Gordon in the morning 2: Crossed lines

Here's some unlikely news - Ian Brown not only writing songs for Rihanna, but deciding that they're too good for her? Gordon Smart has the scoop:

He was snapped in his native Manchester filming the video for new song Stellify - which was meant for RIHANNA.

Ian, who releases sixth solo album My Way in September, said: "As we got to the end of writing it I thought, 'You know what? I'm gonna keep this for myself.'"

Gordon doesn't seem in any way surprised that Brown would be writing songs to provide a follow-up hit to Umbrella.

And, to be fair, the City Life interview which Smart just ripped off without crediting also seems less-than-surprised that Brown is providing songs for top-flight US R&B stars.

But could it be that Stellify was actually intended for Rhianna, rather than Rihanna? Given that the Rhianna has provided back-up vocals for Brown's albums in the past?

Chris Brown: Let's talk about anything other than what I did

Chris Brown's attempts to build a defence by focusing on anything other than the incident with which he has been charged continue with attempts to call for an investigation into the leaking of the post-beating Rihanna photo:

[Brown's lawyer] Geragos is reportedly seeking notes from the Internal Affairs probe, along with notes from the 25 officers and LAPD personnel who handled the case and other documents that he intends to use "at the preliminary hearing to attack their credibility. The defense intends to prove and argue that the aforementioned officers are not credible and that the Court should not believe some of their statements."

Obviously, many musicians get annoyed when their work is shared online without permission, but if anyone has the right to be outraged over the leaking of the photo, it's not Brown.

Regardless of whether an LAPD officer leaked the photo, as Geragos suggests, the attorney believes that the leak has irreparably damaged his client's case, according to The Associated Press.

"The purpose of the leak was necessarily for profit and to vilify Mr. Brown and poison the potential jury pool," Geragos wrote in his motion of the photo, which he claims was seen by "hundreds of thousands of viewers" and which can still be seen in multiple stories on the TMZ site, including its report on this motion. The AP reported that Geragos is seeking files on officers, detectives, supervisors, criminalists and a forensic photographer, as well as information about any misconduct complaints others have filed against officers in other cases. A judge is scheduled to hear the motions on May 28.

So this a defence which isn't "I didn't hit her", but focusing on how bad Brown ended up looking because he hit Rihanna. Clearly, Geragos' line is that what remains of Brown's reputation has to be sacrificed to try and keep him out of jail.

Grammys: It's a UK victory, and we don't even have to pretend that Lil'Wayne comes from Solihull

It would be nice to think that the garlanding of Robert Plant and Alison Krauss's Raising Sand was an attempt by the US recording industry to try and head off any thoughts of a Led Zep resuurection. But it's even nicer to think that a bloody good record has been given prizes.

If it was just Alison Krauss, though, would it have picked up so many prizes?

Great news for Joe Satriani, as his song picked up Song Of The Year. Oh, or Coldplay's song. We'll see what the judge says on that one. Can Satriani now demand the small, metal gramophone as part of his settlement if he wins? Or, if it turns out that Coldplay didn't write Viva La Vida, and ripped it off from the olden days, do they have to reconsider this category? Can the song of the year be written in the past?

Duffy and Adele and Estelle all picked up prizes, which will almost certainly generate a few dozen "New British invasion" think pieces, although how many of those will acknowledge the marketing teams whose victory this really is we'll have to wait and see.

The drama of the night was the non-appearance of Rhianna or boyfriend Chris Brown; Brown was busy elsewhere as he'd given himself up at the police station just before the event started. They were keen to talk to him about an attack on a woman on Saturday night; he was hoping it would avoid having to watch U2 opening the show.

Here's the full list of winners - along with the full list of losers. You're not really interested, are you? In which case, leap over them:
ALBUM OF THE YEAR

"Viva La Vida Or Death And All His Friends"
Coldplay
Markus Dravs, Brian Eno & Rik Simpson, producers; Michael H. Brauer, Markus
Dravs, John O'Mahoney, Rik Simpson & Andy Wallace, engineers/mixers; Bob Ludwig,
mastering engineer
[Capitol Records]

