CBS will broadcast the annual awards ceremony live, 8-11:30 PM ET; check local listings. Produced in association with Cossette Productions, the ceremony will feature 18 performances introduced by a host of celebrities.

The National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences, Inc. announced the 46th Annual Grammy Awards nominees Dec. 4. The nominations feature more than 100 categories, two of which are of particular interest to theatre fans: Best Musical Show Album and Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album. Recordings eligible for nomination were released between Oct. 1, 2002, and Sept. 30, 2003.

As of press time, those scheduled to introduce the various acts include Grammy winner Beck, actor Jack Black, comic and actress Ellen DeGeneres, Oscar-winning actor Cuba Gooding Jr., Emmy winner Marg Helgenberger, Oscar-nominated actor Samuel L. Jackson, Grammy winner and Oscar nominated actress Queen Latifah, current five-time nominee (with Evanescence) Amy Lee, actor and comic George Lopez, five-time Grammy winner Madonna and Golden Globe-winning actress Sarah Jessica Parker.

Among those performing on the telecast will be Christina Aguilera, Beyoncé, the Black Eyed Peas, Jackson Browne, George Clinton and Parliament Funkadelic, Chick Corea, Celine Dion, Earth, Wind & Fire, the Foo Fighters, Vince Gill, Emmylou Harris, Alicia Keys, Richard Marx, Dave Matthews, Martina McBride, OutKast, Prince, Robert Randolph & the Family Band, Justin Timberlake, the Eagles' Timothy B. Schmit, Sting and Sean Paul, Billy Bob Thornton, Pharrell Williams, the White Stripes and Dwight Yoakam.

Presenters are scheduled to include recording artists Babyface, Joshua Bell, Jorge Calderón, Hilary Duff, Kurt Elling, Faith Hill, Norah Jones, B.B. King, John Mayer, Brian McKnight, Carlos Santana, Steven Tyler and Joe Perry of Aerosmith, Keith Urban, Pharrell Williams and actors Sean Astin and Amber Tamblyn. Nominees in the two aforementioned categories follow:

Best Musical Show Album

"Flower Drum Song"
Hugh Fordin, producer (Richard Rodgers, composer; Oscar Hammerstein II, lyricist) (New Broadway Cast with Lea Salonga) [DRG Records]

"Gypsy"
Jay David Saks, producer (Jule Styne, composer; Stephen Sondheim, lyricist) (New Broadway Cast with Bernadette Peters, Tammy Blanchard, John Dossett) [Angel Records]

"Man Of La Mancha"
Jay David Saks, producer (Mitch Leigh, composer; Joe Darion, lyricist) (The New Broadway Cast Recording with Brian Stokes Mitchell, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, Ernie Sabella) [RCA Victor]

"Movin' Out"
Mike Berniker & Tommy Byrnes, producers (Billy Joel, composer/lyricist) (Original Broadway Cast with Michael Cavanaugh) [Sony Classical]

"Nine - The Musical"
Tommy Krasker & Maury Yeston, producers (Maury Yeston, composer/lyricist) (New Broadway Cast with Antonio Banderas, Chita Rivera) [PS Classics]

Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album

"A Wonderful World"
Tony Bennett & k.d. lang
[RPM/Columbia Records]

"The Last Concert"
Rosemary Clooney
[Concord Records]

"Bette Midler Sings The Rosemary Clooney Songbook"
Bette Midler
[Columbia Records]

"As Time Goes By...The Great American Songbook: Volume II"
Rod Stewart
[J Records]

"The Movie Album"
Barbra Streisand
[Columbia Records]

In other theatre-related Grammy news, the soundtrack to the Oscar-winning film "Chicago" was nominated in the Best Compilation Soundtrack Album for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media category. The Epic Records release will compete against the soundtracks for "Gangs of New York," "Kill Bill—Vol. 1," "A Mighty Wind" and "School of Rock." Kander and Ebb's "I Move On," which was written for the film version of their award-winning musical Chicago, was also nominated for a Grammy in the Best Song Written for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media category.

And, Aida Tony Award winner Heather Headley was nominated for Best New Artist in a field that includes Evanescence, 50 Cent, Fountains of Wayne and Sean Paul. Headley also received a second nomination for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance for the song "I Wish I Wasn't" from her solo debut CD "This Is Who I Am" (RCA Records). Headley's competition in that category includes Ashanti, Erykah Badu, Beyoncé and Mary J. Blige.

For more information visit www.grammy.com.