News DeskRiyadh, Saudi Arabia – Billboard Arabia has announced the first edition of the Billboard Arabia Music Awards (BBAMAs), scheduled to take place on December 11, 2024, at the iconic King Fahd Cultural Center in Riyadh. This event is part of the inaugural Riyadh Music Week, a major initiative aimed at uniting the global music community through a series of festivals and events.
Billboard Arabia, now a leading platform for discovering Arab artists, will celebrate a year of music milestones and achievements with the BBAMAs. The awards will honor both trailblazers and rising stars across various categories, including Top Artist, Female Artist, Male Artist, and the year’s hottest songs. Winners will be determined based on their rankings on Billboard Arabia’s flagship charts, including the Hot 100 and Artist 100, as well as newly launched dialect and genre-specific charts such as Khaleeji, Egyptian, Levantine, Maghrebi, Arabic Hip-Hop, Arabic Indie, Shelat, and Mahraganat.
In addition to recognizing top artists and music of the year, the BBAMAs will showcase the region’s diverse talent through live performances, surprise collaborations, and memorable moments featuring both established and emerging artists. The event will also include performances from major international artists.
Jomana R. Alrashid, CEO of SRMG, expressed her enthusiasm for the event, noting that Billboard Arabia has quickly become a fast-growing music platform that reflects the preferences of millions of music fans globally. She emphasized the importance of celebrating the region’s diverse musical and artistic culture through global and dialect charts and the launch of the biggest Arabic music awards show in Riyadh. Alrashid highlighted the support from the Saudi Music Commission and SRMG’s strategic partnership with Billboard as critical in spotlighting Arab artists and growing the region’s vibrant music industry.
Rami M. Zeidan, Managing Director of Billboard Arabia, proudly announced the first edition of the BBAMAs, stating that Riyadh, as one of the fastest-growing music hubs, is the ideal location to celebrate the achievements of Arab artists worldwide. Zeidan emphasized the BBAMAs’ mission to ensure Arab artists and their stories receive deserved recognition both regionally and globally.
Mike Van, President of Billboard, expressed pride in bringing the Billboard Music Awards to Riyadh, recognizing the event as the preeminent music event worldwide. Van highlighted that the BBAMAs will celebrate artists’ commercial success and impact on the music industry, applying Billboard’s metric-based methodology to showcase Arab artists who have resonated most with music fans globally.
Billboard Arabia was launched in June 2023 to spotlight Arab artists on a global stage. Since then, it has introduced several iconic Billboard franchises to the MENA region, including Billboard Arabia News, Women in Music, and Charts, establishing infrastructure to help artists reach wider audiences. Billboard Arabia has also developed unique IPs like Jalsat Billboard Arabia and Sounds of the Land to further highlight Arab voices.
