Rihanna takes the lead as a finalist in 18 award categories, including Top Hot 100 Artist, Top Female Artist, Top R&B Artist and Top Dance/Electronic Artist. “Love the Way You Lie,” her chart-topping collaboration with Eminem, places her as a contender in six song categories.

Meanwhile, Eminem is a finalist in 16 award categories, including Top Billboard 200 Artist, Top Artist, Top Male Artist and Top Rap Artist.

Lady Gaga follows as a finalist in 12 categories, with three releases all competing for Top Dance/Electronic Album: “The Fame,” “The Fame Monster” and “The Remix.”

The Black Eyed Peas, who are performing on the live show, have been nominated for 4 categories, Top Duo/Group, Top Pop Artist, Top Dance Artist and Top Pop Album for “The E.N.D.”. Below you can check who they are up against in the categories.

TOP DUO/GROUP

The Black Eyed Peas

Bon Jovi

Lady Antebellum

Linkin Park

U2

TOP POP ARTIST

Justin Bieber

The Black Eyed Peas

Ke$ha

Lady Gaga

Katy Perry

TOP DANCE ARTIST

The Black Eyed Peas

David Guetta

Lady Gaga

LaRoux

Rihanna

TOP POP ALBUM

Justin Bieber My World 2.0

Black Eyed Peas The E.N.D.

Ke$ha Animal

Lady Gaga The Fame

Katy Perry Teenage Dream

With “X Factor” auditions under way, Simon Cowell is slowly dishing out even more details surrounding the highly anticipated singing competition, including another possible contender for the show’s judging panel: Fergie.

On Thursday (April 7), the former “American Idol” judge confirmed that the Black Eyed Peas songstress is among the many possible additions to the lineup.

“All I can tell you is that her name was put forward,” Cowell said in a conference call with reporters. “But like a lot of other people we’ve spoken to, we have to check out everybody’s availability. There’s a lot of time you have to put into the show, because it’s not a ‘two-day-a-week’ with this. When you’re in the live show, it’s because you’re mentoring the contestant. You’re working five or six days a week.”

As we can recall, Fergie’s name has come up in various reports that she along others such as Jessica Simpson, Nicole Scherzinger, Cheryl Cole, Paula Abdul and Nicki Minaj were being considered as judges.  And it’s really no surprise Simon Cowell would like to sign the Fergalicious singer to the judging panel, since in previous interviews he has mentioned that she is one of the artists he really likes.

In the Digital Songs chart, Katy Perry’s “E.T.” holds at No. 1, selling another 327,000 downloads (up 29%), following the premiere of its out-of-this-world music video last week. The Black Eyed Peas‘ “Just Can’t Get Enough” moves up 3-2 (203,000; down 7%), and Rihanna’s “S&M” is also up one, 4-3 (159,000; down 4%).

With those digital sales and their accumulated airplay and streaming The Black Eyed Peas are able to ascend 2 spots to number 3 on the Hot 100 chart this week.  This is the first time the Black Eyed Peas have occupied a spot in the Top 3 since the Billboard week dating the 13th of March 2010, over a year ago, when Imma Be spent its second week at number 1, falling to number 5 the week after.

Tomorrow, for one day only, The Black Eyed Peas along with their Peapod Foundation are teaming up with Aeropostale to release an exclusive t-shirt.  The proceeds of the shirt, which can be seen here, will go to their foundation.  As well as buying the $10 shirt, a free EP with 3 songs from The Beginning will be given out for free.  You can purchase the shirt from 10 am to 1 pm (or until supplies last), and you will be entered to see the peas live in concert.

Fergie of the Black Eyed Peas could be the “mystery superstar” whom “The X Factor” executive producer Simon Cowell has been saying is a recently available contender to be an “X Factor” U.S. judge. British tabloid the Daily Mirror is reporting that Fergie, Cheryl Cole and Paula Abdul are now the top three candidates to be judges on the show.

Cowell and Antonio “L.A.” Reid (former chairman of Island Def Jam Music Group) are the two judges who have been officially announced so far for the show. The show’s other two judges will be women, says Cowell, and they are expected to be announced in April 2011. “The X Factor” U.S. premieres on Fox in September 2011. Many of the episodes will be live.

The only problem with this rumor about Fergie being an “X Factor” judge is that the Black Eyes Peas are launching a major world tour in 2011, beginning May 14 at the United Kingdom’s Carlisle Airport. Will the Black Eyed Peas cease touring during September to December, the months that “The X Factor” U.S. is televised? (The Black Eyed Peas do not have any tour dates announced for those months.)

Examiner

Check out some videos from Fergie’s Birthday Bash this past Saturday at The Bank Nightclub at Bellagio in Las Vegas.

36 years ago, a star was born.  Fergie, real name Stacy Ann Ferguson, was born in Whittier, California.  In those past 36 years of her life, she has been a member of the hit Disney show, Kids Incorporated.  After her time there, she joined the pop group Wild Orchid which later dismantled.  After their break-up, she had the opportunity to collaborate with an up and coming hip-hop group, The Black Eyed Peas.  Since her vocals fit perfectly with the groups, she was then asked to join and be part of their 3rd album, Elephunk, released in 2003.  Since then 7 top 5 singles, and 26 weeks on top of the US charts have followed with them.  In total, she is able to say she has achieved 12 top 5 singles (five of her own), and 6 number ones (3 as solo artist) and a grand total of 21 singles that have gone Top 40 (with BEP, solo and as a feature).  Her album sales with all her groups and solo exceed the 37 million mark worldwide.

Not only is she one of the biggest recording artists of this century, she has been able to slowly transcend into the big screen with movies such as Poseidon, Marmaduke and the Golden Globe and Oscar Nominated, NINE.

Her shoe lines, Fergie Footwear and Fergalicious have been doing great, and her AVON perfume has been the best selling ever for the company.  In addition to that, she has ran campaigns for Candies, MAC and most recently Dr. Pepper.

With the support of her family, and her now husband, actor Josh Duhamel, Fergie is undoubtedly one of the most lucky and loved celebrities in the industry.  Congratulations Dutchess, and here’s hoping there’s many, many more to come!