Finalists Revealed for the First Ever Billboard Arabia Music Awards

The first-ever Billboard Arabia Music Awards (BBAMAs) will take on Dec. 11 at the King Fahad Cultural Center in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. After a year of tracking trends on the Billboard Arabia charts, this landmark event will celebrate the most talented artists from the Arab world and North Africa – those who have made waves on the charts and dominated streaming platforms worldwide. Throughout the year, Billboard Arabia’s 10 charts have spotlighted listening trends across four key dialects and four musical genres, in addition to the flagship charts: Artist 100 and Hot 100.

Winners of the BBAMAs will be determined based on their performance on Billboard Arabia’s flagship charts, such as the Hot 100 and Artist 100, as well as its four dialect-specific charts — Khaleeji, Egyptian, Levantine and Maghrebi — and genre-specific charts, including Arabic Hip-Hop, Arabic Indie, Shelat and Mahraganat. These charts are built on the trusted methodology that has defined the Billboard brand.

Beyond celebrating the year’s leading artists and tracks, the BBAMAs will highlight the region’s rich talent pool with an exciting lineup of live performances and unexpected collaborations. The event will feature a mix of established and rising stars from across the Arab world and its diaspora.

With over 40 award categories already revealed, the BBAMAs promise to be a comprehensive tribute to the region’s vibrant music scene. Below is the full list of finalists for these awards. Stay tuned; more categories will be unveiled soon.

Song of the Year

“Fouq” by ‏Assala Nasri

“Guli Mata” by Saad Lamjarred, Shreya Ghoshal, and Rajat Nagpal

“Ya Leil W Yal Ein” by Al Shami

“Haygely Mawgow” by Tamer Ashour

“Sabran” by Al Shami

Artist of the Year

Amr Diab

Al Shami

Nancy Ajram

Sherine Abdel Wahab

Ahmed Saad

Top Male Artist

Al Shami

Dystinct

Ahmed Saad

Amr Diab

Tamer Ashour

Top Female Artist

Nancy Ajram

Elissa

Assala

Sherine Abdel Wahab

Elyanna

Top Band

Cairokee

Massar Egbari

Miami Band

Sharmoofers

Al Massrieen

Top New Artist

Dystinct

Elyanna

TUL8TE

Siilawy

Al Shami

Highest Gainer

Amr Diab

TUL8TE

Angham

Al Shami

Tamer Ashour

Top Arabic Collaboration of the Year

Ameen Khattab and Essam Sasa – “Ehna Say’ Monharifin”

Assala Nasri and Ahmed Saad – “Sabb Farhety”

Nassif Zeytoun and Rahma Riad – “Ma Fi Leil”

Saint Levant and MC Abdul – “Deira”

Tawsen and Ayoub Anbaoui – “Dawini’

Top Khaleeji Song

Adel Ebrahim – “Dl’nak”

Ayed – “Lammah”

Ayed – “Rdy”

Fouad Abdulwahed – “Kel Ahebek”

Fouad Abdulwahed – “Thaag El Ghamaam”

Artist of the Year – Khaleeji Dialect

Abdul Majeed Abdullah

Majid al-Muhandis

Ayed

Rashed al-Majed

Hussain Al Jassmi

Top Male Artist – Khaleeji Dialect

Ayed

Hussain Al Jassmi

Rashed al-Majed

Majid al-Muhandis

Abdul Majeed Abdullah

Top Female Artist – Khaleeji Dialect

Assala Nasri

Balqees

Aseel Hameem

Shamma Hamdan

Oumaima Taleb

Top Egyptian Song

Wael Jassar – “Koul Waad”

Tamer Ashour – “Haygely Mawgow”

Assala Nasri and Ahmed Saad – “Sabb Farhety”

‏Assala Nasri – “Fouq”

Elyanna – “Ganeni”

Artist of the Year – Egyptian Dialect

Ahmed Saad

Nancy Ajram

Amr Diab

Tamer Ashour

Sherine Abdel Wahab

Top Male Artist – Egyptian Dialect

Tamer Ashour

Ramy Sabry

Ahmed Saad

Mohamed Hamaki

Amr Diab

Top Female Artist – Egyptian Dialect

Assala Nasri

Elyanna

Nancy Ajram

Elissa

Sherine Abdel Wahab

Top Levantine Song

Ali Saber – “Dawaat Ommi”

