2008 Grammy Nominations Announced

by Jarrett Martineau | December 6, 2007 at 11:23 am

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The 2008 Grammy Nominations have just been announced. Chicago hip-hop artist Kanye West leads the list with eight nominations, while UK soul singer Amy Winehouse received six. Timbaland also received several nominations, as the production mastermind behind hits for Justin Timberlake and Nelly Furtado.

But for both record and song of the year, it's hard to imagine a bigger single in 2007 than Rihanna's "Umbrella" -- which topped both US & UK charts and inundated the Top 40 airwaves for weeks. Although Rihanna has had chart-topping hits before, nothing rocked the pop world as heavily or as hard as the rattling cymbals, thick boom-bap beat, and blasting synths of "Umbrella", which has made her a bonafide pop star.

For Amy Winehouse, as compelling an artist as she has proven to be, the throwback smoky soul sound of "Rehab" (as great a track as it is) just can't compete with the sonic monstrosity created by Rihanna's production team.

Notable Canadian nominees include: Feist, Arcade Fire, Nelly Furtado, Nickelback, and crooner Michael Bublé.

Southern rap group UGK -- which featured the recently deceased rapper Pimp-C -- was also nominated in the Rap Performance By a Duo or Group category for their mega-hit "Int'l Players Anthem (I Choose You)" featuring OutKast.

The awards will be given to their blinged out recipients when the Grammy winners are announced in February.

This is the first half of the nominations list for the 50th annual Grammy awards. Awards will be presented Feb. 10, 2008, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.

RECORD OF THE YEAR

Irreplaceable - Beyoncé; Beyoncé Knowles, S. Smith & Stargate, producers; Jim Caruana, Jason Goldstein & Geoff Rice, engineers/mixers; Track from: "B'Day"; [Sony Urban Music/Columbia/Music World Productions]

The Pretender - Foo Fighters; Gil Norton, producer; Adrian Bushby & Rich Costey, engineers/mixers [Roswell/RCA Records]

Umbrella - Rihanna Featuring Jay-Z; Kuk Harrell & C. "Tricky" Stewart, producers; Kuk Harrell & Manny Marroquin, engineers/mixers; Track from: "Good Girl Gone Bad" [Def Jam]

What Goes Around...Comes Around - Justin Timberlake; Nate (Danja) Hills, Timbaland & Justin Timberlake, producers; Jimmy Douglass & Timbaland, engineers/mixers; [Jive/Zomba]

Rehab - Amy Winehouse; Mark Ronson, producer; Tom Elmhirst, engineer/mixer; Track from: "Back To Black" [Universal Republic Records]

ALBUM OF THE YEAR

"Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace" - Foo Fighters; Gil Norton, producer; Adrian Bushby & Rich Costey, engineers/mixers; Brian Gardner, mastering engineer [Roswell/RCA Records]

"These Days" - Vince Gill; John Anderson, Guy Clarke, Rodney Crowell, Diana Krall & The Del McCoury Band, featured artists; Vince Gill, John Hobbs & Justin Niebank, producers; Neal Cappellino & Justin Niebank, engineers/mixers; Adam Ayan, mastering engineer [MCA Nashville]

"River: The Joni Letters" - Herbie Hancock; Leonard Cohen, Norah Jones, Joni Mitchell, Corinne Bailey Rae, Luciana Souza & Tina Turner, featured artists; Herbie Hancock & Larry Klein, producers; Helik Hadar, engineer/mixer; Bernie Grundman, mastering engineer [Verve]

"Graduation" - Kanye West; Dwele, Lil Wayne, Mos Def & T-Pain, featured artists; Warryn "Baby Dubb" Campbell, Eric Hudson, Brian "Allday"Miller, Nottz, Patrick "Plain Pat" Reynolds, Gee Roberson, Toomp & Kanye West, producers; Bruce Beuchner, Andrew Dawson, Mike Dean, Anthony Kilhoffer, Greg Koller, Manny Marroquin, Nottz Raw, Tony Rey, Seiji Sekine, Paul Sheehy & D. Sloan, engineers/mixers; Vlado Meller, mastering engineer [Roc-A-Fella Records]

"Back To Black" - Amy Winehouse; Mark Ronson & Salaamremi, producers; Tom Elmhirst, Gary Noble & Franklin Socorro, engineers/mixers; Mark Ronson, mastering engineer [Universal Republic Records]

SONG OF THE YEAR

"Before He Cheats" - Josh Kear & Chris Tompkins, songwriters (Carrie Underwood); Track from: "Some Hearts" [19 Recordings/Arista Nashville; Publishers: That Little House Music, Mighty Underdog Music/Sony/ATV Cross Keys]

