Though Justin Bieber isn’t up for the top award at Sunday’s
American Music Awards, he still could end up celebrating.
The singer’s comeback album, “Purpose,” is likely
to debut at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart – though it’s in a close
race with One Direction’s “Made In the A.M.” Both albums were
released Nov. 13, and Billboard will announce the news Sunday.
Bieber is also performing a medley of his hits at the
awards show airing from the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles.
The show, hosted by Jennifer Lopez, will feature other
A-listers, too: Carrie Underwood, Coldplay, Ariana Grande, Selena Gomez, Gwen
Stefani and Luke Bryan will perform.
One Direction, who will also hit the stage, is nominated
for artist of the year, pitting the group against Grande, Bryan, Nicki Minaj
and Taylor Swift.
Swift has had the most successful year of the bunch, thanks
to her top-selling album “1989” and hits like “Bad Blood”
and “Black Space.” She is the leading AMAs nominee with six.
Her nominations include song and collaboration of the year
for “Bad Blood” with Kendrick Lamar, favorite female artist –
pop/rock, favorite album – pop/rock for “1989” and favorite artist –
adult contemporary.
Behind Swift with five nominations are Sheeran and the
Weeknd, who had a breakout year with the No. 1 hits “The Hills” and
“Can’t Feel My Face.” The latter is competing for song of the year
against Sheeran’s “Thinking Out Loud,” Swift’s “Bad Blood,”
”See You Again” by Wiz Khalifa and Charlie Puth, and Mark Ronson and
Bruno Mars’ “Uptown Funk!”
The Weeknd will also hit the stage, and the night will take
an emotional turn when Celine Dion honors the victims of the recent attacks in
Paris when she sings Edith Piaf’s “Hymne à L’Amour” in French.
Other performers Sunday include 5 Seconds of Summer, Nick
Jonas, Demi Lovato, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, Walk the Moon, Meghan Trainor
and Puth.
Trainor, Sam Smith, Nicki Minaj, Sam Hunt and Walk the Moon
are nominated for three awards apiece.
The fan-voted show will air live (8 p.m. EST) on ABC.
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