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153 Digital Single Certifications Awarded In May As RIAA Adds Streams To Historic Gold & Platinum Program *** Bieber, Eminem And Gaga Earn Diamond Song Awards While Bruno, Bryan, The Weeknd And Macklemore & Ryan Lewis Certify Top Albums

WASHINGTON – A month after the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) announced the integration of on-demand streams to its Gold & Platinum (G&P) Program to more broadly recognize online demand for songs, a record 153 digital singles earned certification in May.

Of the record 153 Digital Single certifications in May – more than double the certifications in January or February for example – three top achieving artists earned prestigious RIAA Diamond Awards counting sales and streams to surpass the 10 million threshold: Justin Bieber, Eminem and Lady Gaga.  Bieber’s “Baby” (Island/Def Jam)  earned 12x multi-Platinum status to become the RIAA’s highest song certification ever, while Eminem’s “Love The Way You Lie” (Interscope/Geffen/A&M) certified 11x multi-Platinum and Lady Gaga’s “Bad Romance” (Interscope/Geffen/A&M) rose to 10x multi-Platinum!  Learn more about the RIAA’s widely hailed new “combined” Digital Single Award requirements at riaa.com here or on the Gold & Platinum Facebook page, where fans can see their favorite artists’ recently received Gold or Platinum plaques.

Elektra singer Bruno Mars received May’s top album award, and his personal best yet, a 2x multi-Platinum for debut “Doo-Wops & Hooligans” (2010) selling two million copies in the United States.  Bruno’s newest release “Unorthodox Jukebox” (2012) is currently RIAA Platinum certified.

The RIAA awarded Republic Records rapper The Weeknd with his first Platinum album for “Trilogy” (2013).  The Toronto raised act also earned his first Gold single in May for “Wicked Games.”

Popular rapper-producer duo Macklemore and Ryan Lewis earned a bounty of G&P awards. Their first album collaboration “The Heist” (Macklemore, 2012) earned Gold certification, while hit songs “Thrift Shop” (featuring Wanz) earned 4x multi-Platinum status and “Can’t Hold Us” (featuring Ray Dalton) certified Platinum.

Luke Bryan also garnered album Gold for selling more than 500,000 copies of “Spring Break…Here to Party” (Capitol Records Nashville, 2013).  Luke is now four-for-four on Gold album awards, and “Tailgates & Tanlines” (2011) is his current top-certified at double-Platinum.

Continuing with country news, Big Machine songstress Taylor Swift received a new double-Platinum song award for “Mean,” while her songs “Red” and “22” were certified Platinum and “Ronan” went Gold, bringing Taylor’s career Gold song tally to 31.  Additionally, Atlantic crooner Hunter Hayes earned his top single award to-date, a 3x multi-Platinum for “Wanted.”

In a May of many firsts, 18 artists or bands earned their premiere RIAA Digital Single Awards: 30 Seconds To Mars’ “This Is War” at Gold, Ace Hood’s “Bugatti”-Gold, Aerosmith’s “I Don’t Want To Miss A Thing”-Gold & Platinum, Breathe Carolina’s “Blackout”-Gold & Platinum, Daft Punk’s “Get Lucky”-Gold, Andy Grammer’s “Keep Your Head Up”-Gold & Platinum, Ariana Grande’s “The Way”-Gold, Anna Kendrick’s “Cups”-Gold, Krewella “Alive”-Gold, Macklemore and Ryan Lewis “Can’t Hold Us”-Gold & Platinum and “Thrift Shop”-Gold through 4x multi-Platinum,  Emeli Sandé’s “Next to Me”-Gold & Platinum, Juanes’ “La Camisa Negra”-Gold, Lana Del Rey’s “Video Games”-Gold, Robin Thicke’s “Lost Without U”-Gold & Platinum, The Weeknd’s “Wicked Games”-Gold, Whitney Houston’s ”I Will Always Love You”-Gold through 2x multi-Platinum, Wale “Bad”-Gold and Wisin & Yandel’s “Follow The Leader”-Gold.

In May, 11 album and 153 digital single certifications were awarded by the RIAA.  All certifications are calculated by the firm Gelfand, Rennert & Feldman, which has audited title sales for the RIAA for more than 30 years.  Complete lists of all album, single, mastertone and video awards can also be accessed at riaa.com.