Adele, Rihanna, Lil Wayne Lead 2012 Billboard Music Awards Finalists [Full List Inside]

Adele, LMFAO, Rihanna, Lady Gaga and Lil Wayne lead the finalists for the 2012 Billboard Music Awards, which will take place at Las Vegas' MGM Grand and be broadcast live Sunday May 20, 8/7c on ABC.



Adele takes the lead as a finalist in 18 award categories, including Top Artist, Top Female Artist and Top Billboard 200 Artist. "Rolling In The Deep," the lead single from her blockbuster sophomore album "21," places the U.K. singer as a contender in seven song categories.



Meanwhile, LMFAO is a finalist in 17 award categories, although the electro-pop duo actually scored 22 entries compared to Adele's 20. LMFAO and Adele will square off in the Top Hot 100 Artist category, which also includes Bruno Mars, Katy Perry andRihanna.



Speaking of Rihanna, the pop superstar is a finalist in 13 categories this year, after leading the pack with 18 category appearances in 2011. Lady Gaga and Lil Wayne each snagged a spot in 10 categories, and will both compete against Adele, Rihanna and Katy Perry for the prestigious Top Artist prize. And the Top New Artist category features a diverse collection of fresh talent, with Bad Meets Evil, Big Sean, Foster The People, Scotty McCreery and Wiz Khalifa serving as the 2012 finalists.



The awards will reflect Billboard's chart rankings based on key fan interactions with music, including album sales and downloads, track downloads, radio airplay and touring as well as streaming and social interactions on Facebook, Twitter, Vevo, Youtube, Spotify and other popular online destinations for music. These measurements are tracked year-round by Billboard and its data partners, including Nielsen Entertainment and Next Big Sound. The awards will be based on the reporting period of March 1, 2011 through February 29, 2012. Top artists will be recognized in a variety of genres, including R&B, Rap, Pop, Country, Rock, Latin and Alternative.



Music fans can also follow news about the show and related events on Twitter at @Billboard or on Facebook.




See the full list of 2012 Billboard Music Awards finalists below:



ARTIST AWARDS:



Top Artist:
Adele
Lady Gaga
Lil Wayne
Katy Perry
Rihanna



Top New Artist:
Bad Meets Evil
Big Sean
Foster The People
Scotty McCreery
Wiz Khalifa



Top Male Artist:
Justin Bieber
Chris Brown
Drake
Lil Wayne
Bruno Mars



Top Female Artist:
Adele
Lady Gaga
Nicki Minaj
Katy Perry
Rihanna



Top Duo/Group:
The Black Eyed Peas
Coldplay
Lady Antebellum
LMFAO
Maroon 5



Top Billboard 200 Artist:
Adele
Justin Bieber
Michael Buble
Lady Gaga
Lil Wayne



Top Hot 100 Artist:
Adele
LMFAO
Bruno Mars
Katy Perry
Rihanna



Top Digital Songs Artist:
Adele
LMFAO
Bruno Mars
Katy Perry
Rihanna



Top Radio Songs Artist:
Adele
Katy Perry
Bruno Mars
Nicki Minaj
Rihanna



Top Touring Artist:
Bon Jovi
Taylor Swift
Take That
U2
Roger Waters



Top Social Artist:
Justin Bieber
Eminem
Lady Gaga
Rihanna
Shakira



Top Streaming Artist:
Lil Wayne
LMFAO
Nicki Minaj
Bruno Mars
Rihanna



Top Digital Media Artist:
Adele
Justin Bieber
Lady Gaga
Lil Wayne
Rihanna



Top Pop Artist:
Adele
Lady Gaga
LMFAO
Katy Perry
Rihanna



Top R&B Artist:
Beyonce
Chris Brown
Cee Lo Green
Miguel
Rihanna



Top Rap Artist:
Drake
Lil Wayne
LMFAO
Nicki Minaj
Wiz Khalifa



Top Country Artist:
Jason Aldean
Zac Brown Band
Lady Antebellum
Blake Shelton
Taylor Swift



Top Rock Artist:
The Black Keys
Coldplay
Foster The People
Foo Fighters
Mumford & Sons



Top Alternative Artist:
The Black Keys
Coldplay
Foster The People
Foo Fighters
Mumford & Sons



Top Latin Artist:
Mana
Pitbull
Prince Royce
Romeo Santos
Shakira



Top Dance Artist:
David Guetta
Lady Gaga
LMFAO
Rihanna
Britney Spears



Top Christian Artist:
Casting Crowns
MercyMe
Skillet
Laura Story
Chris Tomlin