NEW YORK (Atlantic Records) - 14 Atlantic Records Group artists have received an impressive total of 29 nominations for the 49th Annual Grammy Awards, it was announced today.
Custard/Atlantic recording artist James Blunt and Downtown/Atlantic's Gnarls Barkley led the label pack, each earning five nods. Blunt's No 1 smash, "You're Beautiful," received nominations in the top categories, "Song of the Year" and "Record of the Year," as well as for "Best Pop Vocal Performance." The British singer/songwriter was also nominated for "Best Pop Vocal Album" - for his RIAA double-platinum debut, "BACK TO BEDLAM," and in the prestigious "Best New Artist" category.
Gnarls Barkley - the combination of Grammy-winning producer Danger Mouse and superstar vocalist Cee-Lo Green - got the nod in two top categories, "Record of the Year" - for the history-making hit single, "Crazy," and "Album of the Year" - for the groundbreaking "ST. ELSEWHERE." What's more, the duo picked up nominations for "Best Alternative Music Album" - for "ST. ELSEWHERE," and "Best Urban/Alternative Performance" - for "Crazy." And as if all that weren't enough, Danger Mouse was named in the "Producer of the Year, Non-Classical" category, marking his behind-the-board work on both "ST. ELSEWHERE" and the Rapture's "PIECES OF THE PEOPLE WE LOVE."
Atlantic artists dominated the Rap category, taking three of the five places in both the "Best Rap Song" and "Best Rap Vocal Performance" categories. The list was led by Grand Hustle/Atlantic recording artist T.I., who garnered a fantastic four nominations, including "Best Rap Album" - for his RIAA platinum-certified, No 1 Billboard 200 smash, "KING," as well as "Best Rap Solo Performance" and "Best Rap Song" - for his No 1 single, "What You Know." The ATL-based superstar also received a nomination in the "Best Rap/Sung Collaboration" category, for his duet with Justin Timberlake on the top-charting "My Love" (released by Jive/Zomba).
1st & 15th/Atlantic's Lupe Fiasco was the year's hip-hop breakthrough artist, taking a trio of nominations, including "Best Rap Album" - for his acclaimed debut, "LUPE FIASCO'S FOOD & LIQUOR," along with "Best Rap Song" and "Best Rap Solo Performance" nods for his anthemic hit, "Kick, Push."
Atlantic's other Rap nominees include Goldmind/Atlantic recording artist Missy Elliott, nominated for "Best Rap Solo Performance" - for "We Run This," and Block Enterprises/Bad Boy South's Yung Joc, nominated for "Best Rap Song" - for his smash single, "It's Goin' Down." In addition, SwishaHouse/Asylum's Paul Wall got a nod for "Best Rap Performance By a Duo or Group" - for his teaming with Nelly on the single, "Grillz," also featuring Ali & Gipp (released by Universal).
Death Cab For Cutie were honored with two nominations, "Best Pop Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal" - for "I Will Follow You Into The Dark," the third single from last year's Grammy-nominated album, "PLANS," and "Best Long Form Music Video" - for their innovative anthology of short films, "DIRECTIONS."
Atlantic's artistic diversity was represented by a genre-spanning set of nominations. Acclaimed British duo Zero 7 was nominated for "Best Electronic/Dance Album" - for "THE GARDEN." Eleven Seven/Atlantic rockers Buckcherry earned a "Best Hard Rock Performance" nod - for "Crazy Bitch." Latin rap superstar Tego Calderón was nominated for "Best Latin Rock, Alternative or Urban Album" - for his Jiggiri/Atlantic debut, "THE UNDERDOG/EL SUBESTIMADO." And four-time Grammy Award winner George Carlin was once again nominated for "Best Comedy Album" - for "LIFE IS WORTH LOSING."
In addition, Atlantic's own Yolanda Adams received two nominations, for "Best Gospel Performance" - for "Victory," from "THE GOSPEL - Soundtrack" (released by Verity Records), and, with the late Gerald Levert, for "Best R&B Performance By a Duo or Group with Vocals" for "Everyday (Family Reunion)," with Chaka Khan and Carl Thomas, from "MADEA'S FAMILY REUNION - Music From The Motion Picture" (released by Motown Records).
