Music
Male Artist:
Drake, Keith Urban, Ed Sheeran, Shawn Mendes, Bruno Mars
MW: My pick is Shawn Mendes because his songs are upbeat and cute. They make you want to dance. I’d also be happy if Bruno Mars won because he is very talented, but he has already won a lot of awards. I agree with Bernard that we should let a newer artist take this award. The one person that I do not want to win is Drake, who is 32 years old because he has been scrutinized lately for having inappropriate relationships with teenage girls, namely Drake’s rumored girlfriend and model Bella Harris (age 18) and “Stranger Things” actress Millie Bobby Brown (age 14).
BR: This is a hard toss up as all of these artists are very popular and worked their way up to the top. I would hope to see Ed Sheeran win this but seems like Drake would be the winner. Although I am not a huge Drake fan I did enjoy his two radio hits Nice For Whatand In My Feelings; they are songs you can bop your head and dance at a red light in your car! Agreeing with Madison, Drake is 32 years old and has been around longer than everyone else so let someone new and younger win this.
KV: I feel like each of these artists are so unique that it’s hard to decide which would win. Just by going off what I hear on the radio, I feel like it may be a close call between Shawn Mendes and Drake. Shawn is still somewhat new, but his fans have grown to adore him. However, Drake has been around for a while now and seems to know what he is doing as his music is always a fan-favorite.
Female Artist:
Taylor Swift, Cardi B, Ariana Grande, Camila Cabello, Nicki Minaj
MW: Taylor Swift would be the last person I’d want to see win in this category. I’ve never been a fan of her’s personally, and I do not find her music to be very original or interesting. That said, I’d be happy if any of these other women won. My top two are Nicki Minaj and Cardi B. There is a rivalry between the two, and I know a lot of people out there think that they have to pick a side and only be fans of one. However, I believe that both women are incredibly talented and successful, and I enjoy both of their music. If I had to choose one, I’d go with Nicki Minaj because I’ve been a fan of hers for longer, and her style aligns more closely with my taste. It’s very close, though, because I see Cardi B as a really fun new person to have in the scene. I can appreciate how hard she’s worked for all of the success that she has earned recently as a younger artist. Because Nicki Minaj is older than these other ladies at the age of 35, I’ve heard a lot of people say that she should gracefully step out of the scene. I disagree entirely because age has nothing to do with talent, and nobody would say that about a male artist.
BR: As a Taylor Swift fan, it would be nice to see her win this. Between her 1989and Reputation albums, she deserves it. She showed that she’s able to conquer many genres starting at country and now doing Pop. Taylor Swift also shows that male artists are not the only ones who can take over the music industry. Although I hope Taylor Swift wins this, I wouldn’t be upset or shocked if Cardi B wins. Since her release of Bodak Yellow, she has proven yourself to take over the music industry. Cardi B is making her way up to the top, who would’ve thought this reality star in Love and Hip Hop would end up here now. Sadly, with the drama going on between Nicki and Cardi, they will use this as a way to get people to talk or tweet.
KV: I think Taylor Swift is the obvious choice with the success of Reputation. She has always been a fan-favorite.
Group:
Twenty-One Pilots, Panic! At the Disco, 5 Seconds of Summer, BTS, Super Junior
MW: My vote is for 5 Seconds of Summer. They’re a fun pop group to listen to in the car with the windows down. That’s the vibe they give me. I find the other nominees to be a little too intense.
BR: I would hope that Panic! At the Disco would be the winner but BTS will win. I don’t really know who they are, but they have a huge fan group. I agree with Kristin with this one.
KV: I would not be shocked if BTS were to win. They have become such a sensational group, plus whenever their name is said, their fans go crazy. Even in passing conversation, I’ve had a few people strike up a conversation with friends of mine just hearing those three letters come out of their mouths.
