Mumbai : Organisers of the 35th Annual American Music Awards have announced that for the first time, members of the public will be allowed to pick winners.Pop star Justin Timberlake, R&B singer Beyonce and rock bands Linkin Park and Daughtry lead the nominations. Among the artists with two nominations each, are country stars Tim McGraw, Rascal Flatts and Carrie Underwood. Hip-hop performers Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, T.I. and Young Jeezy also received a pair of nods each.

Winners will be announced on 18 November 2007 during a ceremony held at the brand new Nokia Theatre in downtown Los Angeles. The event traditionally had been held at the nearby Shrine Auditorium, say reports.Also new is the voting procedure. Fans can vote online at http://www.ama.abc.com through 1 November 2007. Until now, winners were decided by a poll of 20,000 music buyers. Nominees are still determined by retail and sales data. For the fourth year, Jimmy Kimmel will host the show. The initial lineup of performers includes Daughtry, the Black Eyed Peas singer Fergie, and R&B singer Rihanna.