"Tha Carter III"
Lil Wayne
Babyface, Brisco, Fabolous, Jay-Z, Kidd Kidd, Busta Rhymes, Juelz Santana, D.
Smith, Static Major, T-Pain & Bobby Valentino, featured artists; Alchemist,
David Banner, Vaushaun "Maestro" Brooks, Cool & Dre, Andrews "Drew"Correa,
Shondrae "Mr. Bangladesh"Crawford, Darius "Deezle"Harrison, Jim Jonsin, Mousa,
Pro Jay, Rodnae, Skillz & Play, D. Smith, Swizz Beatz, Robin Thicke, T-Pain &
Kanye West, producers; Angel Aponte, Joshua Berkman, Andrew Dawson, Joe G,
Darius "Deezle" Harrison, Fabian Marasciullo, Miguel Scott, Robin Thicke, Julian
Vasquez & Gina Victoria, engineers/mixers; Vlado Meller, mastering engineer
[Universal Motown/Cash Money]

"Year Of The Gentleman"
Ne-Yo
Chuck Harmony, Ne-Yo, Polow Da Don, StarGate, Stereotypes, Syience, Shea Taylor
& Shomari "Sho" Wilson, producers; Kirven Arrington, Jeff Chestek, Kevin "KD" Davis, Mikkel Eriksen, Jaymz Hardy Martin, III, Geno Regist, Phil Tan & Tony
Terrebonne, engineers/mixers; Herb Powers, Jr., mastering engineer
[Def Jam/Compound]

WINNER: "Raising Sand"
Robert Plant & Alison Krauss
T Bone Burnett, producer; Mike Piersante, engineer/mixer; Gavin Lurssen,
mastering engineer
[Rounder]

"In Rainbows"
Radiohead
Nigel Godrich, producer; Nigel Godrich, Dan Grech-Marguerat, Hugo Nicolson &
Richard Woodcraft, engineers/mixers; Bob Ludwig, mastering engineer
[TBD Records]

BEST FEMALE POP VOCAL PERFORMANCE
WINNER: "Chasing Pavements"
Adele
Track from: 19
[Columbia/XL]
"Love Song"
Sara Bareilles
Track from: Little Voice
[Epic]
"Mercy"
Duffy
Track from: Rockferry
[Mercury]
"Bleeding Love"
Leona Lewis
[J Records/SYCO Music]
"I Kissed A Girl"
Katy Perry
Track from: One Of The Boys
[Capitol Records]
"So What"
Pink
[LaFace]

BEST MALE POP VOCAL PERFORMANCE
"All Summer Long"
Kid Rock
Track from: Rock N Roll Jesus
[Atlantic]
WINNER: "Say"
John Mayer
Track from: Continuum
[Columbia]
"That Was Me"
Paul McCartney
Track from: Amoeba's Secret
[Hear Music/MPL Communications Ltd.]
"I'm Yours"
Jason Mraz
Track from: We Sing. We Dance. We Steal Things.
[Atlantic]
"Closer"
Ne-Yo
Track from: Year Of The Gentleman
[Def Jam/Compound Entertainment]
"Wichita Lineman"
James Taylor
Track from: Covers
[Hear Music]

RECORD OF THE YEAR
"Chasing Pavements"
Adele
Eg White, producer; Tom Elmhirst & Steve Price, engineers/mixers
Track from: 19
[XL Recordings/Columbia]
"Viva La Vida"
Coldplay
Markus Dravs, Brian Eno & Rik Simpson, producers; Michael Brauer & Rik Simpson, engineers/mixers
Track from: Viva La Vida Or Death And All His Friends
[Capitol Records]
"Bleeding Love"
Leona Lewis
Simon Cowell, Clive Davis & Ryan "Alias" Tedder, producers; Craig Durrance, Phil Tan & Ryan "Alias" Tedder, engineers/mixers
[J Records/SYCO Music]
"Paper Planes"
M.I.A
Diplo, producer; Switch, engineer/mixer
Track from: Kala
[Interscope]
WINNER: "Please Read The Letter"
Robert Plant & Alison Krauss
T Bone Burnett, producer; Mike Piersante, engineer/mixer
Track from: Raising Sand
[Rounder]

BEST NEW ARTIST
WINNER: Adele
Duffy
The Jonas Brothers
Lady Antebellum
Jazmin Sullivan

BEST ROCK ALBUM
WINNER: "Viva La Vida Or Death And All His Friends"
Coldplay
[Capitol Records]
"Rock N Roll Jesus"
Kid Rock
[Atlantic]
"Only By The Night"
Kings Of Leon
[RCA Records]
"Death Magnetic"
Metallica
[Warner Bros.]
"Consolers Of The Lonely"
The Raconteurs
[Third Man/Warner Bros.]