Album:
Cardi B, Invasion of Privacy, Camila Cabello, Camila, Shawn Mendes, Shawn Mendes, Ariana Grande, Sweetener, Nicki Minaj, Queen
MW: This one is tough. I think that all of these artists are very deserving and talented. I would choose Shawn Mendes because his music is fresh and fun. In my opinion, Mendes encapsulates this era and represents the younger generation well.
BR: This was a hard decision because every single one of these artists had proven themselves and made top charts. I would like to see Shawn Mendes or even Camila win in this category. Camila left Fifth Harmony to take on her solo path which might have been a great decision she made for her career. All of the singles she has released have reached the Top 40, and everyone fell in love with all of them. I do think she has a chance to win this award, but I see Sweetenerbeing a winner as well. This is a tough one because everyone has created amazing albums. I hope the whole drama between Cardi and Nicki doesn’t have to do anything with this because they finally made up and it’s in the past.
KV: I haven’t listened to any of these albums fully through, but I’d hope the award goes to Shawn Mendes as his songs are so much more relatable, and I, at least, think they are more real for the listener; he’d deserve this. But, with the drama between Cardi B and Nicki Minaj, I wouldn’t be surprised if it garnered more votes for either of them.
Song:
Ariana Grande, No Tears Left to Cry; Shawn Mendes, In My Blood; Selena Gomez, Back to Yo; Cardi B, Bad Bunny & J Balvin, I Like It; BTS, Idol
MW: I Like It is a really fun party song. I hope that it wins. It’s a good collaboration, and I like the Latin flair.
BR: BTS will most likely be the winner for this category. Although I am not a huge fan of them, I do hope I Like It is the winner. The song was a summer hit where it was on the radio everywhere, and it still is today as summer has been over. The music video and song is catchy and fun for everyone. Everyone had at least one jam session in their car. I love all of these songs besides BTS but being realistic I Like It is the clear winner.
KV: As I said above, I would not be shocked it BTS’ Idol received this award due to their constantly growing fan base. But, I hope that Shawn Mendes In My Blood wins. It’s such a beautiful song and gives
Country Artist: Thomas Rhett, Luke Bryan, Carrie Underwood, Blake Shelton, Keith Urban
MW: I am not a Country music fan, but Carrie Underwood should win in this category. She just released a new album a couple of months ago called Cry Pretty. It’s been a big year. She’s almost fully recovered from an accidental fall that she took in November of 2017 that resulted in a broken wrist and 50 stitches in her face. One year later, she is almost four months pregnant. This is definitely Carrie Underwood’s time to shine.
BR: I am not a huge country music listener. When I moved to Florida, I started listening to more country, but I never knew who the artist was. I do know Carrie Underwood and Blake Shelton. I do not know any of Shelton’s song but Carrie Underwood has a lot of songs almost everyone knows, and she won American Idol. She is still very popular today and has a huge fan base. I predict she will win this category. The best part about her winning is she is the only female in this category.
KV: I haven’t really listened to much of the recent music put out by these artists, but what I’ve heard I think Thomas Rhett has a chance as his music is and has been relatable. But I’ve always been a fan of Carrie Underwood and Luke Bryan, and their music has always made me smile, so either of them would be well deserving as well.
Latin Artist:
Becky G, CNCO, J Balvin, Bad Bunny, Shakira
MW: I love Latin music. For me, it’s between J Balvin and Bad Bunny. Bad Bunny caused more of a stir on social media, at least on my feeds, so I think he will win this award.
BR: I do not listen to Latin music. I do know who Becky G is because she is the new yellow ranger in the Power Rangers movie, and she has a single called Shower. I do not know any other song by her or if she even sings in Spanish. I do predict Shakira will win this award because, no matter if she still creates new music or not, fans will always love her. She is an iconic singer, and everyone loves her. No matter what happens, Hips Don’t Lie will always be a song that will be popular no matter what year it is.
KV: I’d kind of love it if Shakira received this award. I don’t listen to Latin music but I have always respected her and what she gives to her fans.
