[НАГРАЖДЕНИЯ]  Billboard: here comes Britney Spears

Britney Spears leads the list of finalists for the 1999 Billboard Music Awards, to be held Dec. 8 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. She is in the running in six categories: artist of the year, female artist, new artist, Hot 100 singles artist, album artist, and album of the year ("...Baby One More Time").

Among the acts scheduled to play at the show are Metallica, Spears; Ricky Martin; Jennifer Lopez; LeAnn Rimes; and the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Backstreet Boys, Kelly, Vitamin C, and Brian McKnight will make special appearances on the program, along with Celine Dion, Willie Nelson, Emmylou Harris, Christina Aguilera, Aerosmith, Lou Bega, 98 Degrees, 'N Sync, Mary J. Blige, Everlast, ZZ Top, Sugar Ray, and Blink 182.

Full list of the finalists:

Artist Of The Year
• Backstreet Boys
• Britney Spears
• TLC
• Shania Twain

Male Artist
• DMX
• Jay-Z
• R. Kelly
• Ricky Martin

Female Artist
• Cher
• Whitney Houston
• Britney Spears
• Shania Twain

Duo/Group Artist
• Backstreet Boys
• 98 Degrees
• Sugar Ray
• TLC

New Artist
• Christina Aguilera
• Lou Bega
• Jennifer Lopez
• Britney Spears

Hot 100 Singles Artist
• Backstreet Boys
• Ricky Martin
• Britney Spears
• TLC

Album Artist
• Backstreet Boys
• Garth Brooks
• 'N Sync
• Britney Spears

Rap Singles Artist
• Jay-Z
• JT Money
• Busta Rhymes
• Sole

R&B Artist
• Faith Evans
• Lauryn Hill
• Jay-Z
• R. Kelly

Country Artist
• Dixie Chicks
• Martina McBride
• Tim McGraw
• George Strait

Hot 100 Title
• Cher "Believe"
• Whitney Houston Feat. Faith Evans and Kelly Price "Heartbreak Hotel"
• Monica "Angel Of Mine"
• TLC "No Scrubs"

R&B Singles Title
• Deborah Cox "Nobody's Supposed To Be Here"
• Whitney Houston "Heartbreak Hotel"
• Maxwell "Fortunate"
• TLC "No Scrubs"

R&B Album Artist
• DMX
• Lauryn Hill
• Juvenile
• R. Kelly

Album of the Year
• Backstreet Boys "Millennium"
• 'N Sync "'N Sync"
• Britney Spears "...Baby One More Time"
• Shania Twain "Come On Over"