LOS ANGELES – Producer-turned-rapper Kanye West collected a leading 10 Grammy nominations Tuesday, including album of the year for “The College Dropout,” which avoided boasting of sex, money, and crime in favor of rhymes about everyday life.

The performer, who isn’t afraid to sing his own praises after claiming he was “definitely robbed” when he picked up no trophies at the American Music Awards, also had a nomination for best new artist and shared a songwriting bid for song of the year with “Jesus Walks.”

Usher and Alicia Keys, who collaborated on the hit “My Boo,” followed Mr. West with eight nominations each, including album of the year for Keys’ “The Diary of Alicia Keys” and Usher’s “Confessions.”

Ray Charles, whose posthumous duets album “Genius Loves Company,” became the biggest selling album of his long career, had seven nominations including album of the year and record of the year for “Here We Go Again,” sung with Norah Jones.

Green Day garnered six bids for its hard-driving rock-punk album “American Idiot” which satirized culture, politics, and apathy. The group was nominated for record of the year and best rock song for the title track and best rock album.

Besides Charles’ and Ms. Jones’ “Here We Go Again” and Green Day’s “American Idiot,” other record of the year contenders were the mellow love song “Heaven” by Los Lonely Boys, the jumpy party song “Let’s Get It Started” by the Black Eyed Peas, and Usher’s massive hit “Yeah!”