Music Video:
Selena Gomez, Back to You; Ariana Grande, No Tears Left to Cry; Childish Gambino, This Is America; Camila Cabello, Never Be the Same; BTS, Idol
MW: I already liked Childish Gambino before he came out with This Is America, and the video is really well done. It is shocking, but it’s true that more people want to watch a video of people dancing than wake up to the reality of what’s happening in America, so he has to catch us off guard with it. I hope he wins.
BR: The winner will be This Is America because it left a huge impact on people with what is going on in America. I did enjoy Back to You. Back to You had a little bit of a vintage old school type of video that was artistic. Music videos that are original and have a story to it are how music videos should be. Gomez did it more in a more fun storytelling way while Gambino did it in a wake-up and this is what’s happening in America type of way.
KV: Though I am not fond of any of these songs in particular, the music video for This is America was exceptionally well done with the dancing as a distraction from all the violence occurring much like how current events are going this past year.
Concert Tour:
Beyoncé & Jay Z, On the Run II Tour; Taylor Swift, Reputation Tour; Britney Spears, Piece of Me Tour; Katy Perry, Witness Tour; Super Junior, Super Show 7
MW: I’d go with Britney Spears’ Piece of Me tour. Spears is a great performer. She’s always been known for her dancing, and after a long career, I find it impressive that she has stayed in such great shape by training to be able to still dance like that for a full tour.
BR: As a fan of Taylor Swift especially with her Reputation(not as great as 1989) I hope she wins this award. Taylor is always making headlines of the guests that appear during her concerts, and she has Camila Cabello as an opening act for her concert as well. Although I have a love for this singer, Beyoncé and Jay Z decided to go on tour together once again. After all of the drama between this power couple, they went on another tour. This tour was most likely a move to prove they are still fighting strong and are better together. They will most likely win this category especially with how much of a fan base Beyoncé has. I know Britney Spears would win this if this were about her Las Vegas concert where her contract keeps getting renewed every year where fans all over the world come to watch her.
Pop Culture
Beauty Influencer:
NIKKIETUTORIALS, Bretman Rock, Brooklyn and Bailey, Jackie Aina, James Charles
MW: James Charles has had my heart ever since he was CoverGirl’s first ever CoverBoy. I am subscribed to his YouTube channel where he posts video makeup tutorials. He’s a very funny and charming guy, which is another reason why his videos are so fun. He makes you feel like he is your best friend or your brother. In fact, he calls all of his fans “sisters.” He should win because his beauty looks are very creative and flawless.
BR: I do not watch any of these beauty influencers, but I know from my friends, they are fans of NIKKIETUTORIALS. I heard about James Charles because he was the first male to be the face of CoverGirl and started his own clothing that you can buy online. Between NIKKIETUTORIALS and James Charles, I think he will win.
KV: Knowing that James Charles was the first male CoverGirl, making make-up a universal art (not just for females as it had recently become) again, he could win as he went against norms with Covergirl. He is also very talented as a makeup artist so it’ll be well deserved. NIKKIETUTORIALS would be a well deserving winner as well as her makeup looks range from normal every day to crazy seasonal ones as well, all of them well thought out and completed.
James Charles was a 17 year-old high school senior when he was named the first ever CoverBoy in October 2016. Since then, his beauty career has taken off with nearly 10 million YouTube subscribers. @theaffinitymag
Social Star:
Shane Dawson, Jenna Marbles, Amanda Cerny, The Dolan Twins, Lele Pons
MW: Shane Dawson has been a social media star since practically the beginning of social media, or at least, the beginning of YouTube. He has been around since 2008, and his videos have become his career. He used to put out silly comedy sketches and parodies of pop songs, but now, at age 30, he has gone in a very different direction. I know what you’re thinking: Shane Dawson has been around since the dawn of time, but seriously, if you haven’t been on his channel lately, you need to give him a visit. He currently focuses his media on conspiracy theories! They are all in fun, so don’t worry about falling into something crazy. He’s like an investigative reporter that is obsessed with pop culture and tells funny jokes and focuses on weird topics. I think he should win because he’s been able to adapt with the times so that he isn’t just an old has-been. The timeline for fame on social media is a short one, so what Dawson has done is quite an achievement.
