The Ultimate Showdown: Unpacking The 2024 Billboard Music Award Nominations For Top Female Artist

The Billboard Music Awards (BBMAs), which honor the biggest names in music based on performance on the Billboard charts, streaming, radio airplay, touring, and social engagement, held its most recent ceremony in late 2024, celebrating the most dominant artists of the eligibility period. This year’s race for the coveted Top Female Artist award was arguably one of the most competitive in recent memory, featuring a mix of established global superstars and breakout sensations who redefined the music landscape.

As of today, December 18, 2025, the 2024 awards represent the latest complete cycle of nominations and winners, setting the benchmark for commercial and artistic success. This article dives deep into the profiles of the five extraordinary women who earned a nomination, exploring their career highlights and the chart-smashing achievements that secured their place among the elite of the music industry.

The 2024 Billboard Music Awards: Top Female Artist Nominees and Winner

The 2024 BBMA nomination list for Top Female Artist was a powerful reflection of the year's music trends, showcasing artists who achieved massive commercial success across multiple genres. The nominees were selected based on the performance of their music over a specific tracking period, aligning with Billboard’s Year-End Charts.

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The full list of finalists for the 2024 Billboard Music Award for Top Female Artist included five global powerhouses:

• Taylor Swift
• Sabrina Carpenter
• Billie Eilish
• Chappell Roan
• SZA

The winner of the 2024 Billboard Music Award for Top Female Artist was Taylor Swift, further cementing her status as a titan of the music industry.

The Reigning Queen: Biography and 2024 BBMA Triumph

The ultimate victory in the Top Female Artist category went to a star whose commercial dominance is unparalleled. Her win was a capstone on a year of historic achievements, not just for her own career but for the history of the BBMAs themselves.

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Taylor Swift: Biography and Profile

Born in West Reading, Pennsylvania, Taylor Swift is one of the most commercially successful and influential artists of the 21st century. Her journey began in country music before she transitioned into a global pop icon, known for her narrative songwriting across albums like Fearless, 1989, Folklore, and Midnights. She is celebrated for her business acumen, her relentless touring, and her ability to connect with a massive, dedicated fanbase, often referred to as 'Swifties'.

Taylor Swift’s 2024 BBMA Achievements

Taylor Swift's nomination and win in 2024 were fueled by the continued, unprecedented success of The Eras Tour, which became a cultural and economic phenomenon, alongside the sustained chart performance of her re-recorded albums and new material.

Her monumental year included:

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• Most-Awarded Artist in BBMA History: Her 2024 wins pushed her total career BBMA count to 49, surpassing Drake to become the most-decorated artist in the history of the awards.
• Total Dominance: She took home an incredible 10 awards at the 2024 ceremony, including Top Artist, Top Billboard 200 Artist, and Top Hot 100 Artist, demonstrating her complete chart dominance.
• Album Performance: The continued success of her album Midnights and the release of new works kept her at the pinnacle of global streaming and sales metrics throughout the eligibility period.

The Pop Powerhouses: Profiles of the Other Elite Finalists

The competition for Top Female Artist was fierce, with four other nominees who each commanded significant influence and chart success, representing the diverse landscape of contemporary pop and R&B music.

Sabrina Carpenter: The Global Pop Sensation

Sabrina Carpenter, an actress and singer-songwriter, experienced a massive surge in global popularity during the 2024 BBMA eligibility period. Originally known for her roles on the Disney Channel, she successfully pivoted to a mature pop sound that captured the zeitgeist.

Her nomination was largely driven by the infectious success of her single "Espresso." The song became a viral sensation and a global streaming hit, earning her nominations in major song categories like Top Billboard Global (Excl. U.S.) Song and Top Billboard Global 200 Song, solidifying her status as a true pop royalty contender.

Billie Eilish: The Alternative Icon

Billie Eilish, known for her distinct blend of alternative pop, electronic elements, and whispery vocals, maintained her status as a critical and commercial darling. Despite being a younger artist, Eilish has consistently demonstrated a powerful presence on the charts and in global culture since her breakthrough.

Her inclusion in the Top Female Artist category for 2024 reflects the continued success of her projects and her ability to generate massive engagement, with her music often topping charts and driving cultural conversation during the tracking period. Her unique artistic vision and massive streaming numbers made her a formidable nominee.

Chappell Roan: The Breakout Star

Chappell Roan, the stage name of Kayleigh Rose Amstutz, represents the power of a breakout year. Her theatrical, maximalist pop style and unapologetic queer aesthetic resonated deeply with a growing audience, making her one of the most talked-about new artists of the year.

While nominated for Top Female Artist, Roan’s biggest win of the night was the Top New Artist award, a major achievement that underscores her meteoric rise. Her album, The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess, became a sleeper hit, demonstrating that authentic artistry and grassroots buzz can translate into major chart success and BBMA recognition.

SZA: R&B Dominance

SZA (Solána Imani Rowe) is a leading force in contemporary R&B, celebrated for her raw, confessional songwriting and genre-blending sound. Her album SOS continued its incredible run, dominating streaming platforms and maintaining a strong presence on the Billboard 200 chart throughout the eligibility window.

Her consistent success in 2024 earned her a Top Female Artist nomination and likely secured her wins in the genre-specific R&B categories, such as Top R&B Artist and Top R&B Female Artist. SZA’s nomination highlights the commercial strength of R&B music and her unparalleled command over global streaming metrics.

The Metrics of Success: How the BBMA Top Female Artist is Determined

Unlike awards shows that rely on voting by industry peers or fans, the Billboard Music Awards are a purely quantitative measure of success. This gives the Top Female Artist category a unique weight, as it is based on irrefutable, hard data.

The finalists and winner are determined by key metrics tracked by Billboard and its data partners, including Luminate, over a specific 12-month eligibility period.

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

The criteria for the Top Female Artist award are comprehensive, ensuring the winner truly reflects the most successful woman in music across all platforms:

• Album and Digital Song Sales: The total units sold of albums and individual tracks.
• Streaming: The total number of on-demand audio and video streams.
• Radio Airplay: The total audience impressions for songs played on radio.
• Social Engagement: The level of activity and buzz generated on major social media platforms.
• Touring Revenue: The financial success and scale of the artist's live performances (though this can be a minor factor).

The 2024 results, particularly Taylor Swift’s win, underscore the importance of sustained, multi-platform dominance. Her ability to excel in all these areas—from massive album sales and record-breaking tour revenue to unparalleled global streaming—is what ultimately secured her the Top Female Artist title against such a powerful field of nominees.

Topical Authority and The Future of Female Dominance

The 2024 Billboard Music Awards for Top Female Artist serve as a powerful snapshot of the music industry's current landscape. The list of nominees—Taylor Swift, Sabrina Carpenter, Billie Eilish, Chappell Roan, and SZA—demonstrates a healthy ecosystem where generational icons and new voices can coexist and compete at the highest level.

The inclusion of artists like Chappell Roan and Sabrina Carpenter, who experienced massive, viral, and organic growth, signals a shift in how pop royalty is crowned. Meanwhile, the continued chart dominance of established figures like Swift and SZA confirms their enduring cultural relevance. As we look ahead to the next BBMA cycle, the competition will only intensify, driven by the sheer talent and commercial power of these extraordinary women in music.