Post Malone tops AMA nominations, Swift could break MJ's record

Post Malone is the top contender at the 2019 American Music Awards, where Taylor Swift has a chance to moonwalk past Michael Jackson's record for most wins at the show.

Dick Clark productions announced on Thursday that Malone scored seven nominations, while newcomer Billie Eilish and Ariana Grande each earned six nominations. Swift, who has won 23 AMAs, is up for five awards and could surpass the King of Pop, who holds the record for the most wins with 24 trophies.

The fan-voted AMAs will air live November 24 on ABC from the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles.

Swift, Malone and Grande, along with Drake and Halsey, are nominated for the top prize: artist of the year.

Malone's nominations include favorite male pop/rock artist, favorite rap/hip-hop artist, favorite rap/hip-hop album for "Hollywood's Bleeding" and favorite rap/hip-hop song for "Wow." His massive hit with Swae Lee, "Sunflower" from the Oscar-winning animated film "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse," is up for favorite pop/rock song and collaboration of the year.

Swift will compete for favorite female pop/rock artist, favorite adult contemporary artist, favorite pop/rock album for "Lover" and favorite music video for her equal rights anthem, "You Need to Calm Down."

Though Lizzo scored three nominations, her hit "Truth Hurts" — which is currently spending its seventh week on top of the Billboard Hot 100 chart — is absent (the AMA nominees reflect the time period of Sept. 28, 2018 through Sept. 26, 2019.

Lizzo's nominations include favorite soul/R&B song for "Juice" and favorite female soul/R&B artist, pitting her against Beyoncé and Ella Mai. 

Though she released her first album in 2013, Lizzo did pick up a new artist of the year nomination, and she has some stiff competition. Nominees include Eilish, arguably the year's top breakthrough act; Lil Nas X, whose hit "Old Town Road" is the longest-running No 1 hit in the history of the Billboard charts; Luke Combs, who has dominated the country charts and launched multiple No 1 hits; and Mai, who won a Grammy in her debut year and topped several R&B charts.

"Old Town Road" is the gift that keeps on giving — it helped Lil Nas X score five AMA nominations and gives Billy Ray Cyrus, who picked up four nods, a chance of winning his first AMA in 26 years (he won two awards in 1993).

DJ-producer Avicii earned a posthumous nomination for favorite electronic dance music artist, K-pop all-stars BTS picked up three nominations, while Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper earned two nominations, including collaboration of the year for "Shallow" and favorite soundtrack for "A Star Is Born," which will compete with "Bohemian Rhapsody" and "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse."