Foo Fighters, Vince Gill, Herbie Hancock, Kanye West and Amy Winehouse Vie for Album...

Foo Fighters, Vince Gill, Herbie Hancock, Kanye West and Amy Winehouse Vie for Album Of The Year at 50th Annual GRAMMY(R) Awards Feb. 10, 2008

Kanye West Leads Nominations with Eight; Amy Winehouse Earns Six

Feist, Ledisi, Paramore, Taylor Swift and Amy Winehouse Up for
Best New Artist
SANTA MONICA, Calif.--(Business Wire)--Nominations for the 50th Annual GRAMMY(R) Awards were announced
today by The Recording Academy(R) reflecting one of the most diverse
years ever with the Album Of The Year category alone representing the
country, hip-hop, jazz, pop and rock genres. The press event was held
at The Music Box @ Fonda in Hollywood and was attended by national and
international media, as well as key music industry executives. Artists
reading nominations this morning included Akon, Chester Bennington (of
Linkin Park), Fergie, Vince Gill, Dave Grohl (Foo Fighters), Herbie
Hancock, Jimmy Jam, Taylor Hawkins (Foo Fighters), George Lopez, Mike
Shinoda (of Linkin Park) and Taylor Swift. The 50th Annual GRAMMY
Awards will be held on "GRAMMY Sunday," Feb. 10, 2008, at STAPLES
Center in Los Angeles and once again will be broadcast live in high
definition TV and 5.1 surround sound on CBS from 8 - 11:30 p.m.
(ET/PT).

Kanye West tops the nominations with eight, Amy Winehouse garners
six, and the Foo Fighters, Jay-Z, Timbaland, Justin Timberlake, and
T-Pain each earn five nods. Akon, Dierks Bentley, Chris Daughtry,
Feist, Tim McGraw, John Newton, Ne-Yo, Rihanna, and Bruce Springsteen
receive four each.

"This year's nominations truly reflect a diverse and talented
community of artists and creators who represent some of the most
exceptional music of the year," said Neil Portnow, President/CEO of
The Recording Academy. "The GRAMMY Awards process once again has
yielded a comprehensive group of excellent nominees and coupled with
the fact that it's our milestone 50th year, this year's telecast
promises music fans a spectacular show filled with
stellar performances and unique 'GRAMMY Moments' for which Music's
Biggest Night(TM) has come to be renowned."

Following is a sampling of nominations in 110 categories from the
GRAMMY Awards' 31 Fields:

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GENERAL FIELD
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Nominees for Album Of The Year are:
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace -- Foo Fighters
These Days -- Vince Gill
River: The Joni Letters -- Herbie Hancock
Graduation -- Kanye West
Back To Black -- Amy Winehouse

Nominees for Record Of The Year are:
----------------------------------------------------------------------
"Irreplaceable" -- Beyonce
"The Pretender" -- Foo Fighters
"Umbrella" -- Rihanna Featuring Jay-Z
"What Goes Around...Comes Around" -- Justin Timberlake
"Rehab" -- Amy Winehouse

Best New Artist nominees are:
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Feist
Ledisi
Paramore
Taylor Swift
Amy Winehouse

Song Of The Year nominees include:
----------------------------------------------------------------------
"Before He Cheats" -- John Kear & Chris Tompkins, songwriters (Carrie
Underwood)
"Hey There Delilah" -- Tom Higgenson, songwriter (Plain White T's)
"Like A Star" -- Corinne Bailey Rae, songwriter (Corinne Bailey Rae)
"Rehab" -- Amy Winehouse, songwriter (Amy Winehouse)
"Umbrella" -- Shawn Carter, Kuk Harrell, Terius "Dream" Nash &
Christopher Stewart, songwriters (Rihanna Featuring Jay-Z)

POP FIELD
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Nominations for Best Pop Vocal Album go to:
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Lost Highway -- Bon Jovi
The Reminder -- Feist
It Won't Be Soon Before Long -- Maroon 5
Memory Almost Full -- Paul McCartney
Back To Black -- Amy Winehouse

Best Pop Collaboration With Vocals nods go to:
----------------------------------------------------------------------
"Steppin' Out" -- Tony Bennett & Christina Aguilera
"Beautiful Liar" -- Beyonce & Shakira
"Gone Gone Gone (Done Moved On)" -- Robert Plant & Alison Krauss
"The Sweet Escape" -- Gwen Stefani & Akon
"Give It To Me" -- Timbaland Featuring Nelly Furtado & Justin
Timberlake

