Barbadian R&B artist Rihanna is sitting pretty with a whopping 18 nominations for the 2011 Billboard Music Awards in May, more than any other artist, reports Teen Music.
Eminem follows closely with 16 nominations; their Rihanna-Eminem collaboration, Love the Way You Lie, gave them both a boost, with a showing in six different categories.
Lady Gaga trails in third, a finalist in 12 categories, while Bruno Mars and Justin Bieber each scored 11 nominations.
Unlike traditional awards shows that rely on a panel of judges to select winners, the Billboard Music Awards are based on chart position from February 28, 2010 to March 1, 2011. After a four-year hiatus, the awards show returns with a live broadcast on ABC.
As well as tracking album, single and digital sales, Billboard rankings also take into account other factors like social networking presence, touring success, radio play and online streaming.