Beyoncé leads Grammy field

R&B singer Beyonce led the field of Grammy contenders with 10 nominations, closely followed by teen country sensation Taylor Swift with eight, and both will compete for coveted album of the year.

Hip-hop band Black Eyed Peas, R&B singer Maxwell – making a return to the music business after an eight-year absence – and rapper Kanye West each earned six nods.

In a list that reflected youth and a drop-off of veteran super groups like U2, glam singer Lady Gaga and rapper Jay-Z each earned five Grammy nods apiece.

Swift, 19, whose Fearless album has been the biggest seller in the United States in 2009, will compete with Beyoncé for album of the year along with the Black Eyed Peas, Dave Matthews Band and Lady Gaga.

U2, whose latest album No Line on the Horizon was given a huge promotional push earlier this year, won Grammy nominations for best rock album and best rock song but were shut out of the most prized categories.