Multiple Grammy Nods Include Best Contemporary R&B Album For
Multi-Platinum Smash CD Konvicted
NEW YORK--(Business Wire)--SRC/Universal Motown star Akon was nominated for four Grammys on
Thursday, including possible honors for Best Contemporary R&B Album
for his multi-platinum/5 million selling smash album Konvicted, Best
Rap Song for his hit "I Wanna Love You", from the acclaimed CD, Best
R&B Performance With Vocals with T-Pain for his hit song "Bartender,"
and Best Pop Collaboration With Vocals with pop diva Gwen Stefani on
her song developed and co-written by Akon, "The Sweet Escape." Akon
himself was on hand at the Music Box in Los Angeles to help announce
this year's nominees for the 50th Annual Grammy Awards, to be held at
the Staple Center in Los Angeles on February 10. "It's truly one of
the highlights of my career to receive today's Grammy nominations,"
stated Akon. "It was an honor to be part of the announcement ceremony,
and I look forward to Grammy night and celebrating with those who have
made music such an inspirational force in all our lives."
The four Grammy nods follow his first American Music Award victory
last month for Best Male Soul/R&B artist, where he beat out celebrated
hitmakers Ne-Yo and T-Pain. The Senegalese star's first-ever Grammy
nomination came last year for his rousing collaboration with Eminem,
the record-breaking "Smack That," from the groundbreaking Konvicted.
Akon also recently pulled down three big wins at the World Music
Awards when he was awarded a trio of prestigious trophies including
Best Selling R&B star in the world, topping superstar artists such as
Beyonce, Timbaland, Rihanna and others.
Akon's 5 million selling album Konvicted continues to set new
records across the globe, yielding the #1 hits "I Wanna Love You," and
"Don't Matter," and the #2 Grammy-nominated "Smack That" featuring
Eminem. Akon also became the only artist in music history to
simultaneously lockdown the #1 and #2 positions on the Billboard Hot
100 Singles chart twice. Akon became the top selling mastertone artist
of all time this summer, achieving a phenomenal 11 million in total
mastertone sales, the most of any other artist since the inception of
mastertones.
Akon's mastertone hits include songs from his 1.4 million selling
2005 debut album Trouble. His top-selling ringtone offerings from
Konvicted ("Smack That" (certified by RIAA triple platinum), "Don't
Matter" (double platinum), and "I Wanna Love You" (double platinum)),
make him the only artist with three tracks from the same album to ever
achieve multi-platinum ringtone status.
The star's "Smack That" was the top selling mastertone of 2006
(Nielsen Mobile), reaching #2 on the Billboard Hot Digital Songs
Chart, and making Akon the biggest ringtone seller ever via the
nation's largest mobile carrier, AT&T.
One of the star attractions of this summer's sold-out, record
breaking Sweet Escape Tour with Gwen Stefani, the singer appeared at
the star-studded New York rollout of the celebrated Live Earth Show.
Akon has also delivered some of the biggest collaborative hits in
recent memory, including songs with Gwen Stefani, T.I., 50 Cent, Bone,
Thugs-n-Harmony, Chamillionaire, and others.
The 50th Annual Grammy Awards will be held at the Staples Center
in Los Angeles, on February 10, 2008. The telecast will be broadcast
on the CBS Television Network at 8:00 PM/EST/PT.
Universal Motown
Shirronda Sweet, 212-841-8622
Shirronda.Sweet@umusic.com
Tracy Zamot, 212-373-0702
Tracy.Zamot@umusic.com
Copyright Business Wire 2007
