FINALISTS ANNOUNCED FOR "THE 2005 BILLBOARD MUSIC AWARDS" LL COOL J TO HOST THE SHOW TUESDAY, DEC. 6, ON FOX

50 Cent, Mariah Carey and Green Day Lead Finalists in Multiple Categories Gwen Stefani, Daddy Yankee and Pharrell to Perform

THE 2005 BILLBOARD MUSIC AWARDS has announced finalists in categories scheduled to be honored this year live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas Tuesday, Dec. 6 (8:00-10:00 PM ET Live/PT Tape-Delayed) on FOX. Musician and actor LL Cool J will host the show. As previously announced, Tom Petty will receive the Century Award and Kanye West will accept the 2005 Artist Achievement Award.

Featuring performances by Gwen Stefani, Daddy Yankee with Pharrell, Green Day, Toby Keith, R. Kelly and Carrie Underwood, among others, the BILLBOARD MUSIC AWARDS recognizes the year's leading artists and songs as determined by actual performance on Billboard's weekly charts. The show celebrates the record-buying, Internet-downloading and radio-listening public's favorite songs, albums and performers, creating a true souvenir of the year in music.

Based on sales data compiled by Nielsen SoundScan and radio information monitored by Nielsen Broadcast Data Systems, Billboard's music charts are the world's most authoritative. Winners are determined by the 2005 year-end charts, which reflect the weekly charts that Billboard published from December 2004 through November 2005.

Stefani's latest album "Love. Angel. Music. Baby." features five Billboard Hot 100 hits, including "Hollaback Girl," which spent one month at No. 1. The top-10 album has sold 3.2 million since its release. Her band, No Doubt, has sold over 15 million albums in the U.S. and has had massive radio success with hits such as "Just A Girl," "Don't Speak," "Hey Baby," "Hella Good" and "It's My Life."

Daddy Yankee's "Barrio Fino" album spent six months at No. 1 on Billboard's Top Latin Albums chart this year. In 2005, Yankee achieved eight top-40 singles on the Hot Latin Songs chart, including "Gasolina" and his brand-new single "Rompe." As part of the superproducing duo The Neptunes, Pharrell has produced 32 top-40 Hot 100 hits, including Stefani's "Hollaback Girl," Nelly's "Hot in Herre," Snoop Dogg's "Drop It Like It's Hot" and Justin Timberlake's "Rock Your Body."

Billboard Magazine's year-end issue, scheduled to hit newsstands December 16, will announce award winners in all categories honored this year.

The finalists, by category, of THE 2005 BILLBOARD MUSIC AWARDS are as follows (artists are listed in alphabetical order):

Artist of the Year
50 Cent
Mariah Carey
Kelly Clarkson
Green Day

Group of the Year
The Black Eyed Peas
Destiny's Child
Green Day
The Killers

Album of the Year
50 Cent, "The Massacre"
Mariah Carey, "The Emancipation of Mimi"
Eminem, "Encore"
Green Day, "American Idiot"

Hot 100 Song of the Year
Mariah Carey, "We Belong Together"
Kelly Clarkson, "Since U Been Gone"
Mario, "Let Me Love You"
Gwen Stefani, "Hollaback Girl"

Top Selling Single of the Year
American Idol Season 4 Finalists, "When You Tell Me That You Love Me"
Bo Bice, "Inside Your Heaven"
The Pussycat Dolls, featuring Busta Rhymes, "Don't Cha"
Carrie Underwood, "Inside Your Heaven"

Digital Song of the Year
Kelly Clarkson, "Since U Been Gone"
Green Day, "Boulevard of Broken Dreams"
The Killers, "Mr. Brightside"
Gwen Stefani, "Hollaback Girl"

New Artist of the Year
Fantasia
The Game
Gwen Stefani
Rob Thomas

R&B/Hip-Hop Album of the Year
50 Cent, "The Massacre"
Mariah Carey, "The Emancipation of Mimi"
Destiny's Child, "Destiny Fulfilled"
Eminem, "Encore"

R&B/Hip-Hop Artist of the Year
50 Cent
Mariah Carey
Destiny's Child
Fantasia

R&B/Hip-Hop Song of the Year
Mariah Carey, "We Belong Together"
Fantasia, "Truth Is"
Lil Jon & The East Side Boyz featuring Usher and Ludacris, "Lovers & Friends"
Mario, "Let Me Love You"

Female R&B/Hip-Hop Artist of the Year
Mariah Carey
Ciara
Fantasia
Alicia Keys

Rap Artist of the Year
50 Cent
The Game
Ludacris
T.I.

