Amy Winehouse’s six Grammy nominations

British singer Amy Winehouse, whose brilliant career has been constantly sidetracked by personal problems, was today nominated for six Grammy awards. They included the categories best new artist, best record, best song of the year for her hit Rehab and best album of the year for the critically lauded, genre-jumping Back to Black.  She came second only to rap star Kanye West, who scored eight nominations for the music industry's 'Oscars' at Thursday's announcement.

Five acts received five nominations each - rock band Foo Fighters, rapper Jay-Z, hip-hop producer Timbaland, pop singer Justin Timberlake, and R&B singer T-Pain. Winehouse will be up against the Foo Fighters, Kanye West and Herbie Hancock for the prestigious album of the year award.

Vying with Rehab for the record of the year award will be Beyonce's Irreplaceable, the Foo Fighters' The Pretender, Rihanna's Umbrella, and Justin Timberlake's What Goes Around Comes Around.

Despite the advent of new award schemes such as the Brits and the Mercurys, the Grammys remain the big one. The 50th Grammy awards will be announced at a star-studded ceremony in Los Angeles. The other best new artist nominees were Feist, Paramour, Taylor Swift and Ledesi.

The nominations come at a low point in Winehouse's difficult year. Drink and drugs abuse have led to many concerts ending in tears. Recently booed off stage after a shambolic set in Birmingham, the vulnerable singer was forced to cancel her UK tour. As her husband Blake Fielder-Civil awaits his trial for conspiring to pervert the course of justice, Winehouse has been struggling to cope with the brief visits she is allowed to pay him in Pentonville prison. ·