Al Shami – “Sabran”

Nassif Zeytoun and Rahma Riad – “Ma Fi Leil”

Al Shami – ‘Wein”

Al Shami – ‘Ya Leil W Yal Ein”

Artist of the Year – Levantine Dialect

Al Shami

Elissa

Mahmod Alturky

Nassif Zeytoun

Nancy Ajram

Top Male Artist – Levantine Dialect

Al Shami

Siilawy

Nassif Zeytoun

Wael Kfoury

Mahmod Alturky

Top Female Artist – Levantine Dialect

Nancy Ajram

Myriam Fares

Elissa

Abeer Nehme

Rahma Riad

Top Magharebi Song

Soolking and DYSTINCT – ‘Y Dor’

Lartiste – “Zarzour”

Cheb Hichem Tgv – “Fatou Liyam”

Saad Lamjarred, Shreya Ghoshal, and Rajat Nagpal – “Guli Mata”

Lazaro – “Mahboul Ana’

Artist of the Year – Magharebi

Zouhair Bahaoui

Saad Lamjarred

Dystinct

Cheb Khaled

Samara

Top Male Artist – Magharebi Dialect

Zouhair Bahaoui

Saad Lamjarred

Dystinct

Cheb Khaled

Samara

Top Female Artist – Magharebi Dialect

Manal

Hind Ziadi

Kawtar

Marwa Loud

Chaama

Top Arabic Hip-Hop Song

Muhab – Yazmeely

Draganov – 3dabi

ElGrandeToto and Hamza – Dellali

Stormy – Popo

ElGrandeToto – Blue Love

Artist of the Year – Arabic Hip-Hop

Samara

ElGrandeToto

Marwan Pablo

Stormy

Wegz

Top Arabic Hip-Hop Male Artist

Samara

ElGrandeToto

Marwan Pablo

Stormy

Wegz

Top Arabic Hip-Hop Female Artist

Raja Meziane

Hala

Perrie

Jara

Khtek

Top Indie Song

TUL8TE – “Mateegy A’ady Aleiky”

Al Shami – “Sabran”

Hamza Namira – “Reyah El Hayah”

TUL8TE – “Habeeby Leh”

Elyanna – “Ganeni”

Artist of the Year – Arabic Indie

Siilawy

Muslim

TUL8TE

Elyanna

Cairokee

Top Arabic Indie Male Artist

Al Shami

TUL8TE

Siilawy

Mohammed Saeed

Muslim

Top Arabic Indie Female Artist

Zeyne

Emel Mathlouthi

Dana Salah

Ghaliaa

Elyanna

Top Mahraganat Song

Eslam Kabonga and Kalosha – “Elli Nefso Feya Beti Maytawehsh”

Eslam Kabonga – “Aywa Ya Habibty Wahashtiny”

Reda El Bahrawy and Muslim – “Lafena El Donya”

Hamada El Leithy and Amr Salama – “Tarek El Andal”

Reda El Bahrawy – “Aal Doghrey”

Artist of the Year – Mahraganat

Muslim

Essam Sasa

Hassan Shakosh

Ameen Khattab

Eslam Kabonga

Top Mahraganat Artist

Hassan Shakosh

Muslim

Essam Sasa

Eslam Kabonga

Ameen Khattab

Top Shelat Song

Mohammed Bin Grman – “Ma Gelt Lak”

Mohammed Bin Grman – “Alek Akhaf”

Abdullah Al Farwan – “Jamalek Gheer”

Nawaf Fraih – “Thalath Ayam”

Asad Albathari – “Makhboob Khelli”

Artist of the Year – Shelat

Nader Alsharari

Mohammed Bin Grman

Ghareeb Al Mokhles

Badr Alezzi

Abdullah Al Farwan

Top Shelat Song

“Alek Akhaf” by Mohammed Bin Grman

“Jamalek Gheer” by Abdullah Al Farwan

“Thalath Ayam” by Nawaf Fraih

“Al Makhoob Khelli” by Asad Albathari