Is it possible to use attribute lists with render hooks?

It is not. Attributes can only be specified for block elements. Comparing the three render hooks:

Render Hook Element Type Attribute Support
render-link.html <a> inline No
render-image.html <img> inline No
render-heading.html <h1-6> block Yes

See comments:
https://github.com/gohugoio/hugo/pull/8271