As if the country sweetheart and veteran rocker needed more hardware, the Billboard Music Awards saw fit Tuesday to add a few more potential honors to their rapidly expanding collections: Grammy-winner Santana led the pack with six nominations, including Artist of the Year and Hot 100 Single of the Year, while the heavily trophied Hill grabbed five nods, including Female Artist of the Year and Country Artist of the Year.
A tad more surprisingly, Hill and Santana are joined atop the heap by 3 Doors Down, the Mississippi-based pop-rockers who leapt from obscurity to the airwaves this year, thanks to their Superman-inspired ditty (spun ad nauseum) "Kryptonite." The band nabbed four nominations, including New Artist of the Year and Rock Track of the Year. Hip-hop thong enthusiast Sisqó also received four nominations.
Meanwhile, Billboard handed the rest of its nods to the usual pop, hip-hop, country and rock suspects: Christina Aguilera, 'N Sync, Eminem, Joe, Britney Spears and Metallica all received three nominations apiece; and Destiny's Child, Pink, DMX, Donell Jones, Dixie Chicks, Tim McGraw and Creed pocketed two nods each.
The awards, based on Billboard's year-end chart figures tabulating airplay and record sales, will be handed out December 5 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, and will air at 8 p.m. ET/PT on Fox. Scheduled performers include 'N Sync, 3 Doors Down, Ricky Martin, Creed and Faith Hill.
Of course, for Hill and Santana, the Billboard Awards merely add to the honors they've piled up over the past year. Santana won a record nine Grammys in February for his cameo-packed comeback disc, Supernatural. And Hill, who was just recently nominated for four American Music Awards on the crossover success of her album Breathe, also took home top honors from the Country Music Association and rival Academy of Country Music awards.
Here's a complete list of the Billboard Award nominees:
Artist of the Year: Christina Aguilera, Destiny's Child, 'N Sync, Santana
Male Artist: Marc Anthony, Eminem, Joe, Sisqó
Female Artist: Christina Aguilera, Faith Hill, Pink, Britney Spears
Hot 100 Singles Artist: Christina Aguilera, Destiny's Child, Faith Hill, Santana
Album Artist: Britney Spears, 'N Sync, Eminem, Santana
R&B/Hip-Hop Artist: DMX, Jagged Edge, Donell Jones, Sisqó
Male R&B/Hip-Hop Artist: DMX, Joe, Donell Jones, Sisqó
Female R&B/Hip-Hop Artist: Aaliyah, Yolanda Adams, Toni Braxton, Mary J. Blige
Country Artist: Dixie Chicks, Faith Hill, Tim McGraw, George Strait
Country Album:
Dixie Chicks, Fly
Faith Hill, Breathe
Tim McGraw, A Place in the Sun
Shania Twain, Come On Over
Modern Rock Track:
3 Doors Down, "Kryptonite"
Incubus, "Pardon Me"
Papa Roach, "Last Resort"
Red Hot Chili Peppers, "Otherside"
Rock Artist: Creed, Metallica, 3 Doors Down, Godsmack
Rock Track:
3 Doors Down, "Kryptonite"
Creed, "Higher"
Metallica, "I Disappear"
Metallica, "No Leaf Clover"
Hot 100 Single:
Faith Hill, "Breathe"
Santana featuring Rob Thomas, "Smooth"
Santana featuring The Product G&B, "Maria Maria"
Joe, "I Wanna Know"
New Artist: 3 Doors Down, Nelly, Pink, Sisqó
Album:
'N Sync, No Strings Attached
Santana, Supernatural
Eminem, The Marshall Mathers LP
Britney Spears, Oops!...I Did It Again