Carrie Underwood, Ellie Goulding, OneRepublic up for Billboard honor

“American Idol” winner Carrie Underwood, British pop phenom Ellie Goulding and radio hitmakers OneRepublic are in the running for Billboard’s Milestone Award.

Launched last year, the honor, which will be handed out during the 2014 Billboard Music Awards, celebrates musical ingenuity and innovation.

Underwood, Goulding and OneRepublic made the cut after weeks of fan voting, edging out Imagine Dragons, John Legend and Luke Bryan.

RELATED: Imagine Dragons, Lorde lead 2014 Billboard Music Award nominations

The winner of the fan-voted award, which Justin Bieber won last year amid a host of uncomfortable jeers, will be announced late in the telecast, set for May 18, with fans able to vote through the first two hours of the live show.

A fan will also present the honor alongside Kelly Rowland during the telecast.

Imagine Dragons, Lorde, Justin Timberlake, Katy Perry, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis and Miley Cyrus were among the award nomination leaders, announced earlier this month. The 2014 Billboard Music Awards will air live (except on the West Coast) from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on May 18 at 8 p.m. on ABC.

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