BEST SOLO ROCK VOCAL PERFORMANCE
WINNER: "Gravity"
John Mayer
Track from: Where The Light IsLive In Los Angeles
[Columbia]
"I Saw Her Standing There"
Paul McCartney
Track from: Amoeba's Secret
[Hear Music/MPL Communications Ltd.]
"Girls In Their Summer Clothes"
Bruce Springsteen
Track from: Magic
[Columbia]
"Rise"
Eddie Vedder
[J Records]
"No Hidden Path"
Neil Young
Track from: Chrome Dreams II
[Reprise]

BEST ROCK PERFORMANCE BY A DUO OR GROUP WITH VOCALS
"Rock N Roll Train"
AC/DC
[Columbia]
"Violet Hill"
Coldplay
Track from: Viva La Vida Or Death And All His Friends
[Capitol Records]
"Long Road Out Of Eden"
Eagles
Track from: Long Road Out Of Eden
[Eagles Recording Company II]
WINNER: "Sex On Fire"
Kings Of Leon
[RCA Records]
"House Of Cards"
Radiohead
Track from: In Rainbows
[TBD Records]

BEST ROCK SONG
WINNER: "Girls In Their Summer Clothes"
Bruce Springsteen, songwriter (Bruce Springsteen)
Track from: Magic
[Columbia; Publisher: Bruce Springsteen]
"House Of Cards"
Colin Greenwood, Jonny Greenwood, Ed O'Brien, Philip Selway & Thom Yorke,
songwriters (Radiohead)
Track from: In Rainbows
[TBD Records; Publisher: Warner Chappell Music]
"I Will Possess Your Heart"
Benjamin Gibbard, Nicholas Harmer, Jason McGerr & Christopher Walla, songwriters
(Death Cab For Cutie)
Track from: Narrow Stairs
[Atlantic; Publishers: EMI Blackwood Music/Where I'm Calling From Music/Shove It Up Your Songs/Giant Beat Songs/Please Pass The Songs]
"Sex On Fire"
Caleb Followill, Jared Followill, Matthew Followill & Nathan Followill,
songwriters (Kings Of Leon)
[RCA Records; Publishers: Martha Street Music/Songs of Combustion Music/Music of Windswept, Followill Music/Songs of Combustion Music/Music of Windswept, McFearless Music/Bug Music, Coffee, Tea or Me Publishing/Bug Music]
"Violet Hill"
Guy Berryman, Jonny Buckland, Will Champion & Chris Martin, songwriters
(Coldplay)
Track from: Viva La Vida Or Death And All His Friends
[Capitol Records; Publisher: Universal Music-MGB Songs]

BEST HARD ROCK PERFORMANCE
"Inside The Fire"
Disturbed
Track from: Indestructible
[Reprise]
"Visions"
Judas Priest
Track from: Nostradamus
[Epic]
WINNER: "Wax Simulacra"
The Mars Volta
[Universal Motown]
"Saints Of Los Angeles"
Mötley Crüe
Track from: Saints Of Los Angeles
[Motley Records/Eleven Seven Music]
"Lords Of Salem"
Rob Zombie
Track from: Zombie Live
[Geffen/UMe]

BEST METAL PERFORMANCE
"Heroes Of Our Time"
DragonForce
[Roadrunner Records]
"Nostradamus"
Judas Priest
Track from: Nostradamus
[Epic]
WINNER: "My Apocalypse"
Metallica
Track from: Death Magnetic
[Warner Bros.]
"Under My Thumb"
Ministry
Track from: Cover Up
[Megaforce Records]
"Psychosocial"
Slipknot
[Roadrunner Records]

BEST ROCK INSTRUMENTAL PERFORMANCE
"Castellorizon"
David Gilmour
Track from: Live In Gdansk
[Columbia]
"Suicide & Redemption"
Metallica
Track from: Death Magnetic
[Warner Bros.]
"34 Ghosts I-IV"
Nine Inch Nails
Track from: Ghosts I-IV
[The Null Corporation]
"Hope (Live For The Art Of Peace)"
Rush
Track from: Songs For Tibet: The Art Of Peace
[Art of Peace Foundation]
WINNER: "Peaches En Regalia"
Zappa Plays Zappa
[Strobosonic/Razor & Tie Entertainment]

