ALISON KRAUSS, GEORGE STRAIT LEAD GRAMMY NOMINATIONS AMONG COUNTRY ARTISTS

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Alison Krauss has five chances to win a Grammy award this year, and George Strait is right behind her with four nominations. Krauss and former Led Zeppelin frontman Robert Plant are up for album of the year for "Raising Sand" and record of the year for "Please Read The Letter." They're also in the running for best country collaboration with vocals against Strait. Strait is actually nominated twice in that category -- once for singing "Shiftwork" with Kenny Chesney and again for "House Of Cash" with Patty Loveless. He's also nominated for best country album against Jamey Johnson, Patty Loveless, Randy Travis and Trisha Yearwood. Lady Antebellum have two nominations. They're up for best new artist and best country performance by a duo or group for "Love Don't Live Here." The Grammy Awards will be held Feb. 8 in Los Angeles.

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GRAMMY NOMINATIONS - COUNTRY CATEGORIES

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Carrie Underwood has a shot at winning the Grammy Award for best female country vocal performance for a third year in a row. She's nominated in the category along with Martina McBride, LeAnn Rimes, Lee Ann Womack and Trisha Yearwood. The Grammy for male country vocal performance could go to Trace Adkins, Jamey Johnson, Brad Paisley, George Strait or newcomer James Otto. And in the country duo or group category, Brooks & Dunn, Lady Antebellum, Rascal Flatts, The SteelDrivers and Sugarland are all vying for the trophy. The winners will be announced at the Grammy Awards on Feb. 8.

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SIGNED MEMORABILIA FROM RASCAL FLATTS, KIX BROOKS PART OF GRAMMY AUCTION

UNDATED (AP) -- Fans can bid on signed memorabilia from Rascal Flatts, Kix Brooks and other artists to benefit the Recording Academy's MusiCares foundation. A worn cowboy hat signed by Brooks is for sale as well as a signed copy of Rascal Flatts' "Still Feels Good" album. The auction also features items signed by Alison Krauss and Robert Plant, Carrie Underwood, and the hosts of "Nashville Star" John Rich, Jewel and Jeffrey Steele. It runs through Dec. 11 at ebay.com/grammy.

On the Net:

http://www.ebay.com/grammy

WYNONNA SET TO RELEASE NEW ALBUM OF COVER SONGS IN FEBRUARY

UNDATED (AP) -- Wynonna is planning to release a new album of cover songs on Feb. 3. It's called "Sing," and on her Web site, Wynonna describes the record as "musical ADD." She says every genre is represented, because that's what's formed the soundtrack to her life. The tracks are snapshots of everyday life in the Judd family. She says they span all emotions: "joy, pain, sorrow, life, death, divorce, kids, the whole enchilada." Some of the songs include, "Women Be Wise," "The House Is A Rockin" and "When I Fall In Love."

SINGER INSPIRES TAYLOR SWIFT'S SONG `HEY STEPHEN'

UNDATED (AP) -- Wondering who the guy is behind Taylor Swift's song "Hey Stephen?" It's the lead singer of the band Love and Theft, Stephen Barker Liles. In the song, Swift sings lines like "can't help it if you look like an angel, can't help it if I wanna kiss you in the rain." Liles tells People.com that Swift gave him a heads up before her album "Fearless" dropped last month, and he says "it's totally flattering" to have someone write him a song like that. The two got to know each other when his band opened for Swift during some of her tour dates this year. Swift has said that she wrote the song about a guy she thought was cute, and adds, "sometimes all it takes to write a song about someone is thinking that they're cute."

DIERKS BENTLEY NAMES NEW ALBUM

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) -- Dierks Bentley has named his upcoming album after the CD's lead single, "Feel That Fire." The song is already a Top-10 hit and the fastest rising single of Bentley's career so far. Bentley says "so much passion" went into writing and recording the songs on this new album, that he thinks "Feel That Fire" "really embodies the entire collection of work." He says all the tracks are about "being vitally alive and in the moment," with rowdy, Saturday night drinking songs as well as intimate love songs. The CD is due out Feb. 3.

KEVIN COSTNER ON THE ROAD WITH MODERN WEST

ALEXANDRIA, Va. (AP) -- When Kevin Costner sees fans lined up outside a venue he's playing with his band, Modern West, he says his "heart gets big" and he goes "holy smoke." He says it also makes him feel glad that he practiced. Costner grew up listening to Motown and rock music. But that's not what came out when he started the songwriting process. He says every time he sits down to write a song "it has a country lilt."

KEITH URBAN SETS RELEASE DATE FOR NEW ALBUM

UNDATED (AP) -- Keith Urban has set a release date for his new album. GACTV.com says it's due out March 31. The title is still unknown, although the first single, "Sweet Thing," is already in the Top 25 on national country charts. Urban is set to go on tour with his new music in May.

WILLIE NELSON LULLABIES DUE OUT NEXT MONTH

UNDATED (AP) -- Soon, parents won't have to hum their favorite Willie Nelson songs anymore. GACTV.com says Hushabye Baby is coming out with the "Lullaby Renditions Of Willie Nelson" on Jan. 27. Some of the songs on the CD include "Mammas, Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up To Be Cowboys," "On The Road Again," and "Always On My Mind." Two more nursery packages are set to be released Feb. 10, featuring the music of Vince Gill and Patsy Cline. More crib-friendly packages are on the way with revisions of songs by Garth Brooks, Dolly Parton and Rascal Flatts.