Rap Album of the Year
50 Cent, "The Massacre"
Eminem, "Encore"
The Game, "The Documentary"
Lil Jon & The East Side Boyz, "Crunk Juice"

Rap Song of the Year
50 Cent featuring Olivia, "Candy Shop"
Lil Jon & The East Side Boyz featuring Usher and Ludacris, "Lovers & Friends"
Snoop Dogg featuring Pharrell, "Drop It Like It's Hot"
The Game featuring 50 Cent, "How We Do"

Rock Artist of the Year
Breaking Benjamin
Green Day
Papa Roach
Velvet Revolver

Modern Rock Artist of the Year
Foo Fighters
Green Day
The Killers
Nine Inch Nails

Modern Rock Song of the Year
Foo Fighters, "Best of You"
Gorillaz, "Feel Good Inc."
Green Day, "Boulevard of Broken Dreams"
Nine Inch Nails, "The Hand That Feeds"

Country Artist of the Year
Kenny Chesney
Toby Keith
Rascal Flatts
Gretchen Wilson

Country Album of the Year
Toby Keith, "Greatest Hits 2"
Rascal Flatts, "Feels Like Today"
Shania Twain, "Greatest Hits"
Gretchen Wilson, "Here for the Party"

Country Group of the Year
Brooks & Dunn
Montgomery Gentry
Rascal Flatts
Sugarland

Ringtone of the Year
50 Cent featuring Olivia, "Candy Shop"
Ciara featuring Missy Elliott, "1, 2 Step"
Lil Jon & The East Side Boyz featuring Usher and Ludacris, "Lovers & Friends"
Snoop Dogg featuring Pharrell, "Drop It Like It's Hot"

(Editor's Information: Below, please find artists who are finalists in multiple award categories.)

50 CENT (8 categories) Artist of the Year

Album of the Year
R&B/Hip-Hop Album of the Year
R&B/Hip-Hop Artist of the Year
Rap Artist of the Year
Rap Album of the Year
Rap Song of the Year
Ringtone of the Year

MARIAH CAREY (7 categories)
Artist of the Year
Album of the Year
Hot 100 Song of the Year
R&B/Hip-Hop Artist of the Year
R&B/Hip-Hop Album of the Year
R&B/Hip-Hop Song of the Year
Female R&B Hip-Hop Artist of the Year

GREEN DAY (6 categories)
Artist of the Year
Album of the Year
Rock Artist of the Year
Modern Rock Artist of the Year
Modern Rock Song of the Year
Digital Song of the Year

FANTASIA (4 categories)
R&B/Hip-Hop Artist of the Year
R&B/Hip-Hop Song of the Year
New Artist of the Year
Female R&B/Hip-Hop Artist of the Year

THE GAME (4 categories)
New Artist of the Year
Rap Artist of the Year
Rap Album of the Year
Rap Song of the Year

LIL JON & THE EAST SIDE BOYZ (4 categories)
Rap Album of the Year
R&B/Hip-Hop Song of the Year (featuring Usher and Ludacris)
Rap Song of the Year (featuring Usher and Ludacris)
Ringtone of the Year (featuring Usher and Ludacris)

GWEN STEFANI (3 categories)
Hot 100 Song of the Year
Digital Song of the Year
New Artist of the Year

KELLY CLARKSON (3 categories)
Artist of the Year
Hot 100 Song of the Year
Digital Song of the Year

EMINEM (3 categories)
Album of the Year
R&B/Hip-Hop Album of the Year
Rap Album of the Year

THE KILLERS (3 categories)
Group of the Year
Modern Rock Artist of the Year
Digital Song of the Year

DESTINY'S CHILD (3 categories)
Group of the Year
R&B/Hip-Hop Artist of the Year
R&B/Hip-Hop Album of the Year

SNOOP DOGG (featuring Pharrell) (2 categories)
Rap Song of the Year
Ringtone of the Year

MARIO (2 categories)
Hot 100 Song of the Year
R&B/Hip-Hop Song of the Year

CIARA (2 categories)
Female R&B Artist of the Year
Ringtone of the Year

FOO FIGHTERS (2 categories)
Modern Rock Artist of the Year
Modern Rock Song of the Year

NINE INCH NAILS (2 categories)
Modern Rock Artist of the Year
Modern Rock Song of the Year

Now in its 111th year, Billboard is the world's premier music publication and a diverse digital, events and brand-licensing platform. Billboard publishes the most trusted charts and offers unrivaled reporting about the latest music, video and digital entertainment issues and trends. Billboard is the flagship property for the Billboard Information Group, which also consists of Billboard.biz, Billboard.com, Billboard Chart Alert, Billboard Information Network (BIN), Billboard Directories, Billboard Licensing & Events and Billboard Radio Monitor. Billboard's many strategic partners include Microsoft, mForma, Reuters, Sirius Satellite Radio, Telemundo, Univision Radio, ABC Radio Networks, Azteca America and Billboard sister companies Nielsen SoundScan and Nielsen Broadcast Data Systems. These partnerships leverage Billboard's proprietary data, charts and information resources to develop broadcast entertainment, digital and mobile platforms and contextual commerce applications that expand Billboard's platforms and consumer reach.

Billboard is headquartered in New York with bureaus in Boston, London, Los Angeles, Miami, Nashville and Washington, DC. The Group is a unit of VNU Business Media, a worldwide media company that provides specialized publications, electronically delivered data, expositions and marketing services and is owned by VNU Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Netherlands-based VNU, an international publishing and information company.

MGM Grand, "The City of Entertainment" in Las Vegas, features 5,034 guest rooms and suites, a state-of-the-art gaming complex, world-class entertainment venues, signature restaurants by celebrity chefs and the $100 million Conference Center for meetings/conventions, all centrally located on the Las Vegas Strip. For room availability and information about MGM Grand, call (800) 929-1111 or (702) 891-7777 or log onto the website at www.mgmgrand.com.

Bob Bain returns for his 10th year as executive producer of the Billboard Music Awards. Bruce Gowers will direct and Greg Sills will serve as supervising producer. Paul Flattery is producer and Wylleen May is the executive in charge of production.