Pop Culture Buzz

Nominations for the 51st Annual GRAMMY Awards were announced tonight by The Recording Academy and reflected one of the most diverse years ever with the Album Of The Year category alone representing the rap, R&B, folk and rock genres.

Lil Wayne tops the nominations with eight, Coldplay garners seven, and Jay-Z, Ne-Yo and Kanye West each earn six nods. Alison Krauss, John Mayer, Robert Plant, Radiohead and Jazmine Sullivan receive five each, and Adele, Danger Mouse, Eagles, Lupe Fiasco, George Strait, and T.I. each have four nominations.

The one head scratcher is Daft Punk’s “Harder, Better, Faster” which was first released in 2001, the live track of that same song from their 2007 album “Alive” was nominated this year in the dance category (a live track, really??). Other than that glaring oddity the nominations are pretty right on for once. I personally don’t care for some of the artists nominated but do not doubt their influence on pop culture and the current music scene.

I am very happy to see UK musicians such as Duffy, Robyn and Adele with multiple nominations as well as Gay Australian dance pop star Sam Sparro who received a nod for “Black and Gold”. I am also ecstatic to see Rufus Wainwright’s brilliant Carnegie Hall show “Rufus Does Judy” get a nomination; it is a true tour de force! But why no Robin Thicke or Jenny Lewis and just 1 My Morning Jacket nod? I must admit that this year is the Grammy’s most eclectic selection of popular music nominations ever!

Following is a sampling of nominations in 110 categories from the GRAMMY Awards’ 32 Fields:

GENERAL FIELD

Nominees for Album Of The Year are: Viva La Vida Or Death And All His Friends — Coldplay Tha Carter III — Lil Wayne Year Of The Gentleman — Ne-Yo Raising Sand — Robert Plant & Alison Krauss In Rainbows — Radiohead

Nominees for Record Of The Year are: “Chasing Pavements” — Adele “Viva La Vida” — Coldplay “Bleeding Love” — Leona Lewis “Paper Planes” — M.I.A “Please Read The Letter” — Robert Plant & Alison Krauss

Best New Artist nominees are: Adele Duffy Jonas Brothers Lady Antebellum Jazmine Sullivan

Song Of The Year nominees include: “American Boy” — William Adams, Keith Harris, Josh Lopez, Caleb Speir, John Stephens, Estelle Swaray & Kanye West, songwriters (Estelle Featuring Kanye West) “Chasing Pavements” — Adele Adkins & Eg White, songwriters (Adele) “I’m Yours” — Jason Mraz, songwriter (Jason Mraz) “Love Song” — Sara Bareilles, songwriter (Sara Bareilles) “Viva La Vida” — Guy Berryman, Jonny Buckland, Will Champion, & Chris Martin, songwriters (Coldplay)

POP FIELD

Best Pop Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals nominees are: “Viva La Vida” — Coldplay “Waiting In The Weeds” — Eagles “Going On” — Gnarls Barkley “Won’t Go Home Without You” — Maroon 5 “Apologize” — OneRepublic

Best Pop Collaboration With Vocals nods go to: “Lesson Learned” — Alicia Keys & John Mayer “4 Minutes” — Madonna, Justin Timberlake & Timbaland “Rich Woman” — Robert Plant & Alison Krauss “If I Never See Your Face Again” — Rihanna & Maroon 5 “No Air” — Jordin Sparks & Chris Brown

Nominations for Best Pop Vocal Album go to: Detours — Sheryl Crow Rockferry — Duffy Long Road Out Of Eden — Eagles Spirit — Leona Lewis Covers — James Taylor

DANCE FIELD

For Best Dance Recording, the nominees are: “Harder Better Faster Stronger” — Daft Punk “Ready For The Floor” — Hot Chip “Just Dance” — Lady Gaga & Colby O’Donis “Give It 2 Me” –Madonna “Disturbia” — Rihanna “Black & Gold” — Sam Sparro

TRADITIONAL POP FIELD

Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album nominees are: Still Unforgettable — Natalie Cole The Sinatra Project — Michael Feinstein Noel — Josh Groban In The Swing Of Christmas — Barry Manilow Rufus Does Judy At Carnegie Hall — Rufus Wainwright

ROCK FIELD

Nominations for Best Rock Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals go to: “Rock ‘N Roll Train” — AC/DC “Violet Hill” — Coldplay “Long Road Out Of Eden” — Eagles “Sex On Fire” — Kings Of Leon “House Of Cards” — Radiohead

Nods for Best Rock Song go to: “Girls In Their Summer Clothes” — Bruce Springsteen, songwriter (Bruce Springsteen) “House Of Cards” — Colin Greenwood, Jonny Greenwood, Ed O’Brien, Philip Selway & Thom Yorke, songwriters (Radiohead) “I Will Possess Your Heart ” — Benjamin Gibbard, Nicholas Harmer, Jason McGerr & Christopher Walla, songwriters (Death Cab For Cutie) “Sex On Fire” — Caleb Followill, Jared Followill, Matthew Followill & Nathan Followill, songwriters (Kings Of Leon) “Violet Hill” — Guy Berryman, Jonny Buckland, Will Champion, & Chris Martin, songwriters (Coldplay)

