Taylor Swift leads American Music Award nominations

Pop superstar Taylor Swift on Tuesday led nominations for the American Music Awards, with Canadian singer The Weeknd the favorite among newcomers.

The winners, to be announced at a gala in Los Angeles on November 22, will be determined through voting by fans, unlike the more prestigious Grammy Awards which are based on polling within the music industry.

Swift's early lead is not surprising as the American Music Awards' nominations are based on sales and other commercial factors.

Swift, whose "1989" was last year's top-selling album in the United States and posted the biggest first-week sales in more than a decade, was nominated in six categories including Artist of the Year and Favorite Pop/Rock Album.

The Weeknd and Ed Sheeran, the English singer behind the smash hit ballad "Thinking Out Loud," follow Swift with five nominations each.

The Weeknd, who rose from obscurity several years ago by posting videos of his singing on YouTube, has enjoyed a breakthrough success in recent months with his funky pop tune "Can't Feel My Face."

The 25-year-old Canadian is nominated in categories including New Artist of the Year, where competitors include the rap sensation Fetty Wap and Tove Lo, a Swedish singer who has recently broken into the US market.

Nicki Minaj, one of the leading women in hip-hop, was nominated in four categories.

Tied with four nods are Meghan Trainor, the "All About That Bass" singer who has challenged traditional notions of slender appearance among women in pop, and Sam Smith, the English soul singer who was the big winner at this year's Grammys.

Last year's big winner at the American Music Awards was the British boy band One Direction.

The group is again nominated for Artist of the Year after a tumultuous year in which founding member Zayn Malik quit.
Source: AFP