Lil Wayne, Coldplay, Alicia Keys, Chris Brown and the Eagles will vie for artist of the year at the 2008 American Music Awards, which are set for Sunday, Nov. 23 at 8 p.m. R&B star Keys leads all nominees with five, stemming from her November 2007 release "As I Am," an album that hit stores too late in the year to be considered for last year's telecast.
Other top nominees include British rockers Coldplay and classic rockers the Eagles, each with four apiece. Rapper Lil Wayne, whose "The Carter III" is a prime contender for the top-selling album of 2008, scored three AMA nominations, including a nod for favorite R&B/hip-hop album. Winners for the AMAs will be voted upon online by fans for the second-straight year. Voting is underway now, and will end on Nov. 7 at 11:59 p.m. Pacific time.
Comedian and talk-show host Jimmy Kimmel will return as host for the fifth time. Initial performers for the 2008 AMAs have also been lined up, and include Rihanna, who is nominated for favorite female artist (pop/rock), Ne-Yo, who will hype his recently released "Year of the Gentleman," Taylor Swift, who's up for favorite female artist (country), and boy/girl groups New Kids on the Block and the Pussycat Dolls, respectively.
Nominees for breakthrough artist include Colbia Caillat, known for her 2007 hit "Bubbly," Disney superstars the Jonas Brothers, hard rock act Paramore, producer-turned-singer/songwriter The-Dream and Flo Rida, who had one of last year's most ubiquitous singles in "Low." Paramore lost best new artist honors to Amy Winehouse, who is again nominated for zero AMAs, at this year's Grammy Awards.
In the pop field, Keys and Mariah Carey will compete with Rihanna for favorite female artist. Usher, Kid Rock and the aforementioned Brown are recognized as favorite male artist. Favorite band, duo or group consists of Coldplay, the Eagles and Daughtry, and favorite album nominees include Coldplay's "Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends, the Eagles' "Long Road Out of Eden" and Keys' "As I Am," the latter two having been released late last year.
Last year, Justin Timberlake, Beyonce, Linkin Park and Daughtry all tied with three nominations apiece. It was "American Idol's" Daughtry who took home the award for favorite pop/rock album as well as breakthrough artist, but his big night at the AMAs failed to translate into much recognition at the Grammy Awards.
Traditionally, the AMAs serve as a launching pad for artists to debut new singles or promote upcoming albums, and last year featured showcase performances from Duran Duran, Mary J. Blige, Alicia Keys and an awkward pairing of Sugarland and Beyonce. But in 2007, the AMAs were perhaps more notable for being a scriptless award show, as host Kimmel announced early on that he was not allowed to write any jokes for the event due to the writers strike.
For those who are looking ahead to the Grammy Awards, the Recording Academy will announce its nominees on Dec. 4. The AMAs skew even more popular than the Grammys, as the initial nominee list is culled from Nielsen SoundScan data and trade publication Radio & Records, and are not necessarily a good barometer of what will be nominated for the Grammys. However, expect heavy lobbying for Keys' "As I Am" and the Eagles' "Long Road out of Eden," both of which fared well at the AMAs, and both of which come with plenty of Grammy clout.
A full list of nominations, as released this morning by ABC, is below.
