Usher leads award nominees

R&B; singer Usher, whose album “Confessions” steamed up the charts with songs about sex, affairs and breakups, received a leading four nominations Tuesday for the American Music Awards.

Usher was nominated as favorite male artist in the pop/rock and soul/R&B; categories, and his “Confessions” also has best album bids in both groups.

Two categories feature all of the same nominees as last year. The country male artist group again includes Kenny Chesney, Alan Jackson, Toby Keith, Tim McGraw (who won in 2003). It also was deja vu for contemporary inspirational music, as 2003 winner Steven Curtis Chapman competes once more against MercyMe and Third Day.

The awards will be presented during a Nov. 14 ceremony that will be shown on ABC. The nominations are based on sales figures and radio play. Winners are selected by a survey of about 20,000 listeners.