LOS ANGELES - The 50th Grammy Awards, the Oscars of the music industry, are to be held in Los Angeles Sunday despite the absence of one of the star attractions -- troubled British soul singer Amy Winehouse.
Winehouse, who has been refused a US visa to perform at the show, is up for six awards in top categories including record, album and song of the year, best new artist, best pop vocal album and best female pop vocalist.
Only rapper Kanye West has more nominations, with eight nods including for the coveted album of the year prize for his "Graduation."
Winehouse, who went into a rehabilitation clinic in Britain last month, was said to be disappointed by the visa refusal, according to her publicist, who said the young star was progressing well in rehab.
"Although disappointed with the decision, she has accepted the ruling and will be concentrating on her recovery," her publicist said in a statement.
"There will of course be other opportunities and she very much looks forward to visiting America in the near future."
The 24-year-old singer-songwriter has rarely been out of the tabloid headlines in recent months following a reported drug overdose, a string of canceled concerts and turbulent private life.
She earned nominations for both her hit single "Rehab" and the album "Back to Black" and was the only artist to earn nods in the four top categories open to all-comers -- record, song and album of the year, and best new artist.
Winehouse and West's rivals for honors in the best album stakes include rock band Foo Fighters for "Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace."
Other contenders for record of the year are Beyonce for "Irreplaceable," Foo Fighters for "The Pretender," Rihanna featuring Jay-Z for "Umbrella" and Justin Timberlake for "What Goes Around ... Comes Around."
Winehouse faces stiff competition in the song of the year category from Carrie Underwood's "Before He Cheats," Plain White T's for "Hey There Delilah," Corinne Bailey Rae for "Like a Star" and Rihanna/Jay-Z for "Umbrella."
Elsewhere a crop of artists earned four nominations each, including veteran rocker Bruce Springsteen.
Although Springsteen was ignored in the top categories, he picked up nods including best rock album ("Magic") and rock song ("Radio Nowhere"). Other artists earning four nods included hip-hop star Akon and Rihanna.
Former Beatle Paul McCartney was also among the nominees, with nods including best male pop vocal performance for "Dance Tonight" and best pop vocal album "Memory Almost Full."
Among artists performing at the ceremony would be such music luminaries as rock queen Tina Turner, Tony Bennett, Cher, Prince, Stevie Wonder, Quincy Jones and Ringo Starr.
There had been fears ahead of the ceremony that an ongoing writers' strike could scupper the show, but the union of US television screenwriters said this week it would allow members to work on the ceremony.
The Golden Globes ceremony was canceled last month after actors said that in support of the strike they would not cross WGA picket lines.
bur/jah/ksh
02/08/2008 02:59 GMT