HOLLYWOOD - Rapper 50 Cent dominated Billboard's annual R&B/Hip-Hop Awards nominations, receiving nods in 10 categories, including top R&B/hip-hop album, top R&B/hip-hop single, and top R&B/hip-hop artist.Nelly followed close behind with eight nominations, while R. Kelly received nods in seven categories. Eminem and the late Aaliyah are also up for multiple honors.
First-time nominees include Amerie, who was nominated for top new R&B/hip-hop artist and top R&B/hip-hop female artist, and Nivea, whose "Don't Mess With My Man" received a nod for top R&B/hip-hop single.
The awards ceremony will be held Aug. 8 at Miami's Jackie Gleason Theater and will close the fourth annual Billboard/American Urban Radio Networks R&B/Hip-Hop Conference, which runs Aug. 6-8 at the Roney Palace in Miami Beach.
The Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Awards are based on sales data from Nielsen SoundScan and airplay information from Nielsen Broadcast Data Systems. Nominees in the 17 categories reflect the performance of recordings on the Billboard R&B/hip-hop and rap charts for the 12 months ending with the issue dated May 24.
Here are the finalists for the 2003 Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Awards. Updates may be found at www.billboardevents.com.
Top R&B/hip-hop album:
Get Rich or Die Tryin', 50 Cent (Shady/Aftermath/Interscope)
The Eminem Show, Eminem (Web/Aftermath/Interscope)
Chocolate Factory, R. Kelly (Jive/Zomba)
Nellyville, Nelly (Fo' Reel/Universal/UMRG)
Top R&B/hip-hop single:
"In Da Club," 50 Cent (Shady/Aftermath/Interscope)
"Love of My Life (An Ode to Hip Hop)," Erykah Badu Featuring Common (Fox/MCA)
"Ignition," R. Kelly (Jive/Zomba)
"Dontchange," Musiq (Def Soul/IDJMG)
Top R&B/hip-hop artist:
50 Cent
Aaliyah
Eminem
Nelly
Top R&B/hip-hop male artist:
50 Cent
Eminem
R. Kelly
Nelly
Top R&B/hip-hop female artist:
Aaliyah
Amerie
Ashanti
Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliott
Top R&B/hip-hop artist (duo or group):
B2K
Big Tymers
Clipse
Dru Hill
Top R&B/hip-hop new artist:
50 Cent
Amerie
B2K
Clipse
Top R&B/hip-hop singles artist:
50 Cent
Aaliyah
Ashanti
Nelly
Top R&B/hip-hop albums artist:
50 Cent
Eminem
R. Kelly
Nelly
Top rap album:
Get Rich or Die Tryin', 50 Cent (Shady/Aftermath/Interscope)
The Eminem Show, Eminem (Web/Aftermath/Interscope)
Nellyville, Nelly (Fo' Reel/Universal/UMRG)
8 Mile, various artists (Shady/Interscope)
Top R&B/hip-hop single (sales):
"Two Wrongs," Wyclef Jean Featuring Claudette
Ortiz (Columbia)
"Ignition," R. Kelly (Jive/Zomba)
"I Don't Really Know," Brandy Moss-Scott (Heavenly Tunes)
"Don't Mess With My Man," Nivea Featuring Brian & Brandon Casey (Jive)
Top R&B/hip-hop single (airplay):
"In Da Club," 50 Cent (Shady/Aftermath/Interscope)
"Miss You," Aaliyah (Blackground/Universal/UMRG)
"Love of My Life (An Ode to Hip Hop"), Erykah Badu Featuring Common (Fox/MCA)
"Dontchange," Musiq (Def Soul/IDJMG)
Hot rap track of the year:
"In Da Club," 50 Cent (Shady/Aftermath/Interscope)
"Work It," Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliott (the Gold Mind/Elektra/EEG)
"Hot in Herre," Nelly (Fo' Reel/Universal/UMRG)
"Dilemma," Nelly Featuring Kelly Rowland (Fo' Reel/Universal/UMRG)
R&B/hip-hop songwriter of the year:
Chad Hugo
R. Kelly
Timothy Mosley
Pharrell Williams
R&B/hip-hop producer of the year:
R. Kelly
Irv Gotti
The Neptunes
Timbaland
R&B/hip-hop major label of the year:
Arista
Interscope
Island Def Jam Music Group
Universal Motown Records Group
R&B/hip-hop independent label of the year:
Artemis
Koch
TVT
VP