MUSIC/ 52ND GRAMMY NOMS ANNOUNCED

This years Grammy race is shaping up as largely a showdown between R&B/pop diva Beyonce, who led the noms with 10 mentions, and teen country-pop star Taylor Swift, who nabbed 8. The Black Eyed Peas, R&B vocalist Maxwell and rapper Kanye West all hauled in 6 nominations for the 52nd annual Grammy Awards, announced last night. A handful of nominees were revealed during a special show broadcast on CBS from L.A.'s Club Nokia. Facing off for album of the year honors are Beyonce's "I Am…Sasha Fierce," Swift's "Fearless," Gaga's "The Fame," the Black Eyed Peas' "The E.N.D." and the category's longshot, the Dave Matthews Band's "Big Whiskey and the Groogrux King."Competing for record of the year are Beyonce's "Halo," the Peas' "I Gotta Feeling," Kings of Leon's "Use Somebody," Gaga's "Poker Face" and Swift's "You Belong to Me."  Nominees for song of the year, a writer's award, are Beyonce's "Single Ladies" (written by Thaddis Harrell, Terius Nash, Beyonce Knowles and Christopher Stewart), Lady Gaga's "Poker Face" (by Lady Gaga and RedOne), Maxwell's "Pretty Wings" (by Musze and Hod David), Kings of Leon's "Use Somebody" (by band members Caleb, Nathan, Jared and Matthew Followill) and Taylor Swift's "You Belong to Me" (by Swift and Liz Rose). In the running for best new artist are Atlanta-bred country act the Zac Brown Band, Brooklyn electro-pop twosome MGMT, pop/R&B songwriter-turned-soloist Keri Hilson, L.A. rock unit Silversun Pickups and the English rock twosome the Ting Tings. Though Lady Gaga collected a Grammy nomination last year, thereby disqualifying her for the best new artist category this year, the dance-pop vocalist is nominated in the 3 other top categories. She made her breakthrough in 2009, as her album "Fame" sold more than 1.7 million copies. She currently holds 2 slots in the top 10 of the U.S. album chart. Some sentimental choices and Grammy favorites are conspicuously absent from the four main categories. Whitney Houston's much-trumpeted comeback album "I Look to You" was released on August 31 to make the pushed-back deadline for nomination eligibility, but found no favor. Neither did U2's "No Line on the Horizon"; despite 22 Grammys to their credit, the Irish band could only muster support in the rock categories. Winners in 109 Grammy categories, voted on by members of the Recording Academy, will be announced January 31, live on CBS. Full coverage, along with a list of all nominations, can be found on the Grammy website.