LOS ANGELES, Dec. 6 — Amy Winehouse, the British soul singer whose battles with addiction have turned her into a tabloid regular, drew six Grammy nominations, including nods for the four marquee categories, today as the contenders for the 50th annual awards ceremony were announced.
Kanye West's new album, "Graduation," draws on a wide range of influences, including classic rock and dance music. More Photos »
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Amy Winehouse performing at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival at the Empire Polo Fields in April in Indio, Calif. More Photos >
Ms. Winehouse, who scored a hit with her modern twist on soul music but who has repeatedly canceled performances in recent months as she clashed with personal demons, received nominations for album of the year, for “Back to Black” (Universal Republic), as well as for record and song of the year for the self-referential hit single, “Rehab,” about her refusal to enter treatment.
The 24-year-old singer, whose well-publicized troubles prompted doubts about how Grammy voters would view her, will also be in contention for the trophy for best new artist when the awards are handed out Feb. 10 at the Staples Center arena in Los Angeles in a broadcast on CBS.
Although Ms. Winehouse was the only performer to appear in all four of the most prestigious categories, she fell short of drawing the most nominations over all. That distinction went to the rap star Kanye West, who led the field with eight nominations, including his nomination for album of the year for the third CD in his college-themed trilogy, “Graduation.” Mr. West’s nominations also included those for best rap album and best rap song as a co-writer of the “Good Life.”
The biggest surprise of the day may have been the relatively low profile of Bruce Springsteen, whose new album, “Magic,” with the E Street Band, had been hailed by critics as a return to his classic rock style. Mr. Springsteen did draw four nominations, but none in the marquee categories. “Magic” had been seen as a favorite for the album of the year category, which Mr. Springsteen has never won.
Instead, the album of the year field included surprise entries from recordings far removed from the pop mainstream, including the country singer Vince Gill’s “These Days,” and the jazz composer Herbie Hancock’s “River: the Joni Letters.” In addition to Ms. Winehouse and Mr. West, the competition will include the new album “’Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace” from a previous Grammy favorite, the Foo Fighters.
Likewise, the list of best new artist contenders — four female solo performers and a female-fronted band — yielded some unexpected names, including the R&B singer Ledisi and the pop-punk act Paramore. (Not all the contenders were exactly new: Paramore garnered fame this year with its second major album, as did Feist, the Canadian singer-songwriter who has previously performed with the indie-rock band Broken Social Scene). The teenage country star Taylor Swift rounded out the field.
The nominations came as the event’s organizers, the National Academy of Recordings Arts and Sciences, are aiming to add weight to the ceremony, which over the years has come under fire for hewing too closely to the music industry’s commercial priorities. Grammy organizers already have undertaken an effort to create a historic feel for the event, including the broadcast of a two-hour special on CBS last week, “My Night at the Grammy’s,” spotlighting past performances, and the creation of a seven-CD series collecting Grammy-winning songs from the major genre fields.
Although the academy did not disclose who might be performing on the broadcast, critics expect it to use the 50th anniversary as a rationale to enlist any number of high-wattage past Grammy stars. Such celebrity drawing power might be pivotal if the academy hopes to sustain its recent ratings rebound — and offset the risk of this year’s field of leading nominees, some of whom who may be obscure to mainstream viewers.
After a weak showing two years ago, according to Nielsen Media Research, the Grammy broadcast jumped roughly 18 percent in last year’s ratings, drawing an estimated 20 million people.
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