Mary J Blige tops Grammys list
2006-12-07 21:19
Los Angeles - R&B singer Mary J Blige,
known as the "Queen of Hip-Hop/Soul" for her impassioned style,
led the contenders for the Grammy Awards, picking up eight
nominations, organisers said on Thursday.
Los Angeles rock band the Red Hot Chili Peppers landed six
nominations for the music industry's biggest awards, including
the coveted album of the year award.
Among acts with five nominations each were English
singer/songwriter James Blunt, country trio the Dixie Chicks,
pop singer John Mayer, funk veteran Prince, producer Rick
Rubin, Black Eyed Peas singer will.i.am, producer Danger Mouse
of the duo Gnarls Barkley, and composer John Williams.
Blige, 35, is riding high on her current album The
Breakthrough, which has sold more than six million copies
worldwide. It was not nominated for album of the year, but the
three-time Grammy-winner was cited in such key categories as
record and song of the year.
Rock veterans the Red Hot Chili Peppers, who won their
solitary Grammy in 1993, will compete for album of the year
(Stadium Arcadium) alongside the Dixie Chicks (Taking the
Long Way), Mayer (Continuum), and a pair of four-time
nominees, Gnarls Barkley (St Elsewhere) and Justin
Timberlake (FutureSex/LoveSounds).
The Dixie Chicks' nominations come after a trying few years
resulting from disparaging remarks singer Natalie Maines made
about US President George W Bush during a London concert in
March 2003, days before the Iraq war started. Their popularity
slid among country music fans, and sales for their album were
slow. Their album's unrepentant single, Not Ready to Make
Nice, was nominated for both song and record of the year.
Both their album and the Chili Peppers' album were produced
by Rick Rubin, the man responsible for resurrecting the career
of Johnny Cash.
The late country music icon was a notable
absentee among Grammy nominees despite the acclaim for a recent
chart-topping album. Another Grammys favourite, Bob Dylan, was
also shut out of the major categories, with his recent No 1
album yielding just two nominations.
Other acts with four nominations each included R&B singer
Beyonce, producer Bryan Michael Cox, gospel artist Israel
Houghton, and rapper TI.
Contenders for best new artist were Blunt and fellow
British singers Imogen Heap and Corinne Bailey Rae, American
Idol winner Carrie Underwood and R&B singer Chris Brown.
Blunt, 34, whose ballad You're Beautiful was ubiquitous
this year, told Reuters, "The Grammys is a pretty phenomenal
institution ... so to have my name associated with it is a
great honour."
It is rare for three British acts to compete for best new
artist, which possibly suggests that American music fans are
becoming less "provincial", said Neil Portnow, president of the
National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, which
organises the event.
Nominees and winners are determined by the
academy's members, who are music industry professionals.
The artists nominated for record of the year - which goes
to the performer and producers - were Blige (Be Without
You), Blunt (You're Beautiful), the Dixie Chicks (Not Ready
to Make Nice), Gnarls Barkley (Crazy), and Corinne Bailey
Rae (Put Your Records On).
The Blige, Blunt, Dixie Chicks and Rae songs will compete
for song of the year - a songwriters award - alongside
Underwood's Jesus, Take the Wheel.
The 49th annual Grammy Awards will take place at the
Staples Centre in Los Angeles on February 11.