Billboard Music Award nominations -- Adele, Lady Gaga and more

Fresh off their name-checks in the Time 100, Adele and Rihanna have more kudos to brag about. They’re leading the pack of Billboard Music Awards nominees, along with Lady Gaga, LMFAO, and Lil Wayne. Adele scored 18 nods — including Top Artist, Top Female Artist, and Top Billboard 200 Artist — off the mega-sales of her album 21 and its lead single “Rolling in the Deep.” “Party Rockers” LMFAO will be in the house behind thanks to 17 nods. Rihanna could win up to 13 trophies, and Lady Gaga and Lil Wayne could be walking home with a lot of hardware, after netting 10 nods apiece. Usual suspects like Justin Bieber, Katy Perry, Coldplay, Nicki Minaj, and Bruno Mars are also among the pool of finalists. You can view the full list here.

Per the announcement on Billboard.com, “The awards will reflect Billboard’s chart rankings based on key fan interactions with music…. These measurements are tracked year-round by Billboard and its data partners, including Nielsen Entertainment and Next Big Sound. The awards will be based on the reporting period of March 1, 2011 through February 29, 2012.”

ABC will broadcast the ceremony live Sunday May 20 at 8 p.m. ET.

Read more:

The ‘Time’ 100 includes Louis C.K., Jessica Chastain, EL James, and Rihanna

EW Gallery: 30 Greatest Music Artists Right Now

Your Ultimate 2012 Playlist