Billboard has announced plans for the first annual R&B / Hip-Hop Awards, and Def Soul singer Musiq Soulchild leads all nominees with an impressive seven.
The ceremony, which is sponsored by Heineken, is scheduled to take place on August 30th at the New York Hilton in Manhattan. The awards show will be the last event of the second annual Billboard / BET R&B / Hip-Hop Conference, taking place August 28-30 at the same venue. Details regarding the show’s host, performers and presenters are expected to be announced in the next few weeks, reports Billboard.
The awards encompass 17 categories based on actual performances on the weekly Billboard R&B / Hip-Hop and Rap Charts since the start of the current chart year.
Here is the full list of finalists for Billboard’s R&B/Hip-Hop Awards:
Top R&B/hip-hop album:
“TP-2.com,” R. Kelly (Jive/Zomba)
“Aijustwanaseing (I Just Want to Sing),” Musiq Soulchild (Def Soul/IDJMG)
“Lovers Rock,” Sade (Epic)
“Hotshot,” Shaggy (MCA)
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Top R&B/hip-hop single:
“Missing You,” Case (Def Soul/IDJMG)
“Put It On Me,” Ja Rule featuring Lil’ Mo & Vita (Murder Inc./Def Jam/IDJMG)
“Promise,” Jagged Edge (So So Def/Columbia)
“Stutter,” Joe featuring Mystikal (Jive)
Top R&B/hip-hop artist:
Jay-Z (Roc-A-Fella/Def Jam/IDJMG)
R. Kelly (Jive)
Musiq Soulchild (Def Soul/IDJMG)
Outkast (LaFace/Arista)
Top R&B/hip-hop artist – male:
Ja Rule (Murder Inc./Def Jam/IDJMG)
Jay-Z (LaFace/Arista)
R. Kelly (Jive)
Musiq Soulchild (Def Soul/IDJMG)
Top R&B/hip-hop artist – female:
Erykah Badu (Motown)
Sade (Epic)
Jill Scott (Hidden Beach/Epic)
Tamia (Elektra/EEG)
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Top R&B/hip-hop artist – duo or group:
112 (Bad Boy/Arista)
Destiny’s Child (Columbia)
Jagged Edge (So So Def/Columbia)
Outkast (LaFace/Arista)
Top R&B/hip-hop artist – new:
Jaheim (Divine Mill/Warner Bros.)
Lil Bow Wow (So So Def/Columbia)
Musiq Soulchild (Def Soul/IDJMG)
Tank (Blackground)
Top R&B/hip-hop singles artist:
Jagged Edge (So So Def/Columbia)
R. Kelly (Jive)
Musiq Soulchild (Def Soul/IDJMG)
Outkast (LaFace/Arista)
Top R&B/hip-hop albums artist:
R. Kelly (Jive)
Musiq Soulchild (Def Soul/IDJMG)
Sade (Epic)
Shaggy (MCA)
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Top R&B/hip-hop singles – sales:
“Missing You,” Case (Def Soul/IDJMG)
“Could It Be,” Jaheim (Divine Mill/Warner Bros.)
“All for You,” Janet (Virgin)
“Stutter,” Joe (Jive)
Top R&B/hip-hop singles – airplay:
“Put it on Me,” Ja Rule Featuring Lil’ Mo & Vita (Murder Inc./Def Jam/IDJMG)
“Promise,” Jagged Edge (So So Def/Columbia)
“Love,” Musiq Soulchild (Def Soul/IDJMG)
“Danger (Been So Long),” Mystikal (Jive)
Top rap album:
“Rule 3:36,” Ja Rule (Murder Inc./Def Jam/IDJMG)
“Stankonia,” Outkast (LaFace/Arista)
“Hotshot,” Shaggy (MCA)
“Tha Last Meal,” Snoop Dogg (No Limit/Priority)
Top rap single – sales:
“What Would You Do?,” City High (Booga Basement/Interscope)
“Bow Wow (That’s My Name),” Lil Bow Wow (So So Def/Columbia)
“My Baby,” Lil’ Romeo (Soulja/No Limit/Priority)
“Ms. Jackson,” Outkast (LaFace/Arista )
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R&B/hip-hop songwriter of the year:
Mike City
Chad Hugo
R. Kelly
Pharrell Williams
R&B/hip-hop producer of the year:
Mike City
Jermaine Dupri
The Neptunes
Timbaland
R&B/hip-hop major label of the year:
Arista
Columbia Records Group
Island Def Jam Music Group
Jive
R&B/hip-hop independent label of the year:
Koch
Loud
Tommy Boy
TVT