Best Pop Instrumental Performance nominees are:
----------------------------------------------------------------------
"Off The Grid" -- Beastie Boys
"Paris Sunrise #7" -- Ben Harper & The Innocent Criminals
"Over The Rainbow" -- Dave Koz
"One Week Last Summer" -- Joni Mitchell
"Simple Pleasures" -- Spyro Gyra

DANCE FIELD
----------------------------------------------------------------------
For Best Dance Recording, the nominees are:
----------------------------------------------------------------------
"Do It Again" -- The Chemical Brothers
"D.A.N.C.E." -- Justice
"Love Today" -- Mika
"Don't Stop The Music" --Rihanna
"Love Stoned/I Think She Knows" -- Justin Timberlake

ROCK FIELD
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Nominations for Best Solo Rock Vocal Performance go to:
----------------------------------------------------------------------
"Timebomb" -- Beck
"Only Mama Knows" -- Paul McCartney
"Our Country" -- John Mellencamp
"Radio Nowhere" -- Bruce Springsteen
"Come On" -- Lucinda Williams

Best Rock Album nominees are:
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Daughtry -- Daughtry
Revival -- John Fogerty
Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace -- Foo Fighters
Magic -- Bruce Springsteen
Sky Blue Sky -- Wilco

Nods for Best Rock Song go to:
----------------------------------------------------------------------
"Come On" -- Lucinda Williams, songwriter (Lucinda Williams)
"Icky Thump" -- Jack White, songwriter (The White Stripes)
"It's Not Over" -- Chris Daughtry, Gregg Wattenberg, Mark Wilkerson &
Brett Young, songwriters (Daughtry)
"The Pretender" -- Dave Grohl, Taylor Hawkins, Nate Mendel & Chris
Shiflett, songwriters (Foo Fighters)
"Radio Nowhere" -- Bruce Springsteen, songwriter (Bruce Springsteen)

R&B FIELD
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Nominees for Best R&B Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals are:
----------------------------------------------------------------------
"Same Girl" -- R. Kelly Featuring Usher
"Disrespectful" -- Chaka Khan Featuring Mary J. Blige
"Hate That I Love You" -- Rihanna Featuring Ne-Yo
"Baby" -- Angie Stone Featuring Betty Wright
"Bartender" -- T-Pain Featuring Akon

For Best Contemporary R&B Album, the nominees are:
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Konvicted -- Akon
Just Like You -- Keyshia Cole
Fantasia -- Fantasia
East Side Story -- Emily King
Because Of You -- Ne-Yo

Best Urban/Alternative Performance nods go to:
----------------------------------------------------------------------
"Make A Baby" -- Vikter Duplaix
"That's The Way Of The World" -- Dwele
"Daydreamin'" -- Lupe Fiasco Featuring Jill Scott
"Fantasy" -- Meshell Ndegeocello
"Dream" -- Alice Smith

RAP FIELD
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Best Rap/Sung Collaboration nods go to:
----------------------------------------------------------------------
"I Wanna Love You" -- Akon Featuring Snoop Dogg
"Kiss, Kiss" -- Chris Brown & T-Pain
"Let It Go" -- Keyshia Cole Featuring Missy Elliott & Lil' Kim
"Umbrella" -- Rihanna Featuring Jay-Z
"Good Life" -- Kanye West Featuring T-Pain

Nominees for Best Rap Song are:
----------------------------------------------------------------------
"Ayo Technology" -- N. Hills, Curtis Jackson, Timothy Mosley & Justin
Timberlake, songwriters (50 Cent Featuring Justin Timberlake &
Timbaland)
"Big Things Poppin' (Do It)" -- Clifford Harris & Byron Thomas,
songwriters (T.I.)
"Can't Tell Me Nothing" -- A. Davis & Kanye West, songwriters (Kanye
West)
"Crank That (Soulja Boy)" -- Soulja Boy Tell'Em, songwriter (Soulja
Boy Tell'Em)
"Good Life" -- A. Davis, F. Najm & K. West, songwriters (Kanye West
Featuring T-Pain)

For Best Rap Album, the nominees are:
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Finding Forever -- Common
Kingdom Come -- Jay-Z
Hip Hop Is Dead -- Nas
T.I. vs T.I.P. -- T.I.
Graduation -- Kanye West

COUNTRY FIELD
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Nods for Best Country Collaboration With Vocals go to:
----------------------------------------------------------------------
"Days Aren't Long Enough" -- Steve Earle & Allison Moorer
"Because Of You" -- Reba McEntire & Kelly Clarkson
"I Need You" -- Tim McGraw & Faith Hill
"Lost Highway" -- Willie Nelson & Ray Price
"Oh Love" -- Brad Paisley & Carrie Underwood