BR: Jenna Marbles is the only social star that I have watched. Some of her videos made me laugh until I cried. Jenna Marbles has been the only social star that has created her own content and doesn’t make the same videos as everyone else is doing. She doesn’t follow any trends, she makes her own trends. Although I love Jenna Marbles, I do love her dogs as well. Jenna Marbles winning is almost like her dogs winning as well, and that is what I would like to see.
KV: I don’t watch any of these often, but what I have seen from Lele Pons makes me hope she receives the award. Her creativity surprises me, and she has grown so much as a YouTuber and now as a musician, embracing her Latin American heritage.
Animal Star:
Lil Bub, Crusoe the Celebrity Dachshund Gone to the Snow Dogs, Cole & Marmalade, April the Giraffe
MW: April the Giraffe was the giraffe that gave birth to her calf in the live Facebook video that was viewed by over 1.2 million viewers. I think that momma is a clear winner.
BR: If April the Giraffe is the giraffe who was born during a live Facebook video, she deserves to win. Dogs and cats are always gaining popularity so it would be new if an exotic animal wins!
KV: Out of all of these animals, I hope Lil Bub wins this. This cat is so adorable and inspirational as she lives with her genetic mutations and sad past. Having found a home and a person who loves her, the videos of her makes me cry happy tears.
Social Celebrity:
Ellen DeGeneres, Chrissy Teigen, BTS, Taylor Swift, Selena Gomez
MW: I hope that Chrissy Teigen wins. She’s funny, smart, and beautiful. Her tweets are usually very sweet things about her life with John Legend and their children, but she also gets political often. She speaks her mind and stands up for her beliefs as well as the rights of others, which I appreciate. And she doesn’t just tweet for her causes; she takes action. She participated in the March for Our Lives and the Keep Families Together March. Among her charitable causes are Planned Parenthood, the American Foundation for AIDS Research, and the Andy Roddick Foundation. She has 10.7 million Twitter followers, and TIMEnamed her one of the top 25 Most Influential People on the Internet in April of this year. At age 32, she has turned her career as a model into so much more: she’s also written and published two cookbooks, and she is a co-host on Lip-Sync Battle with LL Cool J. She even has some acting experience as a guest star on an episode of The Mindy Project. I love that Teigen uses her platform for good. She is open about issues that come with being a woman and a mother such as body image issues and postpartum depression. From her social media, I get the sense that she is a real person.
BR: I really hope that BTS does not win every single award they are nominated for. This is hard because all of these celebrities are popular and have a huge following. I would like to see Selena Gomez win. Selena is iconic and has been around since Barney! Selena used to have the number one following on Instagram and just recently went down to number two. We can’t forget her iconic “Share a Coke and a Song” picture the most liked photo on Instagram. If that doesn’t say Social Celebrity, then I don’t know what does.
KV: Ellen is all around great, and Selena has just been an inspiration since she has been dealing with her health. Both would be nice winners, but again, having seen how much the BTS fandom has grown, I wouldn’t be surprised if BTS takes it home.
Comedy Act:
Kevin Hart, Tiffany Haddish, Ali Wong, Marlon Wayans, Amy Schumer
MW: Tiffany Haddish should win. She is the most popular comedian of our generation. I think it’s much tougher for a comedy artist to become an A-list celebrity, but Haddish has done it with her recent success in the last year.
BR: Tiffany Haddish will definitely win this award. After starting in the Girls Trip movie, proving herself, she has been taking over the world. Kevin Hart has himself some competition. She is showing up everywhere and has movies coming out back to back. It’ll be a shocker if she ends up losing. Her new movie Nobody’s Fool is out in theaters now and actually looks like a romantic comedy movie with more comedy than romance.
