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Media Release: Wednesday May 4, 2016

Live and Exclusive to [V] HITS

Monday May 23 at 10am only on Foxtel

LIVE from the US and exclusive to Foxtel, the 2016 BILLBOARD MUSIC AWARDS will be premiering on [V] HITS, celebrating this year’s most successful stars and hottest musical acts on Monday May 23 from 10am.

Returning for the third consecutive year, hip-hop superstar and actor Ludacris will be co-hosting the show with new co-host Ciara, princess of contemporary R&B and music superstar.

Award-winning singer-songwriter P!nk is scheduled to perform during the show, debuting her new single “Just Like Fire”. The original song will appear in Disney’s upcoming film Alice Through the Looking Glass, which hits theatres May 27. This is P!nk’s first single in three years but she has previously had 4 singles at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and was named Billboard’s Woman of the Year in 2013.

Nick Jonas, Tove Lo and Demi Lovato will also perform at this year’s Awards. Tove Lo will join Jonas to perform “Close,” the first single off his eagerly anticipated sophomore album due out in June. Demi Lovato will perform her hit song “Cool For The Summer.”

Renowned superstar and Las Vegas resident, Britney Spears will receive this year’s Billboard Millennium Award recognising outstanding career achievements and influence in the music industry. Past Billboard Millennium Award recipients include Beyoncé in 2011 and Whitney Houston in 2012. Spears will also join the line-up of musical acts at the show when she performs a medley of her greatest hits.

The three hour long special will recognise this year’s top artists in a variety of genres, including R&B, Rap, Pop, Country, Rock, Latin and Alternative. Major pop culture moments will be featured throughout the night with huge performances and collaborations by music heavyweights. Broadcasting LIVE from the new T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, the event will be the first ever broadcast from the new venue.

Finalists for the 2016 BILLBOARD MUSIC AWARDS top artist include Adele, Justin Bieber, Drake, Taylor Swift and The Weeknd who is leading the finalist pack with nods in 16 categories including Top Artist, Top Male Artist and Top Hot 100 Song. Justin Bieber comes in second with entries in 11 categories including Top Artist, Top Male Artist and Top Hot 100 Artist.

Taylor Swift is trying to beat her own all-time record for the record number of BBMA wins. She currently holds 20 wins which is the most wins in history for any artist and this year Swift is a finalist in eight categories which could see her collect even more.

Justin Bieber and Adele are also vying to surpass Swift’s record. Justin Bieber is the second highest winning male, second to Garth Brooks who has 19 wins under his belt. If he takes home more than eight wins from his 11 nominated categories, Brooks has the chance of beating Swift’s current all-time leading record.

The 2016 BILLBOARD MUSIC AWARDS Australian Premiere is exclusive to Foxtel and will be LIVE on [V] HITS from 10am on Monday May 23. Encore screenings will begin on Monday May 23 at 4pm and 7pm on [V] HITS.

Fun finalist facts to know before the show include:

· Adele, a 13-time Billboard Music Award winner, stormed Billboard’s charts in late 2015 with her blockbuster third studio album, 25, which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200. The new album’s lead single, “Hello,” spent 10 weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and became the first song to sell more than 1 million downloads in a week.
· Drake not only earned his fifth consecutive No. 1 album on the Billboard 200 with What a Time to Be Alive (with Future), but also claimed two chart-toppers in less than a year’s time.
· No one has won Top Male Artist more than once. If Justin Bieber wins in this category, he will be the first artist to take home the award twice. He previously won the category in 2013.
· Fetty Wap blasted onto Billboard’s charts in 2015 with three consecutive career-opening top 10 singles on the Billboard Hot 100 (“Trap Queen,” “My Way” and “679”), making him just the third hip-hop act to earn that triple honor since 1990 (joining Chingy and M.C. Hammer).
· Eighteen-year-old rapper Silentó broke through in 2015 with his viral sensation “Watch Me,” which ruled the Hot Rap Songs chart for nine weeks and the Streaming Songs chart for 10 weeks, selling more than 2.3 million downloads.
· 50 Cent, Garth Brooks, Destiny’s Child, Taylor Swift and Usher are tied for the most wins in the Top Artist category with 2 wins. Swift is a 2016 finalist in this category and if she wins, she will become the artist with the most TROPHIES in this category
· WALK THE MOON rocketed to a record with its crossover smash “Shut Up and Dance,” leading the Hot Rock Songs chart for 27 weeks.

For updates, exclusive content and information on competitions check out vhits.com.au and follow us on Twitter @V_Hits and facebook.com/ChannelVHits as well as on Instagram @v_hits.

-Brad