"Hey There Delilah" - Tom Higgenson, songwriter (Plain White T's); Track from: "Every Second Counts" [Hollywood Records/Fearless Records; Publisher: So Happy Publishing]

"Like A Star" - Corinne Bailey Rae, songwriter (Corinne Bailey Rae); Track from: "Corinne Bailey Rae" [Capitol Records; Publisher: Global Talent Publishing]

"Rehab" - Amy Winehouse, songwriter (Amy Winehouse); Track from: "Back To Black" [Universal Republic Records; Publisher: EMI Music Publishing]

"Umbrella" - Shawn Carter, Kuk Harrell, Terius "Dream"Nash & Christopher Stewart, songwriters (Rihanna Featuring Jay-Z); Track from: "Good Girl Gone Bad"[Def Jam]

NEW ARTIST

Feist

Ledisi

Paramore

Taylor Swift

Amy Winehouse

FEMALE POP VOCAL PERFORMANCE

"Candyman" - Christina Aguilera [RCA Records]

"1234" - Feist; Track from: "The Reminder" [Cherry Tree / Interscope Records]

"Big Girls Don't Cry" - Fergie; Track from: "The Dutchess" [A&M Records]

"Say It Right" - Nelly Furtado; Track from: "Loose" [Geffen]

"Rehab" - Amy Winehouse; Track from: "Back To Black" [Universal Republic Records]

MALE POP VOCAL PERFORMANCE

"Everything" - Michael Bublé; Track from: "Call Me Irresponsible" [143 Records/Reprise]

"Belief" - John Mayer Track from: "The Village Sessions" [Columbia/Aware]

"Dance Tonight" - Paul McCartney; Track from: "Memory Almost Full" [MPL/Hear Music]

"Amazing" - Seal [Warner Bros.]

"What Goes Around...Comes Around" - Justin Timberlake [Jive]

POP VOCAL ALBUM

"Lost Highway" - Bon Jovi [Island/Mercury]

"The Reminder" - Feist [Cherry Tree/Interscope Records]

"It Won't Be Soon Before Long" - Maroon 5 [Octone/A&M Records]

"Memory Almost Full" - Paul McCartney [MPL/Hear Music]

"Back To Black" - Amy Winehouse [Universal Republic Records]

ALTERNATIVE MUSIC ALBUM

"Alright, Still..." - Lily Allen [Capitol Records]

"Neon Bible" - Arcade Fire [Merge Records]

"Volta" - Bjork [Elektra/Atlantic]

"Wincing The Night Away" - The Shins [Sub Pop]

"Icky Thump" - The White Stripes [Third Man/Warner Bros.]

RAP SOLO PERFORMANCE

"The People" - Common; Track from: "Finding Forever" [Geffen]

"I Get Money" - 50 Cent; Track from: "Curtis" [Shady/Aftermath/Interscope Records]

"Show Me What You Got" - Jay-Z; Track from: "Kingdom Come" [Roc-A-Fella Records]

"Big Things Poppin' (Do It)" - T.I.; [Grand Hustle/Atlantic]

"Stronger" - Kanye West; Track from: "Graduation" [Roc-A-Fella Records]

RAP PERFORMANCE BY A DUO OR GROUP

"Southside" - Common Featuring Kanye West; Track from: "Finding Forever" [Geffen]

"Make It Rain" - Fat Joe Featuring Lil Wayne; Track from: "Me, Myself & I" [Terror Squad Entertainment]

"Party Like A Rockstar" - Shop Boyz; Track from: "Rockstar Mentality" [OnDeck/Universal Republic Records]

"Int'l Players Anthem (I Choose You)" - UGK Featuring OutKast [Jive]

"Better Than I've Ever Been" - Kanye West, Nas & KRS-One [Nike]

RAP/SUNG COLLABORATION

"I Wanna Love You" - Akon Featuring Snoop Dogg; Track from: "Konvicted" [SRC/Universal Motown]

"Kiss, Kiss" - Chris Brown & T-Pain; [Jive]

"Let It Go" - Keyshia Cole Featuring Missy Elliott & Lil' Kim; Track from: "Just Like You" [Geffen]

"Umbrella" - Rihanna Featuring Jay-Z; Track from: "Good Girl Gone Bad" [Def Jam Recordings]

"Good Life" - Kanye West Featuring T-Pain; Track from: "Graduation" [Roc-A-Fella]

RAP ALBUM

"Finding Forever" - Common [Geffen]

"Kingdom Come" - Jay-Z [Roc-A-Fella/Def Jam Recordings]

"Hip Hop Is Dead" - Nas [Def Jam/Columbia/The Jones Experience]

"T.I. vs T.I.P." - T.I. [Grand Hustle/Atlantic]

"Graduation" - Kanye West [Roc-A-Fella Records]