Destiny’s Child singer Beyonce garnered six nominations for the 46th Annual Grammy Awards on Thursday, a leading total shared with retiring hip-hop icon Jay-Z, inventive rap duo OutKast and ubiquitous producer Pharrell Williams.

Beyonce and Jay-Z were among contenders for record of the year for their collaboration on “Crazy in Love.” The song will compete in that category against the Black Eyed Peas-Justin Timberlake song “Where is the Love?”; Coldplay’s “Clocks”; OutKast’s wildly infectious “Hey Ya!”; and Eminem’s Oscar-winning “Lose Yourself,” off the “8 Mile” film soundtrack.

Timberlake’s solo debut, “Justified,” will vie against OutKast’s brilliant “Speakerboxxx/The Love Below” for the coveted best album award. Rounding out the field is “Elephant” by rock duo the White Stripes; “Fallen,” by rising female-fronted rock band Evanescence; and R&B star Missy Elliott’s “Under Construction.”

Beyonce is poised to become the second woman in two years to dominate the awards, which will be televised live Feb. 8 on CBS from the Staples Center in Los Angeles. Last year, Norah Jones emerged over Bruce Springsteen and Eminem to execute a surprising sweep.

This year’s slate of nominees leans heavily toward R&B and hip-hop, genres that have been slow to receive mainstream recognition from traditionally older-skewing voters of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. The members vote on awards in more than 100 categories.

Eminem, who lost in the best album category in 2000 to Steely Dan, is among nine acts with five nominations, including record of the year for “Lose Yourself.”

Others with five nods were Missy Elliott, Evanescence, rapper 50 Cent, producer Chad Hugo, country singer Ricky Skaggs, Luther Vandross and Justin Timberlake. “The Wind,” the final album from rocker Warren Zevon, also garnered five nominations.

“American Idol” alum Kelly Clarkson was nominated in best female pop vocal performance for “Miss Independent.”

Rap sensation 50 Cent’s multiplatinum lock on the album chart did not warrant inclusion in the best album category, an indication that the rough material didn’t sit well with some conservative voters.

Matchbox twenty was nominated for best rock album for “More Than You Think You Are.” The song “Unwell” is up for best pop performance by a duo or group with vocals.

For Timberlake, whose popularity with ‘N Sync never amounted to much Grammy recognition, the multiple nominations represent industry credibility for his solo career.

Though obviously derivative of “Off the Wall”-era Michael Jackson, Timberlake’s “Justified” was a commercial success that generally played well with critics. Beyonce’s “Dangerously In Love” yielded the dance-friendly radio hit “Crazy in Love,” though the album’s overblown ballads were less appealing.

Nominations for best song, a songwriter’s award, went to Linda Perry for Christina Aguilera’s “Beautiful”; Richard Marx and Luther Vandross for Vandross’ “Dance With My Father”; and Avril Lavigne and the Matrix for Lavigne’s “I’m With You.”

Others in that category are Jorge Calderon and Zevon for the latter’s reflective “Keep Me in Your Heart.” Zevon died from lung cancer at age 56 on Sept. 7. “Lose Yourself” also gained a nomination for collaborators Jeff Bass, Eminem and Luis Resto.

Evanescence, which went multiplatinum with “Fallen,” also is nominated as best new artist along with 50 Cent, alt-pop band Fountains of Wayne, dancehall singer Sean Paul and Trinidadian-born R&B singer Heather Headley.

Erykah Badu, Willie Nelson, conductor Jose Serebrier and singer-guitarist Jack White had four nods each. White’s included one individual nod in addition to three with the White Stripes.

Pop stars Moby, Sarah McLachlan and Dido were among a group of musicians who announced nominations in Los Angeles. Moby was the most entertaining presence, commenting on his personal favorites and changing the title of Barbra Streisand’s “The Movie Album” to “How to defeat our current inept president” as he read the list for traditional pop vocal album.

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Jim Abbott can be reached at jabbottorlandosentinel.com or 407-420-6213.

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ARCHIVE PHOTOS on KRT Direct (from KRT Photo Service, 202-383-6099):

Beyonce, Justin Timberlake

PHOTOS (from KRT Photo Service, 202-383-6099):

Beyonce

CARICATURE (from KRT Faces in the News Library, 202-383-6064):

Beyonce

ARCHIVE CARICATURE on KRT Direct (from KRT Faces in the News Library, 202-383-6064):

Justin Timberlake

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