BEST ALTERNATIVE MUSIC ALBUM
"Modern Guilt"
Beck
[DGC Records/XL Recordings/Interscope]
"Narrow Stairs"
Death Cab For Cutie
[Atlantic]
"The Odd Couple"
Gnarls Barkley
[Downtown/Atlantic]
"Evil Urges"
My Morning Jacket
[ATO Records]
WINNER: "In Rainbows"
Radiohead
[TBD Records]

BEST POP COLLABORATION WITH VOCALS
"Lesson Learned"
Alicia Keys & John Mayer
Track from: As I Am
[J Records]
"4 Minutes"
Madonna, Justin Timberlake & Timbaland
Track from: Hard Candy
[Warner Bros.]
WINNER: "Rich Woman"
Robert Plant & Alison Krauss
Track from: Raising Sand
[Rounder]
"If I Never See Your Face Again"
Rihanna & Maroon 5
Track from: Good Girl Gone Bad: Reloaded
[Def Jam]
"No Air"
Jordin Sparks & Chris Brown
Track from: Jordin Sparks
[Jive]

SONG OF THE YEAR
"American Boy"
William Adams, Keith Harris, Josh Lopez, Caleb Speir, John Stephens, Estelle
Swaray & Kanye West, songwriters (Estelle Featuring Kanye West)
Track from: Shine
[Atlantic/Homeschool; Publishers: Will.I.Am Music/Cherry River Music/Chrysalis Publishing/John Legend Publishing/Cherry River Music/Please Gimme My Publishing/EMI Blackwood Music/Larry Leron Music/Speir Music/Broke, Spoke and Gone Publishing]
"Chasing Pavements"
Adele Adkins & Eg White, songwriters (Adele)
Track from: 19
[XL Recordings/Columbia; Publishers: Universal-Songs of Polygram Int.]
"I'm Yours"
Jason Mraz, songwriter (Jason Mraz)
Track from: We Sing. We Dance. We Steal Things.
[Atlantic; Publisher: Goo Eyed Music]
"Love Song"
Sara Bareilles, songwriter (Sara Bareilles)
Track from: Little Voice
[Epic; Publisher: Tiny Bear Music]
WINNER: "Viva La Vida"
Guy Berryman, Jonny Buckland, Will Champion & Chris Martin, songwriters (Coldplay)
Track from: Viva La Vida Or Death And All His Friends
[Capitol Records; Publishers: Universal Music-MGB Songs]

More than one option

* (Tv) Affair
* (Tv) Love Song

More than one option

* (Film) Visions
* (Tv) Visions

More than one option

* (Film) Nostradamus
* (Tv) Nostradamus

BEST POP VOCAL ALBUM
"Detours"
Sheryl Crow
[A&M Records]
WINNER: "Rockferry"
Duffy
[Mercury]
"Long Road Out Of Eden"
Eagles
[Eagles Recording Company II]
"Spirit"
Leona Lewis
[J Records/SYCO Music]
"Covers"
James Taylor
[Hear Music]

BEST TRADITIONAL POP VOCAL ALBUM
WINNER: "Still Unforgettable"
Natalie Cole
[DMI Records]
"The Sinatra Project"
Michael Feinstein
[Concord Music Group]
"Noël"
Josh Groban
[143/Reprise]
"In The Swing Of Christmas"
Barry Manilow
[Hallmark/Arista]
"Rufus Does Judy At Carnegie Hall"
Rufus Wainwright
[Geffen]

BEST POP INSTRUMENTAL PERFORMANCE
"Love Appetite"
Steve Cropper & Felix Cavaliere
Track from: Nudge It Up A Notch
[Stax]
WINNER: "I Dreamed There Was No War"
Eagles
Track from: Long Road Out Of Eden
[Eagles Recording Company II]
"Fortune Teller"
Fourplay
Track from: Energy
[Heads Up International]
"Steppin' Out"
Stanley Jordan
Track from: State Of Nature
[Mack Avenue Records]
"Blast!"
Marcus Miller
Track from: Marcus
[Concord Jazz]

BEST POP INSTRUMENTAL ALBUM
"Sax For Stax"
Gerald Albright
[Peak Records]
"Greatest Hits Rerecorded Volume One"
Larry Carlton
[335 Records]
WINNER: "Jingle All The Way"
Béla Fleck & The Flecktones
[Rounder]
"The Spice Of Life"
Earl Klugh
[Koch Records]
"A Night Before Christmas"
Spyro Gyra
[Heads Up International]

