BEYONCE GETS 10 GRAMMY'S NOMINATIONS & TAYLOR SWIFT GETS 8!

Beyonce's great big booty ruled this year's Grammy nominations.
The rump-happy star earned ten nods Wednesday night, nudging ahead of the year's second most celebrated contender: Nashville-based cutie Taylor Swift, who nabbed eight.

The top stars in play - announced during a live, prime special Wednesday night - also included the Black Eyed Peas, neo-soul singer Maxwell, and Swift's MTV Award nemesis Kanye West, each of whom garnered six bids.

Lady Gaga, Jay-Z and French-born producer David Guetta each received five shots.

A closer examination of the categories, however, shows the real race to be an even face-down between three very different women: R&B queen Beyonce, teen-pop's Swift, and everyone's favorite dance floor freak show Lady Gaga.

They're the only artists in contention in all three top categories - Album of the Year, Record of the Year and Song of the Year - meaning they're the only stars who can score a meaningful sweep.

Surprisingly, Gaga got shut out of the category that would seem most appropriate for her: Best New Artist. Instead that category anointed the Nashville act Zac Brown Band, R&B singer Keri Hilson, dance floor mavens MGMT, L.A. alterna-rock band Silversun Pickups and, for the biggest surprise, the zesty British alterna-pop duo the Ting Tings.

The coveted Album of the Year category boasts Beyonce's split-personality CD, “I Am...Sasha Fierce,” The Black Eyed Peas dance-party “The E.N.D.,” Lady Gaga's shock-pop “The Fame,” Dave Matthews Bands' ode to its late saxophonist, “Big Whiskey and The Groogrux King,” and Taylor Swift's album of pay-back-to-bad-boyfriend songs, “Fearless.”

Vying for Record of the Year (which celebrates the recording, rather the composition of a song) are “Halo,” by Beyonce, “I Gotta Feeling” by The Black Eyed Peas, “Use Somebody,” by Kings of Leon, “Poker Face” from Lady Gaga, and “You Belong With Me,” by Ms. Swift.

For Song of the Year (which toasts the songwriter), there's “Poker Face” (penned by Lady Gaga and her producer RedOne), “Pretty Wings” (by Hod David and Musze, and recorded by Maxwell), “Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)” (by Thaddis Harrell, Beyonce Knowles, Terius Nash and Christopher Stewart), “Use Somebody” (by the brothers Caleb, Jared, Matthew and Nathan Folowill of Kings of Leon), and Swift's song penned with Liz Rose, “You Belong With Me.”

Scattered throughout the lesser of more than 100 Grammy categories are four mentions each for dewy pop singer Colbie Caillat, beat-driven producer RedOne, rocker Bruce Springsteen, auto-tune king T-Pain, and country star Keith Urban.

The Grammys will take place on the earliest date in its 52 year history, on January 31st, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.