Mariah Carey led the pack with six nominations for the 20th Annual American Music Awards, followed by Michael Jackson and Kris Kross with five each.
Country sensation Billy Ray Cyrus got four nominations, and Garth Brooks, Vanessa Williams and the groups Genesis, Arrested Development and TLC each got three.Winners of 25 awards in pop-rock, country, soul-rhythm and blues, adult contemporary, heavy metal-hard rock and rap-hip hop will be announced Jan. 25 during an ABC-TV special from the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles.
Bobby Brown, Gloria Estefan and Wynonna will host the three-hour show.
Winners will be selected by the public through a national sampling of approximately 20,000 record buyers. The sampling takes into account geographic location, age, sex and ethnicity.
Names of nominees were based upon calculations involving year-end sales and airplay data. The information was supplied by a music industry trade publication, Radio & Records, and SoundScan Inc., a computerized point-of-sale tracking system that compiles sales data from more than 10,000 record retail outlets.
An artist also will receive the noncompetitive Award of Merit for outstanding contributions to music. Past winners include Bing Crosby, Irving Berlin, Ella Fitzgerald, Elvis Presley and Paul McCartney.
The complete list of categories and nominees included:
POP-ROCK
Male artist: Bryan Adams, Michael Bolton, Eric Clapton and Michael Jackson.
Female artist: Mariah Carey, Amy Grant, Bonnie Raitt and Vanessa Williams.
Band, duo or group: Genesis, Kris Kross and U2.
Single: "End of the Road," Boyz II Men; "I'll Be There," Mariah Carey; "Under the Bridge," Red Hot Chili Peppers.
Album: "Dangerous," Michael Jackson; "Totally Krossed Out," Kris Kross; "Achtung Baby," U2.
New artist: Arrested Development, Pearl Jam and TLC.
SOUL-R&B
Male artist: Bobby Brown, Tevin Campbell, Michael Jackson and Gerald Levert.
Female artist: Mary J. Blige, Mariah Carey, Patti LaBelle and Vanessa Williams.
Band, duo or group: Boyz II Men, En Vogue and Jodeci.
Single: "Remember the Time," Michael Jackson; "Honey Love," R. Kelly and Public Announcement; "Somebody Loves You Baby," Patti LaBelle.
Album: "Unplugged," Mariah Carey; "Funky Divas," En Vogue; "Dangerous," Michael Jackson.
New artist: Arrested Development, Jodeci, Kris Kross.
COUNTRY
Male artist: Garth Brooks, Billy Ray Cyrus, Vince Gill and Alan Jackson.
Female artist: Reba McEntire, Lorrie Morgan, Tanya Tucker and Wynonna.
Band, duo or group: Alabama, Brooks & Dunn and Sawyer Brown.
Single: "The River," Garth Brooks; "Achy Breaky Heart," Billy Ray Cyrus; "I Still Believe in You," Vince Gill.
Album: "The Chase," Garth Brooks; "Some Gave All," Billy Ray Cyrus; "For My Broken Heart," Reba McEntire.
New artist: Brooks & Dunn, Billy Ray Cyrus and Wynonna.
HEAVY METAL-HARD ROCK
Artist: Def Leppard, Metallica and Red Hot Chili Peppers.
New artist: Mr. Big, Pearl Jam and Ugly Kid Joe.
RAP-HIP HOP
Artist: Kris Kross, Sir Mix-A-Lot and TLC.
New artist: Arrested Development, Kris Kross and TLC.
ADULT CONTEMPORARY
Artist: Michael Bolton, Mariah Carey and Genesis.
Album: "Unplugged," Mariah Carey; "We Can't Dance," Genesis; "Comfort Zone," Vanessa Williams.
New artist: k.d. lang, Jon Secada and Patty Smyth.