Grammy Nominees: Beyonce Tops, Swift Second

Taylor Swift has won just about every top music award there is this year, but the possibility of winning not just one, but eight Grammys, had the 19-year-old screaming for joy as the nominations were announced. “I started freaking out and jumping up and down,” Swift said in a telephone interview Wednesday night after learning of her nominations, which included album of the year for her sophomore CD “Fearless” and mentions for song and record of the year.

Swift’s haul of eight nods was only second to another blonde superstar – Beyoncé, who got 10. The multi-hyphenate diva, who had an amazing year even on Beyoncé terms, including performing at the inauguration for President Barack Obama and the first lady and a No. 1 movie with “Obsessed,” was rewarded for her fierce year. The Grammy-winner was nominated once again, this time for album of the year for her double CD, “I Am … Sasha Fierce,” song of the year for her ubiquitous anthem, “Single Ladies (Put a Ring On It)” and record of the year for “Halo,” as well as other awards.

Another diva was also nominated in all three categories: Lady Gaga. The eccentric entertainer, who had five nominations overall, garnered a best album mention for her debut CD, “The Fame,” while her “Poker Face” got nominations for record and song of the year. Other nominees for album of the year were the Black Eyed Peas for “The E.N.D.” and Dave Matthews Band’s “Big Whiskey and the Groogrux King.”

The Black Eyed Peas were also nominated for record of the year for their feel-good song, “I Gotta Feeling,” while the Kings of Leon were nominated for “Use Somebody.” The Kings of Leon hit was also nominated for song of the year, as well as Maxwell’s comeback hit, “Pretty Wings.”

The Black Eyed Peas, Maxwell and Kanye West got six nominations each, while Jay-Z and DJ David Guetta got five.

The country act the Zac Brown Band was nominated for best new artist, along with R&B siren Keri Hilson, rockers MGMT, the punk duo the Ting Tings and the rock group the Silversun Pickups. The year’s most popular new artist, Lady Gaga, wasn’t eligible; her single “Just Dance” had been nominated last year, before she was a platinum-selling act; previous Grammy nominees can’t be nominated in the category.

Wednesday’s nominations were unveiled at Club Nokia in Los Angeles as part of a prime-time CBS special. It was the second year in a row that the Recording Academy revealed a handful of its 109 nominees during a televised concert; in the past, they had been announced during a morning news conference.

The Grammys will be presented on Jan. 31 in Los Angeles.

Following are the nominations in the four General Field categories:

Album Of The Year:
– I Am… Sasha Fierce (Beyoncé)
– The E.N.D. (the Black Eyed Peas)
– The Fame (Lady Gaga)
– Big Whiskey And The Groogrux King (Dave Matthews Band)
– Fearless (Taylor Swift)

Record Of The Year:
– “Halo” (Beyoncé)
– “I Gotta Feeling” (the Black Eyed Peas)
– “Use Somebody” (Kings Of Leon)
– “Poker Face” (Lady Gaga)
– “You Belong With Me” (Taylor Swift)

Song Of The Year:
– “Poker Face” (Lady Gaga)
– “Pretty Wings” (Maxwell)
– “Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)” (Beyoncé)
– “Use Somebody” (Kings Of Leon)
– “You Belong With Me” (Taylor Swift)

Best New Artist:
– Zac Brown Band
– Keri Hilson
– MGMT
– Silversun Pickups
– The Ting Tings