For Best Country Song, the nominees are:
----------------------------------------------------------------------
"Before He Cheats" -- Josh Kear & Chris Tompkins, songwriters (Carrie
Underwood)
"Give It Away" -- Bill Anderson, Buddy Cannon & Jamey Johnson,
songwriters (George Strait)
"I Need You" -- Tony Lane & David Lee, songwriters (Tim McGraw & Faith
Hill)
"If You're Reading This" -- Tim McGraw, Brad Warren & Brett Warren,
songwriters (Tim McGraw)
"Long Trip Alone" -- Brett Beavers, Dierks Bentley & Steve Bogard,
songwriters (Dierks Bentley)

Nominations for Best Country Album are:
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Long Trip Alone -- Dierks Bentley
These Days -- Vince Gill
Let It Go -- Tim McGraw
5th Gear -- Brad Paisley
It Just Comes Natural -- George Strait

JAZZ FIELD
----------------------------------------------------------------------
For Best Contemporary Jazz Album, the nominees are:
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Party Hats -- Will Bernard
Downright Upright -- Brian Bromberg
Re-Imagination -- Eldar
River: The Joni Letters -- Herbie Hancock
He Had A Hat -- Jeff Lorber

Nods for Best Jazz Vocal Album go to:
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Avant Gershwin -- Patti Austin
Red Earth - A Malian Journey -- Dee Dee Bridgewater
Music Maestro Please -- Freddy Cole
Nightmoves -- Kurt Elling
On The Other Side -- Tierney Sutton
*T

This year's Producer Of The Year, Non-Classical nominations go to:
Howard Benson, Joe Chiccarelli, Mike Elizondo, Mark Ronson, and
Timbaland.

In the newly added Best Zydeco Or Cajun Music Album category,
nominations go to: Le Cowboy Creole (Geno Delafose & French Rockin'
Boogie), King Cake (Lisa Haley), Live: A La Blue Moon (Lost Bayou
Ramblers), Blues De Musicien (Pine Leaf Boys), Racines (Racines), The
La Louisianne Sessions (Roddie Romero And The Hub City All-Stars), and
Live! Worldwide (Terrance Simien & The Zydeco Experience).

In the Latin Field, Best Latin Rock, Alternative Or Urban Album
has now been split into two categories. Nominations for Best Latin
Rock Or Alternative Album are: No Hay Espacio (Black:Guayaba),
Adelantando (Jarabe De Palo), Amantes Sunt Amentes (Panda), Kamikaze
(Rabanes), Memo Rex Commander Y El Corazon Atomico De La Via Lactea
(Zoe). For Best Latin Urban Album, nods go to: E.S.L. (Akwid), El
Abayarde Contra-Ataca (Tego Calderon), Residente O Visitante (Calle
13), El Cartel: The Big Boss (Daddy Yankee), and Vacaneria!
(Fulanito).

GRAMMY ballots for the final round of voting will be mailed on
Dec. 12 to the voting members of The Recording Academy. They are due
back to the accounting firm of Deloitte by Jan. 9, 2008, when they
will be tabulated and the results kept secret until the telecast.

The 50th Annual GRAMMY Awards are produced by John Cossette
Productions and AEG Ehrlich Ventures for The Recording Academy. Ken
Ehrlich and John Cossette are executive producers, Walter C. Miller is
producer/director, Tisha Fein is the coordinating producer, and Tzvi
Small is supervising producer.

Established in 1957, The Recording Academy is an organization of
musicians, producers, engineers and recording professionals that is
dedicated to improving the cultural condition and quality of life for
music and its makers. Internationally known for the GRAMMY Awards --
the preeminent peer-recognized award for musical excellence and the
most credible brand in music -- The Recording Academy is responsible
for groundbreaking professional development, cultural enrichment,
advocacy, education and human services programs. In its 50th year, The
Academy continues to focus on its mission of recognizing musical
excellence, advocating for the well-being of music makers and ensuring
music remains an indelible part of our culture. For more information
about The Academy, please visit www.grammy.com.

MEDIA, PLEASE NOTE: A complete list of nominees is available at
www.grammy.com. For information detailing how to apply for press
credentials to cover the 50th Annual GRAMMY Awards, please click on
the "Press" link located on the GRAMMY.com home page
(http://www.grammy.com/press/credentials.aspx) and follow the
directions posted. No credential applications will be accepted in any
form other than that outlined on the Web site. The deadline to apply
is Friday, Dec. 28, 2007, at 5 p.m. (PT). NO EXCEPTIONS.

The Recording Academy
Barb Dehgan/Lourdes Lopez, 310-392-3777
or
Rogers and Cowan
Maureen O'Connor, 310-854-8116

Copyright Business Wire 2007