TORONTO — The music industry's biggest party of the year is set for Sunday and an eclectic group of rookie and veteran acts are primping and sprucing themselves up for the annual Grammy extravaganza.

Aside from the all-star cast of presenters and performers -- which includes controversial Boobgate offender Justin Timberlake -- the industry's most coveted awards will be distributed to those deemed the most important of the year.

Some say this year's nominations reflect a shift from last year's rule by adult favourites like Norah Jones and Bruce Springsteen to a more youthful hip hop and edgier rock sound.

Others claim the variation in nominees finally reflects the current generation's hankering for a cornucopia of sounds rather than limiting their music collections to one genre.

Chosen by 15,000 industry insiders who belong to the U.S. Recording Academy, this year's nominees include newcomer Evanescence, stalwart Sting, deceased rock icon Warren Zevon and even former U.S. president Bill Clinton.

For Canada, it's the female artists that once again dominate the country's contingent of nominees with three nods each for Avril Lavigne and Shania Twain. Sarah McLachlan, Jane Bunnett and k.d. lang earned one each.

"They're all somewhat unique in their own special way but they also have that polite inoffensive truly Canadian sensibility that makes everyone find them generally likeable," explains Aaron Brophy, managing editor at Chart, a national music magazine based in Toronto, of the consistent success of the country's female recording artists.

"They all have these niches that they play to, whether it's Avril's punk or Sarah's goth, but in reality they're far more populist than that. They have the benefit of going in and out of niche scenes while appealing to a greater audience."

The best shot at a Grammy win for Lavigne, who walked away from last year's awards empty handed after receiving five nominations, will be best rock vocal performance, guesses Brophy.

"If for no other reason than the other nominees aren't even rock artists," he said of competitors Michelle Branch, Pink, Bonnie Rait and Lucinda Williams. "It's one of those categories voters are trying to stuff in women they like."

The Napanee, Ont.-born singer will face off against heavyweight McLachlan in the best pop vocal performance category.

Brophy thinks it will be handed to McLachlan, who made the Grammy's eligibility period in the nick of time by releasing her song Fallen on Sept. 1. The album didn't hit stores until November meaning it will likely be up for more awards next year.

"They may give her the `Hey, welcome back into the club' award," he said referring to the B.C. singer's five-year absence. "Avril is a good singer. That she was part of a mini-cultural revolution I don't think sways them (voters) a lot."

Five-time Grammy winner Twain is nominated for best country album for Up, best country song (with husband Mutt Lange) for Forever and For Always and best female country vocal performance.

Nickelback leads the male contingent with two chances for a win: best rock album and best rock song.

Actor Eugene Levy will have a turn at music glory for his songwriting efforts for the film A Mighty Wind. Newcomer Fresh I.E. will compete for best rock gospel album, Rob McConnell for best instrumental arrangement and Northern Cree for best Native American album. And polka king Walter Ostanek will try for his fourth Grammy and composer Howard Shore for his second for the Lord of the Rings score.

Rap and R&B managed to break out of their niche categories this year, and turned up in some of the more mainstream categories with Beyonce, The Black Eyed Peas and Outkast up for some of the major awards including record of the year.

Toronto soul singer Glenn Lewis is up for his first Grammy in the best R&B performance by a duo or group with vocals category for his contribution to a Stanley Clarke remake of Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway's Where Is the Love.

He said it was a thrill to work with Clarke, a renowned electric bass player. "Stanley was in the studio telling me stories about how Donny was back in the day. It was a real comfortable atmosphere and something beautiful came out of it," he said.

It's the second year Canada has had a contender in the R&B genre, something we're hardly known for. Last year Winnipeg's Remy Shand received four nods.

"Gradually in time, the more that you hear of R&B talents emerging out of Canada, the more opportunities we get," said Lewis, who will have a new album out next month. "There are so many talented artists but unfortunately there's not enough of an infrastructure for this particular style of music. But it's getting a lot better."

Besides, only recently have hip hop and R&B been considered mainstays, he added.

"The music itself is really establishing itself as a legitimate art form. Sooner or later its international appeal can't be denied. It's going to continue to grow," said Lewis. "It's a great feeling to see the culture really come into its own and be recognized on this level."

Another reason for the melange of sounds is that fans are all over the music map these days, says Mocha, a morning show host and music director at 91.5 FM The Beat, in Kitchener, Ont.

"You're just getting this big fusion now of so many people doing so many different things. When they all blend together, or do a song together, you're introducing fans to each one of those different genres," he said. "A lot of people are more open to that now. They're not stuck in a particular genre."

The Grammy Awards show airs live from Los Angeles' Staples Centre on Global.

The Canadians up for awards at Sunday's Grammy awards include:

Avril Lavigne: Song of the year, Best female vocal performance, Best female rock vocal.

Shania Twain: Best country album, best country song (with husband Mutt Lange), best country vocal performance.

Nickelback: Best rock album, best rock song.

Eugene Levy: best compilation soundtrack album for motion picture (with Christopher Guest, Michael McKean), best song written for a film or TV show.

k.d. lang: best pop collaboration with vocals (with Tony Bennett), best traditional pop album.

Jane Bunnett: best Latin jazz album.

Fresh I.E.: Best rock gospel album.

Glenn Lewis: Best R&B performance by a duo or group with vocals (with Stanley Clark, Ariel Larieux).

Rob McConnell: Best instrumental arrangement.

Sarah McLachlan: Best female vocal performance.

Northern Cree: Best Native American music album.

Robbie Robertson: Best compilation soundtrack album for motion picture or TV (co-producer).

Walter Ostanek: Best polka album (with Bob Kravos).

Howard Shore: Best score soundtrack album for a film or TV.