Award season has begun. Here are the nominees in rock and metal for the Billboard Music Awards. It’s not good.

Let’s face it. Music awards programs exist for two reasons: (1) To create a saleable primetime network TV show, and (b) to wring a little more juice out of the releases of 2024 before the recorded music industry barrels headlong into 2025.

Among the very first of these shows is the Billboard Music Awards. The telecast is set for Fox on December 12, which gives people just enough time to consider buying anything from these artists before the end of the year.

There are a billion categories, but let’s focus just on the rock and metal categories. Prepare to scream “WHAT IN THE HOLY F**KNG F**K IS GOING ON HERE?!? WHO THE F**K MADE THESE CHOICES?”

You’ll see what I mean. You’ve been warned.

Top Duo / Group

• blink-182
• Coldplay
• Fuerza Regida
• Linkin Park
• Stray Kids

Top Rock Artist

• Zach Bryan
• Hozier
• Jelly Roll
• Noah Kahan
• Linkin Park

Top Rock Duo / Group

• Good Neighbours
• Linkin Park
• The Red Clay Strays

Top Hard Rock Artist

• Bad Omens
• HARDY
• Linkin Park

Top Rock Touring Artist

• Coldplay
• The Rolling Stones
• Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band

Top Rock Album

• Zach Bryan, The Great American Bar Scene
• Zach Bryan, Zach Bryan
• Hozier, Unheard (EP)
• Noah Kahan, Stick Season
• Dolly Parton, Rockstar

Top Hard Rock Album

• Bring Me the Horizon, POST HUMAN: NeX GEn
• Falling in Reverse, Popular Monster
• Hardy, Quit!!
• Pearl Jam, Dark Matter
• Sleep Token, Take Me Back to Eden

Top Rock Song

• Zach Bryan, “Pink Skies”
• Zach Bryan featuring Kacey Musgraves, “I Remember Everything”
• Djo, “End of Beginning”
• Hozier, “Too Sweet”
• Noah Kahan, “Stick Season”

Top Hard Rock Song

• Falling in Reverse Featuring Jelly Roll, “All My Life”
• Falling in Reverse Featuring Tech N9ne & Alex Terrible, “Ronald”
• HARDY, “Psycho”
• Linkin Park, “The Emptiness Machine”
• Superheaven, “Youngest Daughter”