Best Rock Album nominees are: Viva La Vida Or Death And All His Friends — Coldplay Rock N Roll Jesus — Kid Rock Only By The Night — Kings Of Leon Death Magnetic — Metallica Consolers Of The Lonely — The Raconteurs

R&B FIELD

Nominees for Best R&B Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals are: “Ribbon In The Sky” — Boyz II Men “Words” — Anthony David Featuring Indie.Arie “Stay With Me (By The Sea)” — Al Green Featuring John Legend “I’m His Only Woman” — Jennifer Hudson Featuring Fantasia “Never Give You Up” — Raphael Saadiq Featuring Stevie Wonder & CJ Hilton

Best Urban/Alternative Performance nods go to: “Say Goodbye To Love” — Kenna “Wanna Be” — Maiysha “Be OK” — Chrisette Michele Featuring will.i.am “Many Moons” — Janelle Monae “Lovin You (Music)” — Wayna Featuring Kokayi

For Best R&B Album, the nominees are: Love & Life — Eric Benet Motown: A Journey Through Hitsville USA — Boyz II Men Lay It Down — Al Green Jennifer Hudson — Jennifer Hudson The Way I See It — Raphael Saadiq

RAP FIELD

Best Rap/Sung Collaboration nods go to: “American Boy” — Estelle Featuring Kanye West “Low” — Flo Rida Featuring T-Pain “Green Light” — John Legend & Andre 3000 “Got Money” — Lil Wayne Featuring T-Pain “Superstar” — Lupe Fiasco Featuring Matthew Santos

Nominees for Best Rap Song are: “Lollipop” — D. Carter, S. Garrett, D.Harrison, J. Scheffer & R. Zamor, songwriters (Lil Wayne Featuring Static Major) “Low” — T. Dillard, M. Humphrey & T-Pain, songwriters (Flo Rida Featuring T-Pain) “Sexual Eruption” — Calvin Broadus, S. Lovejoy & D. Stewart, songwriters (Snoop Dogg) “Superstar” — Lupe Fiasco & Soundtrakk, songwriter (Lupe Fiasco Featuring Matthew Santos) “Swagga Like Us” — D. Carter, S. Carter, Clifford Harris, & Kanye West, songwriters (M. Arulpragasam, N. Headon, M. Jones, J. Mellor, T. Pentz, P. Simonon, songwriters)(Jay-Z & T.I. Featuring Kanye West & Lil Wayne)

For Best Rap Album, the nominees are: American Gangster — Jay-Z Tha Carter III — Lil Wayne The Cool — Lupe Fiasco Nas — Nas Paper Trail — T.I.

COUNTRY FIELD

Nods for Best Country Collaboration With Vocals go to: “Shiftwork” — Kenny Chesney & George Strait “Killing The Blues” — Robert Plant & Alison Krauss “House Of Cash” — George Strait & Patty Loveless “Life In A Northern Town” — Sugarland, Jake Owen & Little Big Town “Let The Wind Chase You” — Trisha Yearwood & Keith Urban

For Best Country Song, the nominees are: “Dig Two Graves” — Ashley Gorley & Bob Regan, songwriters (Randy Travis) “I Saw God Today” — Rodney Clawson, Monty Criswell & Wade Kirby, songwriters (George Strait) “In Color” — Jamey Johnson, Lee Thomas Miller & James Otto, songwriters (Jamey Johnson) “Stay” — Jennifer Nettles, songwriter (Sugarland) “You’re Gonna Miss This” — Ashley Gorley & Lee Thomas Miller, songwriters (Trace Adkins)

Nominations for Best Country Album are: That Lonesome Song — Jamey Johnson Sleepless Nights — Patty Loveless Troubadour — George Strait Around The Bend — Randy Travis Heaven, Heartache And The Power Of Love — Trisha Yearwood

JAZZ FIELD

For Best Contemporary Jazz Album, the nominees are: Randy In Brasil — Randy Brecker Floating Point — John McLaughlin Cannon Re-Loaded: All-Star Celebration Of Cannonball Adderley — (Various Artists) Gregg Field & Tom Scott, producers Miles From India — (Various Artists) Bob Belden, producer Lifecycle — Yellowjackets Featuring Mike Stern

Nods for Best Jazz Vocal Album go to: Imagina: Songs Of Brasil — Karrin Allyson Breakfast On The Morning Tram — Stacey Kent If Less Is More…Nothing Is Everything — Kate McGarry Loverly — Cassandra Wilson Distances — Norma Winstone (Glauco Venier & Klaus Gesing)

This year’s Producer Of The Year, Non-Classical nominations go to: Danger Mouse, Nigel Godrich, Johnny Karkazis, Rick Rubin, and will.i.am.