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Macklemore & Ryan Lewis Run Away With American Music Awards Nominations

macklemore & ryan lewis, american music awards

Nominations for this year’s American Music Awards are in, and Macklemore & Ryan Lewis are leading the pack with the most nods. The Heist runners took off with a total of six nominations: Artist of the Year; New Artist of the Year; Single of the Year (for “Thrift Shop”); Favorite Band, Duo, or Group — Pop/Rock; Favorite Artist — Rap/Hip-Hop; and Favorite Album — Rap/Hip-Hop. Taylor Swift and Justin Timberlake tied for second, pulling down five acknowledgements apiece, while Rihanna, Robin Thicke, and Florida Georgia Line each landed four. 

Bear in mind, the AMAs are a populist award show, wherein the winners are determined by fans who fill out ballots online. That’s why Macklemore & Ryan Lewis are in the running for Favorite Artist — Rap/Hip-Hop, and Kendrick Lamar isn’t. At least K.dot nabbed a nod in the Favorite Album — Rap/Hip-Hop category, on the strength of his impeccable good kid, m.A.A.d city LP. If that SPIN Essential hopes to take home the trophy, it’ll have to win out over The Heist and Jay Z’s Magna Carta Holy Grail. (Apparently, the AMAs don’t bow at the altar of Yeezus.)

Other notable competitions: the Artist of the Year race is rounded out by T-Swift, JT, Rihanna, and Bruno Mars; Single of the Year is pitting Robin Thicke’s “Blurred Lines” up against “Thrift Shop” and “Cruise” by Florida Georgia Line; and Daft Punk are eligible for the Favorite Artist — Electronic Dance Music award, squaring off with Avicii, Calvin Harris, and Zedd. Find a full list of nominees below. 

The 41st Annual American Music Awards will broadcast live from the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles on Sunday, November 24. The telecast airs on ABC and starts at 8 p.m. EST. As of now, Miley Cyrus and Imagine Dragons are the only performers confirmed for the ceremony. Cue obligatory MTV Video Music Awards reference. Fans can vote on the AMAs through the program’s official website, or via Twitter

Artist of the Year 
Macklemore & Ryan Lewis 
Bruno Mars 
Rihanna 
Taylor Swift 
Justin Timberlake 

New Artist of the Year 
Florida Georgia Line 
Ariana Grande 
Imagine Dragons 
Macklemore & Ryan Lewis 
Phillip Phillips 

Single of the Year 
Florida Georgia Line feat. Nelly, “Cruise”
Macklemore & Ryan Lewis feat. Wanz, “Thrift Shop”
Robin Thicke feat. Pharrell and T.I., “Blurred Lines”  

Favorite Male Artist — Pop/Rock 
Bruno Mars
Robin Thicke 
Justin Timberlake

Favorite Female Artist — Pop/Rock 
Pink 
Rihanna 
Taylor Swift 

Favorite Band, Duo, or Group — Pop/Rock 
Imagine Dragons 
Macklemore & Ryan Lewis 
One Direction 

Favorite Album — Pop/Rock 
One Direction, Take Me Home 
Taylor Swift, Red 
Justin Timberlake, The 20/20 Experience 

Favorite Male Artist — Country 
Luke Bryan 
Hunter Hayes 
Blake Shelton 

Favorite Female Artist — Country 
Miranda Lambert 
Taylor Swift 
Carrie Underwood 

Favorite Band, Duo, or Group — Country 
The Band Perry 
Florida Georgia Line 
Lady Antebellum 

Favorite Album — Country 
Luke Bryan, Crash My Party 
Florida Georgia Line, Here’s to the Good Times 
Taylor Swift, Red

Favorite Artist — Rap/Hip-Hop 
Jay Z 
Lil Wayne 
Macklemore & Ryan Lewis 

Favorite Album — Rap/Hip-Hop 
Jay Z, Magna Carta Holy Grail 
Kendrick Lamar, good kid, m.A.A.d city 
Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, The Heist 

Favorite Male Artist — Soul/R&B
Miguel
Robin Thicke
Justin Timberlake

Favorite Female Artist — Soul/R&B
Ciara
Alicia Keys
Rihanna

Favorite Album — Soul/R&B
Rihanna, Unapologetic
Robin Thicke, Blurred Lines
Justin Timberlake, The 20/20 Experience

Favorite Artist — Alternative Rock 
Imagine Dragons 
The Lumineers 
Mumford & Sons 

Favorite Artist — Adult Contemporary 
Maroon 5 
Bruno Mars 
Pink 

Favorite Artist — Latin 
Marc Anthony 
Prince Royce 
Romeo Santos 

Favorite Artist — Contemporary Inspirational 
tobyMac 
Chris Tomlin 
Matthew West 

Favorite Artist — Electronic Dance Music (EDM) 
Avicii 
Daft Punk 
Calvin Harris 
Zedd 

Top Soundtrack 
The Great Gatsby: Music From Baz Luhrmann’s Film 
Les Miserables 
Pitch Perfect