Eminem & Others Lead AMA Nominations

Taylor Swift, Michael Jackson and Eminem received the most nominations for the 2009 American Music Awards, which will air live from Los Angeles’ Nokia Theatre on November 22nd. Swift leads the field with six nominations, followed by Jackson with five and Eminem with four. All three artists, plus Kings of Leon and Lady Gaga, were nominated for the coveted Artist of the Year award. So far, Alicia Keys, the Black Eyed Peas, Jennifer Lopez and Adam Lambert have been named as performers at the ceremony, with Lambert reportedly set to unveil a new song from his upcoming post-Idol debut album.

Lambert, along with former American Idol judge Paula Abdul and Snoop Dogg, were on hand this morning to announce the nominees. According to a press release, the nominees “were selected from data supplied by the Nielsen Company’s Broadcast Data Systems, which monitors radio airplay performance, and SoundScan, which tracks retail music sales.” This pretty much explains why Michael Jackson and his Number Ones are included on the nominees list: Even though the greatest-hits compilation was originally released in 2003, it’s sold almost two million copies since the King of Pop’s death on June 25th, making Jackson’s eligible for a posthumous Artist of the Year award.

Beyoncé, Black Eyed Peas, Lady Gaga, Kings of Leon and T.I. all locked up three nominations apiece. Fan voting will determine the winners (as it has for the past three years), so head over to the ABC Website to cast your vote. (Last year’s big winner was Chris Brown.) Check out the AMA nominees below:

POP or ROCK MUSIC
Favorite Male Artist
Eminem
Michael Jackson
T.I.

Favorite Female Artist
Beyoncé
Lady Gaga
Taylor Swift

Favorite Band, Duo or Group
Black Eyed Peas
Kings of Leon
Nickelback

Favorite Album
Lady Gaga – Fame
Michael Jackson – Number Ones
Taylor Swift – Fearless

COUNTRY MUSIC
Favorite Male Artist
Jason Aldean
Darius Rucker
Keith Urban

Favorite Female Artist
Reba McEntire
Taylor Swift
Carrie Underwood

Favorite Band, Duo or Group
Rascal Flatts
Sugarland
Zac Brown Band

Favorite Album
Rascal Flatts – Unstoppable
Taylor Swift – Fearless
Zac Brown Band – Foundation

RAP/HIP-HOP MUSIC
Favorite Male Artist
Eminem
Jay-Z
T. I.

Favorite Album
Eminem – Relapse
Jay-Z – Blueprint 3
T.I. – Paper Trail

SOUL/RHYTHM & BLUES MUSIC
Favorite Male Artist
Jamie Foxx
Michael Jackson
Maxwell

Favorite Female Artist
Beyoncé
Keyshia Cole
Keri Hilson

Favorite Band, Duo or Group
Black Eyed Peas
Day26
Mary Mary

Favorite Album
Beyoncé – I Am… Sasha Fierce
Black Eyed Peas – The E.N.D.
Michael Jackson – Number Ones

SOUNDTRACKS
Favorite Album
Hannah Montana: The Movie
Hannah Montana 3
Twilight Soundtrack

ALTERNATIVE ROCK MUSIC
Favorite Artist
Green Day
Kings of Leon
Shinedown

ADULT CONTEMPORARY MUSIC
Favorite Artist
Daughtry
Jason Mraz
Taylor Swift

ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Alternative – Kings of Leon
Country – Taylor Swift
Pop/Rock – Lady Gaga
Rap/Hip-Hop – Eminem
Soul/R&B – Michael Jackson

T-MOBILE BREAKTHROUGH ARTIST NOMINATIONS
Pop/Rock Breakthrough Artist – Kings of Leon, Lady Gaga
Country Breakthrough Artist – Gloriana, Zac Brown Band
Soul/R&B Breakthrough Artist – Keri Hilson, Jermiah
Rap/Hip-Hop Breakthrough Artist – Drake, Kid Cudi