Beyonce, Justin Bieber lead 2016 MTV EMA nods

THE HAGUE, Netherlands – Pop chart-toppers Beyonce and Justin Bieber on Tuesday, September 27, led nominations for the MTV Europe Music Awards, with Danish newcomers Lukas Graham also among top contenders.

The Europe Music Awards, which will take place on November 6 in Rotterdam, are held each year in a different location as the entertainment network highlights international acts and fans.

Beyonce – who dominated MTV’s signature Video Music Awards in New York last month amid acclaim for her intertwined “Lemonade” album and film – and Bieber were nominated in 5 categories each at the Europe Music Awards, or EMAs.

With the EMAs also giving out awards by country, Beyonce was in the running for best US act and Bieber for Canada.

Bieber was nominated for Best Song with his pop hit “Sorry” and Beyonce was in the running for Best Video for “Formation,” her most politically charged work that references the Black Lives Matter movement against police brutality.

Lukas Graham – a band that has quickly found a global fan base with socially conscious tracks such as “7 Years” and “Mama Said” about life on the economic fringes – was nominated in 4 categories, including Best Danish Act.

Adele, the English balladeer whose blockbuster hits include “Hello,” was also nominated in 4 categories alongside British rockers Coldplay and Canadian singer Shawn Mendes.

Showing MTV’s growing focus on international markets and social media, the network announced the nominations through a medley video in which Leroy Sanchez, a Spanish singer who has won a YouTube following for covers, sings the Best Song nominees.

Here’s the full list of nominees:

BEST SONG

• Adele – “Hello”
• Justin Bieber – “Sorry”
• Lukas Graham – “7 Years”
• Mike Posner – “I Took A Pill In Ibiza (Seeb Remix)”
• Rihanna ft. Drake – “Work”

BEST VIDEO

• Beyoncé – “Formation”
• Coldplay – “Up&Up”
• Kanye West – “Famous”
• Tame Impala – “The Less I Know the Better”
• The Weeknd ft. Daft Punk – “Starboy”

BEST FEMALE

• Adele
• Beyoncé
• Lady Gaga 
• Rihanna
• Sia

BEST MALE

• Calvin Harris
• Drake 
• Justin Bieber 
• Shawn Mendes 
• The Weeknd

BEST LIVE

• Adele
• Beyoncé 
• Coldplay 
• Green Day 
• Twenty One Pilots

BEST NEW

• Bebe Rexha
• DNCE 
• Lukas Graham 
• The Chainsmokers 
• Zara Larsson

BEST POP

• Ariana Grande
• Fifth Harmony 
• Justin Bieber 
• Rihanna
• Selena Gomez 
• Shawn Mendes

BEST ROCK

• Coldplay
• Green Day
• Metallica 
• Muse 
• Red Hot Chili Peppers

BEST ALTERNATIVE

• Kings of Leon
• Radiohead 
• Tame Impala
• The 1975 
• Twenty One Pilots

BEST HIP HOP

• Drake
• Future 
• G-Eazy 
• Kanye West 
• Wiz Khalifa

BEST ELECTRONIC

• Afrojack 
• Calvin Harris 
• David Guetta 
• Major Lazer 
• Martin Garrix

Best Look

• Lady Gaga
• Rihanna
• Beyonce
• Sia
• Bebe Rexha

BEST PUSH

• Alessia Cara 
• Anne-Marie 
• Bebe Rexha 
• Blossoms
• Charlie Puth 
• DNCE 
• Dua Lipa
• Elle King
• Halsey
• Jack Garratt
• Jonas Blue 
• Lukas Graham

BIGGEST FANS

• Ariana Grande 
• Beyoncé 
• Justin Bieber
• Lady Gaga 
• Shawn Mendes

BEST WORLD STAGE

• Duran Duran – Piazza Del Duomo, Milan (2015)
• Ellie Goulding – Piazza Del Duomo, Milan (2015)
• Jess Glynne – Isle of MTV, Malta (2016)
• Martin Garrix – Isle of MTV, Malta (2015)
• One Republic – MTV Evolution, Philippines (2016)
• Tinie Tempah – MTV Crashes, Plymouth (2015)
• Tomorrowland – Belgium (2016)
• Wiz Khalifa – Isle of MTV, Malta (2016)

Best UK & Ireland Act

• Adele
• Coldplay
• Little Mix
• Zayn
• Years & Years

– Rappler.com