Style Star:
Zendaya, Blake Lively, Emma Watson, Beyoncé, Harry Styles
MW: Blake Lively has always had adorable style ever since the 2000s, and she continues to stun a whole new generation. Her style is more of a classic beauty. Whether she’s just hanging out with her kids or walking down the red carpet, her outfit is always amazing and just right for the occasion. Her dress at the Met Gala this year made headlines. She should absolutely win in this category.
BR: Blake Lively is going to be the winner. We can’t forget about her iconic role on Gossip Girlplaying Serena, although she has stayed away from being only known for this role. She is a fashion icon, actress and loves to bake. She is down to earth where we can see her trolling her husband on social media. She is someone who knows how to be classy but have some fun. If you don’t believe me that she will win this award just watch her new movie A Simple Favor.
KV: I have always adored both Blake Lively and Emma Watson’s style. Both women are very influential and inspiring as well, so if either of the two received the award, I would be thrilled.
Blake Lively starred in the mystery-thriller “A Simple Favor,” alongside Anna Kendrick and Henry Golding, directed by Paul Feig this year.
@vanityfair
Game Changer: Colin Kaepernick, Serena Williams, Cristiano Ronaldo, Aly Raisman, Nia Jax
MW: I hope that Colin Kaepernick wins. That’s who I would pick. His movement got the most media attention with his movement, which opened up conversations about his cause all over the world. You can love him or hate him, but his impact is evident. I respect his right to protest by kneeling during the national anthem as well as the reason why he did it, which was to protest unfair treatment of minorities in this country. He started a dialogue about patriotism, freedom of expression and equal rights, and he managed to do that by taking the issue to a wide scale, and unfortunately, his stance was so controversial that he had to sacrifice some fans and his career. I think it was ultimately worthwhile, but we should prove that by giving him this award in solidarity.
BR: Serena Williams did have a video of her arguing with the referee so she may not have a chance of winning. Besides the whole issue with how she was acting she has made many accomplishments. I don’t know much about these athletes. I hope it goes to someone who made a change and impact.
KV: With the whole #metoo movement, and women’s rights being in the news consistently, I’d love to see Aly Raisman be awarded this award. This gymnast has spoken out about how the United States gymnastics group has suffered under Larry Nassar and all the sexual and child abuse allegations that arose around him. She is trying to make a difference not only in the world but within a sport that has won America countless medals during the Olympics.
Pop Podcast:
Amy Schumer Presents: 3 Girls, 1 Keith; Scrubbing in With Becca Tilley & Tanya Rad; Anna Faris Is Unqualified; LADYGANG; Chicks in the Office
MW: Chicks in the Office is my favorite on the list. I hope that it wins, but it is not as popular as the somewhat similar podcast LADYGANG. LADYGANG actually just got their own show on E! that premiered this fall. I think Chicks in the Office from Barstool Sports is much funnier and real. I would recommend Chicks in the Office to other students even if you don’t care for podcasts. “Chicks in the Office” is more upbeat and wild than LADYGANG. Both podcasts are geared towards women and celebrity news, but they may be speaking to different generations of women because the girls of Chicks in the Office are 21 years old, while the girls of LADYGANG are 32 years old. Chicks in the Office is run a little more like a talk radio show than a slow, droning podcast that one might typically think of. Personally, I found LADYGANG quite boring. I can easily listen to 2-hour episodes of Chicks in the Office, but LADYGANG only has 1-hour episodes, and I still can’t listen to LADYGANG all the way through.
BR: Podcasts are not my thing. Since I loved Anna Faris in the “Scary Movie” franchise, she deserves this award. I am not a fan of Amy Schumer but her most recent movie “I Feel Pretty” was an amazing movie with a great message. Unfortunately, since this isn’t a movie award, I don’t think she will win.
KV: I don’t listen to podcasts, but the few things I’ve seen Amy Schumer do has made me laugh. I would be shocked if her podcast wasn’t as entertaining as she can be.
