “CTRL”
XXXTENTACION “17”

Favourite Song - Soul/R&B

Khalid “Young Dumb & Broke”
Ella Mai “Boo’d Up”
Bruno Mars & Cardi B “Finesse”

Favourite Artist - Alternative Rock

Imagine Dragons
Panic! At The Disco
Portugal The Man

Favourite Artist - Adult Contemporary

Shawn Mendes
P!NK
Ed Sheeran

Favourite Artist - Latin

J Balvin
Daddy Yankee
Ozuna

Favourite Artist - Contemporary Inspirational

Lauren Daigle
MercyMe
Zach Williams

Favourite Artist - Electronic Dance Music (EDM)

The Chainsmokers
Marshmello
Zedd

Favourite Soundtrack

“Black Panther: The Album, Music From And Inspired By”
“The Greatest Showman”
“The Fate of the Furious: The Album”