BEST DANCE RECORDING
WINNER: "Harder Better Faster Stronger"
Daft Punk
Thomas Bangalter & Guy Manuel de Homem-Christo, producers; Thomas Bangalter &
Guy Manuel de Homem-Christo, mixers
Track from: Alive 2007
[Virgin Records]
"Ready For The Floor"
Hot Chip
Hot Chip, producers; Dan Carey, mixer
Track from: Made In The Dark
[Astralwerks/DFA]
"Just Dance"
Lady Gaga & Colby O'Donis
RedOne, producer; Robert Orton, mixer
[Streamline/Interscope/Kon Live]
"Give It 2 Me"
Madonna
Madonna & The Neptunes, producers; Andrew Coleman & Spike Stent, mixers
Track from: Hard Candy
[Warner Bros.]
"Disturbia"
Rihanna
Brian Kennedy, producer; Phil Tan, mixer
Track from: Good Girl Gone Bad: Reloaded
[Def Jam]
"Black & Gold"
Sam Sparro
Jesse Rogg & Sam Sparro, producers; Jeremy Wheatley, mixer
Track from: Sam Sparro
[Universal Republic Records]

BEST ELECTRONIC/DANCE ALBUM
"New York City"
Brazilian Girls
[Verve Forecast]
WINNER: "Alive 2007"
Daft Punk
[Virgin Records]
"Bring Ya To The Brink"
Cyndi Lauper
[Epic]
"X"
Kylie Minogue
[Capitol/Astralwerks]
"Last Night"
Moby
[Mute]
"Robyn"
Robyn
[Konichiwa/Cherrytree/Interscope]

BEST FEMALE R&B VOCAL PERFORMANCE
"Me, Myself And I"
Beyoncé
Track from: The Beyonce Experience Live Audio
[Columbia/Music World Music]
"Heaven Sent"
Keyshia Cole
Track from: Just Like You
[Geffen]
"Spotlight"
Jennifer Hudson
[Arista]
WINNER: "Superwoman"
Alicia Keys
Track from: As I Am
[J Records]
"Need U Bad"
Jazmine Sullivan
[J Records]

BEST MALE R&B VOCAL PERFORMANCE
"You're The Only One"
Eric Benét
Track from: Love & Life
[Friday/Reprise]
"Take You Down"
Chris Brown
Track from: Exclusive
[Jive]
WINNER: "Miss Independent"
Ne-Yo
Track from: Year Of The Gentleman
[Def Jam/Compound]
"Can't Help But Wait"
Trey Songz
Track from: Trey Day
[Atlantic]
"Here I Stand"
Usher
Track from: Here I Stand
[LaFace]

BEST R&B PERFORMANCE BY A DUO OR GROUP WITH VOCALS
"Ribbon In The Sky"
Boyz II Men
Track from: Motown: A Journey Through Hitsville USA
[Decca Records]
"Words"
Anthony David Featuring India.Arie
Track from: Acey Duecy
[Soulbird/ Universal Republic Records]
"Stay With Me (By The Sea)"
Al Green Featuring John Legend
Track from: Lay It Down
[Blue Note Records]
"I'm His Only Woman"
Jennifer Hudson Featuring Fantasia
Track from: Jennifer Hudson
[Arista Records]
"Never Give You Up"
Raphael Saadiq Featuring Stevie Wonder & CJ Hilton
Track from: The Way I See It
[Columbia Records]

BEST TRADITIONAL R&B VOCAL PERFORMANCE
"A Change Is Gonna Come"
Wayne Brady
Track from: A Long Time Coming
[Peak Records]
WINNER: "You've Got The Love I Need"
Al Green Featuring Anthony Hamilton
Track from: Lay It Down
[Blue Note Records]
"Baby I Know"
(Linda Jones) With Helen Bruner & Terry Jones
Track from: Soul Talkin
[Philerzy Productions]
"Love That Girl"
Raphael Saadiq
Track from: The Way I See It
[Columbia Records]
"In Love With Another Man"
Jazmine Sullivan
Track from: Fearless
[J Records]

