Zach Bryan, Taylor Swift, Morgan Wallen, and Sabrina Carpenter have emerged as the leading lights among the 2024 Billboard Music Awards nominees. This year's eligibility dates align with Billboard's Year-End Charts tracking period, spanning from October 28, 2023, to October 19, 2024. The competition is fierce, with Swift going head-to-head against Drake for the most all-time wins.

Zach Bryan: A Rising Star

Zach Bryan leads the 2024 BBMA finalists with an impressive 18 awards and 21 total entries. In 2023, he was a first-time finalist and went on to claim awards for Top New Artist, Top Rock Artist, Top Rock Album for "American Heartbreak," and Top Rock Song for "Something in the Orange." His hit song reached the Top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 and dominated the Hot Country Songs chart for six weeks. Bryan also achieved his first No. 1 on the all-genre Billboard Hot 100 with "I Remember Everything" featuring Kacey Musgraves. This song simultaneously topped Billboard's Hot Country Songs and Hot Rock & Alternative Songs surveys, a remarkable feat.His success showcases his talent and growing popularity in the music industry. Bryan's ability to connect with audiences across different genres is evident in his nominations and achievements.

Taylor Swift: The Queen of Awards

Taylor Swift, the most decorated female BBMAs artist of all time, is a finalist in 16 categories with 17 total entries. With 39 previous wins, including a personal best of 10 last year, she has the potential to surpass Drake for the most wins of all time. Swift is up for Top Artist, a category she has won three times, tying with Drake. She could also extend her record with a seventh win for top Billboard 200 artist.Her 2024 album, "The Tortured Poets Department," became her 14th No. 1 album on the Billboard 200, tying with Jay-Z for the most leaders among soloists in history and second only to The Beatles with 19. The album's song also held the entire top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart simultaneously, a feat only she has achieved before with her "Midnights" album. Swift is the only solo artist to have new number one albums on the Billboard 200 in six consecutive calendar years.

Morgan Wallen: The Summer King

Morgan Wallen won the most BBMAs in 2023 with 11 wins and this year celebrates 15 finalist entries in 13 categories. His second No. 1 single on the Billboard Hot 100 held the top spot for 6 weeks and was the 2024 Songs of the Summer chart-topper after leading the weekly chart for 14 weeks. He is the first artist in 46 years to win the competition in consecutive years and marks a second straight year with the seasonal No. 1, joining a prestigious list of artists. Earlier this year, his album "ONE THING AT A TIME" broke the record for the most weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 for a country album.

Sabrina Carpenter: A New Force

Sabrina Carpenter is a first-time finalist in 9 categories, including the highly coveted Top Artist, Top Hot 100 Artist, Top Streaming Songs Artist, Top Radio Songs Artist, Top Billboard Global 200 Artist, Top Billboard Global (Excl. U.S.) Artist, and twice for her chart-topper "Espresso" for Top Billboard Global 200 Song and Top Billboard Global (Excl. U.S.) Song. She earned her career first Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 with "Please Please Please," and along with "Espresso" from her "Short ‘n Sweet" album, she became the first soloist and first act in 60 years since The Beatles to have two initial top three hits land in the top three Billboard Hot 100 while the album became her first No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart. "Espresso" was named Billboard's top global song of the summer this year and was her career-first Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 hit.

New Faces in the Spotlight

First-time BBMA finalists include Teddy Swims with 8 nominations, Tyla with 8, Benson Boone with 6, Shaboozey with 6, Tommy Richman with 4, Falling in Reverse with 3, Forest Frank with 3, Junior H with 3, Chappell Roan with 2, ENHYPEN with 2, Muni Long with 2, and The Red Clay Strays with 2. These artists bring fresh energy and talent to the awards ceremony.

New Awards and Cross-Genre Recognition

Three new awards were added this year: Top Hard Rock Album, Top Hard Rock Artists, and Top Hard Rock Song. HARDY is a finalist with one entry in each of the 3 categories. Falling in Reverse is a three-time finalist in the categories with Top Hard Rock Artists and twice for Top Hard Rock Song. Linkin Park is a two-time finalist for Top Hard Rock Artist and Top Hard Rock Song.Artists receiving cross-genre recognition include Beyoncé with 2 of her 3 categories including Top Country Female Artist and Top Country Album, Dolly Parton for Top Rock Album, and Post Malone with 2 of his 8 categories including Top Country Artist and Top Country Song.Last year, Taylor Swift won Top Artist and tied Drake for the most BBMA wins of all time with 39 awards each. Morgan Wallen took home the most awards of the night with 11 wins. The show featured superstar performances by Mariah Carey, David Guetta and Bebe Rexha, KAROL G, Tate McRae, NewJeans, Peso Pluma, Stray Kids, and Morgan Wallen.The BBMAs honors the year's biggest artists, albums, songs, producers, and songwriters across multiple genres, determined by year-end performance metrics on the Billboard charts."We are thrilled to bring the 2024 Billboard Music Awards to multiple platforms, ensuring fans have more options to watch the very artists they helped propel to the top of the charts," said Jay Penske, CEO, Dick Clark Productions. "By partnering with FOX, Paramount+, and Fire TV Channels, we are able to reach music enthusiasts where they are, whether they're tuning in on TV, streaming on-demand, or watching from their mobile devices.""Music is just one of those magical devices that can bring people together no matter what walk of life they're from," said Buteau. "And that's what makes the Billboard Music Awards so special. These amazing, chart-topping artists deserve to be celebrated and that's exactly what we're going to do! With me hosting, you can expect a fun party, a cute celebration and a whole moment in a plus size sequin suit!"