Pop chart-toppers Beyonce and Justin Bieber on Tuesday led nominations for the MTV Europe Music Awards, with Danish newcomers Lukas Graham also among top contenders.
The Europe Music Awards, which will take place on November 6 in Rotterdam, are held each year in a different location as the entertainment network highlights international acts and fans.
Beyonce — who dominated MTV’s signature Video Music Awards in New York last month amid acclaim for her intertwined “Lemonade” album and film — and Bieber were nominated in five categories each at the Europe Music Awards, or EMAs.
With the EMAs also giving out awards by country, Beyonce was in the running for best US act and Bieber for Canada.
Bieber was nominated for Best Song with his pop hit “Sorry” and Beyonce was in the running for Best Video for “Formation,” her most politically charged work that references the Black Lives Matter movement against police brutality.
Lukas Graham — a band that has quickly found a global fan base with socially conscious tracks such as “7 Years” and “Mama Said” about life on the economic fringes — was nominated in four categories, including Best Danish Act.
Adele, the English balladeer whose blockbuster hits include “Hello,” was also nominated in four categories alongside British rockers Coldplay and Canadian singer Shawn Mendes.
Showing MTV’s growing focus on international markets and social media, the network announced the nominations through a medley video in which Leroy Sanchez, a Spanish singer who has won a YouTube following for covers, sings the Best Song nominees.