BEST URBAN/ALTERNATIVE PERFORMANCE
"Say Goodbye To Love"
Kenna
Track from: Make Sure They See My Face
[Star Trak/Interscope]
"Wanna Be"
Maiysha
Track from: This Much Is True
[Eusonia Records]
WINNER: "Be OK"
Chrisette Michele Featuring will.i.am
Track from: I Am
[Def Jam]
"Many Moons"
Janelle Monae
Track from: Metropolis: The Chase Suite (Special Edition)
[Wondaland/Bad Boy]
"Lovin You (Music)"
Wayna Featuring Kokayi
Track from: Higher Ground
[Quiet Power Productions, LLC]

BEST R&B SONG
"Bust Your Windows"
Salaam Remi & Jazmine Sullivan, songwriters (Deandre Way, songwriter) (Jazmine
Sullivan)
Track from: Fearless
[J Records; Publishers: Nappy Puddy Music/Universal Music-Z Tunes, Salaam Remi Music/EMI April Music, Soulja Boy Tellem Music/Croomstacular Music]
"Customer"
I. Barias, Raheem DeVaughn, C. Haggins, K. Oliver & J. Smith, songwriters
(Raheem DeVaughn)
Track from: Love Behind The Melody
[Jive; Publishers: Universal Music-Z Tunes/Ahmad's World/Universal Music/Nivrac Tyke Music/Fresh Paint Music/HC 1030 Publishing/Universal Music/Tetragrammaton Music/Melodic Piano Productions/HC 1030 Publishing]
"Heaven Sent"
Keyshia Cole, Jason Farmer & Alex Francis, songwriters (Keyshia Cole)
Track from: Just Like You
[Geffen; Publishers: She Wrote It/BMG Songs, J Vibe Publishing, Lex Project Publishing]
WINNER: "Miss Independent"
M.S. Eriksen, T.E. Hermansen & S. Smith, songwriters (Ne-Yo)
Track from: Year Of The Gentleman
[Def Jam/Compound; Publishers: Pen In The Ground Publishing, Universal Music-Z Tunes]
"Spotlight"
Mikkel S. Eriksen, Tor Erik Hermansen & Shaffer Smith, songwriters (Jennifer
Hudson)
[Arista Records; Publishers: Super Sayin' Publishing/Universal Music-Z Songs, Sony/ATV Tunes, EMI Music Publishing]

BEST R&B ALBUM
"Love & Life"
Eric Benét
[Friday/Reprise]
"Motown: A Journey Through Hitsville USA"
Boyz II Men
[Decca Records]
"Lay It Down"
Al Green
[Blue Note]
"Jennifer Hudson"
Jennifer Hudson
[Arista Records]
"The Way I See It"
Raphael Saadiq
[Columbia]

BEST CONTEMPORARY R&B ALBUM
WINNER: "Growing Pains"
More than one option

* (Film) Growing Pains
* (Tv) Growing Pains


Mary J. Blige
[Geffen]
"Back Of My Lac'"
J. Holiday
[Capitol Records]
"First Love"
Karina
[Def Jam]
"Year Of The Gentleman"
Ne-Yo
[Def Jam/Compound]
"Fearless"
Jazmine Sullivan
[J Records]

More than one option

* (Film) X
* (Film) X
* (Film) X

More than one option

* (Film) Last Night
* (Tv) Late Last Night

More than one option

* (Film) Thank Heaven For Small Favors
* (Film) Heaven Sent
* (Film) Heaven Sent

More than one option

* (Film) Words
* (Film) Milim

More than one option

* (Film) Primo Amore
* (Film) First Love
* (Film) First Love
* (Film) Secrets
* (Film) First Love
* (Film) First Love
* (Film) Hatsukoi
* (Film) Primo Amore
* (Film) Hatsukoi

More than one option

* (Film) Fearless
* (Film) Jet Li's Fearless

BEST RAP ALBUM
"American Gangster"
Jay-Z
[Roc-A-Fella]

WINNER:"Tha Carter III"
Lil Wayne
[Cash Money/Universal Motown]

"The Cool"
Lupe Fiasco
[1st & 15th/Atlantic]

"Nas"
Nas
[Def Jam]

"Paper Trail"
T.I.
[Grand Hustle/Atlantic]

More than one option

* (Film) American Gangster
* (Tv) American Gangster

BEST RAP SOLO PERFORMANCE
"Roc Boys (And The Winner Is)..."
Jay-Z
Track from: American Gangster
[Roc-A-Fella]
WINNER: "A Milli"
Lil Wayne
Track from: Tha Carter III
[Cash Money/Universal Motown]
"Paris, Tokyo"
Lupe Fiasco
Track from: The Cool
[1st & 15th/Atlantic]
"N.i.*.*.e.r. (The Slave And The Master)"
Nas
Track from: Untitled
[Def Jam]
"Sexual Eruption"
Snoop Dogg
Track from: Ego Trippin
[Geffen]

