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Drake Tops American Music Award Nominations, Beats Jackson Record

Drake dominated nominations for the American Music Awards, earning 13 nominations and beating the record set by Michael Jackson over 30 years ago.
2016 MTV Video Music Awards - Show
Recording artist Drake presents the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award onstage during the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards at Madison Square Garden on August 28, 2016 in New York City.Jeff Kravitz / FilmMagic
/ Source: Reuters

Canadian rapper Drake dominated nominations for the American Music Awards, earning a leading 13 nominations and beating the record set by Michael Jackson more than 30 years ago, the organizers of the awards announced on Monday.

Image: Drake
In this Friday, Sept. 23, 2016, file photo, Drake performs at the 2016 iHeartRadio Music Festival - Day 1 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Drake earned a record-breaking 13 American Music Awards nominations on Monday, Oct. 10, thanks to his latest album "Views," shattering Michael Jackson's mark of 11 nominations in a single year from 1984.John Salangsang / AP

Drake's latest album, "Views," has spent 13 weeks at the top of the U.S. music charts this year, and his single "One Dance" was chosen as Billboard's 2016 song of the summer.

R&B artist Rihanna got seven nominations, followed by Britain's Adele and Canadian heartthrob Justin Bieber with five apiece. Beyonce, who in August took home eight statuettes at the MTV Video Music Awards, got just four nods.

Drake, Beyonce, Rihanna, Adele, Bieber, Selena Gomez, Ariana Grande, The Weeknd, Carrie Underwood and Twenty One Pilots will compete for the top prize of artist of the year.

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Drake's 13 nominations smashed the record set by Jackson in 1984 when he received 11 American Music Award nods at the height of the success of his album "Thriller."

The American Music Awards are entirely fan-voted and nominees are based on album and digital song sales, touring, radio airplay, social media activity and fan interactions through Billboard magazine and Billboard.com.

Winners will be announced at a live ceremony and television show on Nov. 20 in Los Angeles.

This year organizers added new categories for tour of the year, and video of the year. The crowded song of year race was split into different categories for pop/rock, country, R&B/soul and rap/hip-hop and renamed favorite song.

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