NEW YORK, NY (EMI Music) - EMI - the world's largest independent music company - had a strong showing when the 48th Annual Grammy Awards were announced today, including multiple nods for Paul McCartney, Gorillaz, Coldplay,
Jermaine Dupri and Les Paul. EMI
Music artists received an impressive 54 nominations; among them, for prestigious categories, including Paul McCartney's nod for "Album of the Year," five nominations for Gorillaz, including one for "Record of the Year," and nominations for
Jermaine Dupri for his work on music nominated in the "Record of the Year," "Album of Year," "Song of the Year" and "Best R&B Song" categories.
In addition to the aforementioned Gorillaz and Paul McCartney, EMI artists earning nominations in multiple categories also include Coldplay who earned three nominations including "Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal," "Best Rock Song" and "Best Rock Album"; legendary guitarist Les Paul who nabbed nominations for "Best Pop Instrumental Performance" and "Best Rock Instrumental Performance"; The Chemical Brothers, Fatboy Slim, and LCD Soundsystem who are each nominated for both "Best Dance Recording" and "Best Electronic/Dance Album"; and Martha Argerich who garnered honors for "Best Chamber Music Performance" and "Best Classical Album."
Other standouts include The Rolling Stones' nomination for "Best Rock Album," Bonnie Raitt for "Best Female Pop Vocal Performance" and Keith Urban for "Best Male Country Vocal Performance," as well as "Producer of the Year" nods for Danger Mouse, producer of Gorillaz's "Demon Days," and Nigel Godrich, producer of Paul McCartney's Chaos and Creation in the "Backyard." In addition, EMI artists Norah Jones and Merle Haggard participated in Grammy nominated collaborations such as "Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals" (for Jones with Foo Fighters) and "Best Country Collaboration with Vocals" (for Jones with Willie Nelson, as well as Haggard and Gretchen Wilson).
EMI also nearly swept the Dance category with nine out of 11 nominations going to EMI artists, including all the nominations in the "Best Electronic/Dance Album" category.
Gorillaz, the pioneering virtual band formed by Blur's Damon Albarn and world-renowned illustrator Jamie Hewlett, whose "Demon Days" is approaching double-platinum sales in the US, was nominated for five Grammys including "Record of the Year," "Best Pop Collaboration, With Vocals" and "Best Short Form Music Video," for "Feel Good, Inc."; "Best Urban/Alternative Performance," for "Dirty Harry"; and Producer of the Year" nomination for Danger Mouse.
Living legend Paul McCartney continues garnering accolades for his contributions to music and his latest "Chaos and Creation in the Backyard" is no exception. McCartney earns four Grammy nominations including the prestigious "Album of the Year" nod, as well as "Best Pop Vocal Album," for "Chaos and Creation in the Backyard," and "Best Male Pop Vocal Performance" for the song "Fine Line." The album's producer, Nigel Godrich also earns a nomination in the "Producer of the Year, Non Classical" category for the 13-song disc. "Chaos and Creation in the Backyard" is McCartney's 20th studio album since The Beatles.
Coldplay, whose latest effort "X&Y" debuted at No 1 in 32 countries upon its release in June, is nominated for three Grammy Awards including "Best Rock Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal" and "Best Rock Song" for "Speed Of Sound," as well as "Best Rock Album" for "X&Y." The band has previously won four Grammy awards and sold in upwards of 28 million albums worldwide. They are currently on the winter leg of their highly successful "Twisted Logic" tour
Superstar producer, songwriter and President of Virgin Records Urban Music Jermaine Dupri has been honored with four Grammy nominations, recognizing his work with Mariah Carey. His efforts have earned nominations in "Record of the Year," "Song of the Year," and "Best R &B Song" for "We Belong Together" and "Album of the Year" for "The Emancipation of Mimi." Dupri has been honored with several Grammy nominations in the past, including four for the 2004 Usher release "Confessions." In September 2005, Dupri became one of only a few producers to hold the top four positions on the Billboard music charts - a feat accomplished by only a few other artists including The Beatles. Moreover, one of Dupri's first new signings at Virgin, Johnta Austin, also received two songwriting-related nominations in key categories "Song of the Year" and "Best R&B Song" for "We Belong Together."
The Rolling Stones' first all-new studio album in 8 years, "A Bigger Bang," was honored with a "Best Rock Album" nomination. The critically acclaimed, and back-to-basics classic, debuted in the top 5 in more than 20 countries. At 16 tracks, it is the band's longest new album since 1972's "Exile on Main Street." The band has been performing before sold-out audiences across the US, has recently announced a European tour, and is slated to perform during halftime at Super Bowl XL in February 2006.
EMI's Capitol Record Nashville recording artist Keith Urban's Grammy nomination for "Best Male Country Vocal Performance" for "You'll Think Of Me" comes in the wake of his success at the Country Music Association (CMA) Awards last month, winning both "Male Vocalist of the Year" and the coveted "Entertainer of the Year" awards. Urban's most recent single "Better Life," from his double-platinum "Be Here" album, spent six weeks at the No 1 spot on Billboard's Country Singles chart.
Nine-time Grammy winner and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee, Bonnie Raitt, picks up a nomination for "Best Female Pop Vocal Performance" for "I Will Not Be Broken" off of her eighteenth album, "Souls Alike." It's her first album ever to bear the credit "Produced by Bonnie Raitt."
EMI artists The Chemical Brothers, Fatboy Slim, Daft Punk, Kraftwerk and LCD Soundsystem swept the "Best Electronic/Dance Album" category, while The Chemical Brothers, Fatboy Slim, Daft Punk, LCD Soundsystem and Kylie Minogue earned five out of six spots in the "Best Dance Recording" category. The Chemical Brothers are previous Grammy winners for "Best Rock Instrumental" for "Block Rockin' Beats" in 1998 and were nominated last year for "Best Dance Recording" for "Get Yourself High." Fatboy Slim won a Grammy Award in 2002 for "Best Short Form Music Video" for "Weapon of Choice" (featuring Christopher Walken).
Guitar legend Les Paul made his first return to Billboard's chart in 50 years with the August release of "Les Paul & Friends: American Made World Played," an all-star collaborative CD celebrating Paul in his 90th year of unparalleled music innovation and legendary guitar-playing. The CD's debut on Billboard's Top 200 made Les Paul the eldest charting artist of all time and now the National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences has honored him with two Grammy nominations including "Best Pop Instrumental Performance" for "Caravan" and "Best Rock Instrumental Performance" for "69 Freedom Special" from Les Paul & Friends: American Made World Played. Paul's last Grammy win was for Chester and Lester, his 1978 collaborative album with Chet Atkins.
Other EMI nominated artists include Terence Blanchard for "Best Jazz Instrumental Album, Individual or Group," Steven Curtis Chapman for "Best Pop/Contemporary Gospel Album," John Hammond for "Best Traditional Blues Album," Herbie Hancock for "Best Jazz Instrumental Solo" for his performance on Blanchard's album, Van Hunt for "Best Urban/Alternative Performance," Intocable for "Best Mexican/Mexican-American Album," Jeff Lorber for "Best Pop Instrumental Album," Wynton Marsalis for "Best Jazz Instrumental Album, Individual or Group," Anoushka Shankar for "Best Contemporary World Music Album" and Rolando Villazon for "Best Classical Vocal Performance." A full list of EMI nominated artists is available upon request.
The 48th Annual Grammy Awards will be held on February 8, 2006, in Los Angeles. A full list of EMI Music nominated artists and categories is available upon request.
