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Rihanna, Eminem, Justin Bieber Lead Billboard Music Award Finalists

Rihanna leads the pack with nominations in 18 categories. By Gil Kaufman Rihanna Photo: Jeff Kravitz/ WireImage It was strictly A-list names at the top of the list when the lead finalists for the 2011 Billboard Music Awards were announced Wednesday (April 13). In the lead among all nominees was Rihanna, a finalist in 18 categories, who was followed by fellow multiple-award finalists Eminem, Lady Gaga, Bruno Mars and Justin Bieber. Among the categories Rihanna is up for awards in are: Top Hot 100 Artist, Top Female Artist, Top R&B Artist and Top Dance/Electronic Artist, while her smash collaboration with Eminem, “Love the Way You Lie,” racked up notices in six song categories. Right behind her was Slim Shady, a finalist in 16 categories, including Top Billboard 200 Artist, Top Artist, Top Male Artist and Top Rap Artist. Lady Gaga was next with nods in 12 categories, including Top Dance/Electronic Album, which included three of her releases, The Fame, The Fame Monster and The Remix Mars and Bieber had 11 nominations each and will face each other in the Top New Artist and Top Male Artist categories. The other contenders in Top New Artist include Ke$ha, Nicki Minaj and Taio Cruz. The Top Artist category will pit Bieber against, Eminem, Gaga, Rihanna and Taylor Swift, while the Top Rap Album category will be a showdown between Drake, Eminem, Minaj, Lil Wayne and Kanye West. The Top Alternative Artist race will feature Muse facing the Black Keys, Kings of Leon, Linkin Park and Mumford & Sons. The event honors artists who have appeared on the Billboard charts during the period of February 28, 2010, through March 1, 2011. Winners are also determined by album, single and digital sales, touring, streaming and social interactions on MySpace, Facebook and other popular online destinations for music. Winners will be announced at the Billboard Music Awards on May 22 at 5 p.m. PT. Among the announced performers are Rihanna, Jennifer Lopez, Cruz, Lady Antebellum, the Black Eyed Peas and Keith Urban. Related Artists Justin Bieber Eminem Rihanna

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Rihanna, Eminem, Justin Bieber Lead Billboard Music Award Finalists

Lady Gaga’s ‘Born This Way’ Bollywood Remix Is ‘Magical,’ Producers Say

Composers Salim-Sulaiman says Gaga had a ‘very positive response’ to their version. By Jocelyn Vena Lady Gaga Photo: Kevin Mazur/ WireImage Shortly after dropping a country-fried version of “Born This Way,” Indian composers Salim-Sulaiman were approached to do a Bollywood version of the song , breathing new life into the chart-topping track and putting their own Desi seal on it. “It was kind of difficult to start with,” Sulaiman Merchant told MTV News, crediting entertainment website Desi Hits! for helping to curate the collaboration. “It’s been such a big track, it’s been very popular, and when you consider the style, it’s very aggressive. It’s got all the stuff that’s required to make it a nice clubby track, so for us, the most important thing was: How do you get it into a zone where it’s palpable to the Indian flavor? And the first thing we did was bring in a sitar, and that changed the flavor a little bit. We kept the aggression but changed the style and made it a little more four on the floor, a little more house.” Salim Merchant added that “we wanted to bring in an Indian sound … and give a Sufi touch as well.” He explained that after getting over some initial nerves, “It’s fantastic how it all turned out. There was this little pressure because the song was #1. I guess once we put that baggage behind … it was magical. Once we started it, everything came into place. It became a celebration.” While Gaga is a global superstar, Sulaiman said she has yet to really permeate India’s pop culture. “Lady Gaga hasn’t been as popular as we would like it to be over here, so this track wasn’t as big before,” he said. “We finished the mix, and now it’s getting into the zone where it’s gaining popularity. It’s a great way to get eyeballs and ears onto Lady Gaga.” Has Gaga given the guys any indication of how she feels about the track? “She has liked it,” Salim said. “She did mention she really loves it. When we did send her the final version, we did get a big very, very positive response. She really loved it. That’s what she mentioned. I’m really happy. Finally the artist is Gaga about the song.” What do you think of the Bollywood version of “Born This Way”? Let us know in the comments! Related Photos Lady Gaga In The May 2011 Issue Of Harper’s Bazaar Related Artists Lady Gaga

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Lady Gaga’s ‘Born This Way’ Bollywood Remix Is ‘Magical,’ Producers Say