So much for music's youth movement.

The nominations for the 2000 Grammy Awards are in, and while upstarts like the Backstreet Boys, Britney Spears, Ricky Martin and Christina Aguilera all scored in key categories, none could match the AARP-eligible rockers of Santana.

The Carlos Santana-fronted band, oft-snubbed in the past by the finicky Recording Academy voters, scored a field best 11 nominations and were recognized in the top three categories--Album of the Year (for Supernatural) and Record and Song of the Year (for the chart-topping "Smooth" featuring Matchbox 20's Rob Thomas). In a year that saw a much-hyped resurgence in Latin music, it's only appropriately that Supernatural's 11 nods are the most ever for a Latin act.

"I feel grateful," the 52-year-old Santana said from his home this morning. "It validates what I'm trying to do musically."

Similar to last year's country/rock/pop mix, the albums vying for this year's Grammy run the gamut of musical genres. In addition to Santana's guest star-laden comeback disc, Backstreet's Millennium, the Dixie Chicks' Fly, Diana Krall's When I Look in Your Eyes and TLC's FanMail are all up for Album of the Year.

The Record of the Year category pits Santana against Cher's club-hopping "Believe" against Backstreet's "That Way," Martin's "Livin' La Vida Loca" and TLC's catchy "No Scrubs."

Competing against Santana's "Smooth" in the Song of the Year race (presented to the songwriter): Backstreet's "I Want It That Way," Martin's "Livin' La Vida Loca," TLC's "Unpretty" and Shania Twain's "You've Got a Way."

In the fourth major category, Best New Artist, former Mouseketters Spears and Aguilera will face off against Macy Gray, Kid Rock and blues guitarist Susan Tedeschi.

The frequently fighting R&B trio TLC was the other big winner at today's nominations, scoring six nominations. Among the acts with four Grammy nominations were the Backstreet Boys, country stars the Dixie Chicks and Emmylou Harris, and previous Grammy winners Lauryn Hill and Whitney Houston.

Here are other key categories in the 42nd Annual Grammy Awards, which will be presented February 23 at Los Angeles' Staples Center.

Pop Album
• Backstreet Boys, Millennium
• Cher, Believe
• Ricky Martin, Ricky Martin
• Sarah McLachlan, Mirrorball
• Sting, Brand New Day

  Alternative Music

• Tori Amos, To Venus and Back
• Beck, Mutations
• Fatboy Slim, You've Come a Long Way, Baby
• Moby, Play
• Nine Inch Nails, The Fragile

  Rap Album

• Busta Rhymes, ELE
• Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliott, Da Real World
• Eminem, The Slim Shady LP
• Nas, I Am
• The Roots, Things Fall Apart

  Rock Album

• Melissa Etheridge, Breakdown
• Limp Bizkit, Significant Other
• Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Echo
• Red Hot Chili Peppers, Californication
• Santana, Supernatural

  Country Album

• Asleep at the Wheel, Ride with Bob
• Dixie Chicks, Fly
• Emmylou Harris, Linda Ronstadt & Dolly Parton, Trio II
• George Jones, Cold Hard Truth
• Alison Krauss, Forget About It