2011 Billboard Music Awards Announced

The show is scheduled to air on Sunday, May 22nd, 2011 and will become one of the most important music forums for artists on television.

"This show marks the first of several broadcast platforms we plan to build around the Billboard franchise," said Beckman. "We have an incredible network partner and with Don Mischer, one of the finest producers in the world. We look forward to entertaining music fans with Billboard's own rendition of a televised celebration of music."

Real artist popularity will be recognized on stage by objective measures�capturing pure fan support through Billboard's legendary chart rankings. The Billboard Music Awards will take a holistic look at artist performance based on key fan interactions with music, including album, single and digital sales, touring, streaming and social interactions on MySpace, Facebook and many of the other most popular online destinations for music. These measurements are tracked year-round by Billboard and it's data partners.

The awards will be based on the reporting period of February 28, 2010 through March 1, 2011. Top artists will be recognized in a variety of genres, for example R&B, Rap, Pop, Country, Rock, Latin and Alternative. Such recognition will be determined and authenticated by Billboard.