BEST RAP PERFORMANCE BY A DUO OR GROUP
"Royal Flush"
Big Boi Featuring Raekwon And Andre 3000
[LaFace]
WINNER: "Swagga Like Us"
Jay-Z & T.I. Featuring Kanye West & Lil Wayne
[Roc-A-Fella/Grand Hustle/Atlantic]
"Mr. Carter"
Lil Wayne Featuring Jay-Z
Track from: Tha Carter III
[Cash Money/Universal Motown]
"Wish You Would"
Ludacris Featuring T.I.
[DTP]
"Put On"
Young Jeezy Featuring Kanye West
[Def Jam]

BEST RAP/SUNG COLLABORATION
WINNER: "American Boy"
Estelle Featuring Kanye West
Track from: Shine
[Homeschool/Atlantic]
"Low"
Flo Rida Featuring T-Pain
Track from: Mail On Sunday
[Poe Boy/Atlantic]
"Green Light"
John Legend & Andre 3000
[Columbia/G.O.O.D. Music]
"Got Money"
Lil Wayne Featuring T-Pain
Track from: Tha Carter III
[Cash Money/Universal Motown]
"Superstar"
Lupe Fiasco Featuring Matthew Santos
Track from: The Cool
[1st & 15th/Atlantic]

BEST RAP SONG
WINNER: "Lollipop"
D. Carter, S. Garrett, D. Harrison, J. Scheffer & R. Zamor, songwriters (Lil Wayne Featuring Static Major)
Track from: Tha Carter III
[Cash Money/Universal Motown; Publishers: Young Money Publishing/Warner-Chappell Music, Herbalicious Music/Blackfountain Music/EMI-April Music, JimiPub Music/EMI Blackwood, Three Nails and A Crown Publishing]
"Low"
T. Dillard, M. Humphrey & T-Pain, songwriters (Flo Rida Featuring T-Pain)
Track from: Mail On Sunday
[Poe Boy/Atlantic; Publishers: E-Class Publishing/Top Quality Publishing/NappyPub Music/Zomba Songs]
"Sexual Eruption"
Calvin Broadus, S. Lovejoy & D. Stewart, songwriters (Snoop Dogg)
Track from: Ego Trippin
[Geffen; Publishers: My Own Chit Publishing/EMI Blackwood Music, Shawty Redd Songs/EMI April Music, Pimpin Tha Pen]
"Superstar"
Lupe Fiasco & Soundtrakk, songwriters (Lupe Fiasco Featuring Matthew Santos)
Track from: The Cool
[1st & 15th/Atlantic; Publishers: Hey Lu Chill Music (Heavy As Heaven/Universal Music), 1st & 15th Publishing (Mr. Lopez Music/Universal Music Publishing)]
"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)
[Roc-A-Fella/Grand Hustle/Atlantic; Publishers: Crown Club Pub./Warner-Tamerlane/Please Gimme My Publishing/EMI Blackwood/Carter Boys Music/EMI April/Young Money Pub./Warner-Tamerlane/Hollertronix/Domino Publishing/Universal Z Tunes/Univ. Polygram Int'l]
BEST FEMALE COUNTRY VOCAL PERFORMANCE
"For These Times"
Martina McBride
Track from: Waking Up Laughing
[RCA Nashville]
"What I Cannot Change"
LeAnn Rimes
Track from: Family
[Curb Records]
WINNER: "Last Name"
Carrie Underwood
Track from: Carnival Ride
[19/Arista/Arista Nashville]
"Last Call"
Lee Ann Womack
[MCA Nashville]
"This Is Me You're Talking To"
Trisha Yearwood
Track from: Heaven, Heartache And The Power Of Love
[Big Machine]

BEST MALE COUNTRY VOCAL PERFORMANCE
"You're Gonna Miss This"
Trace Adkins
Track from: American Man, Greatest Hits Volume II
[Capitol Records Nashville]
"In Color"
Jamey Johnson
[MCA Nashville]
"Just Got Started Lovin' You"
James Otto
Track from: Sunset Man
[Raybaw]
WINNER: "Letter To Me"
Brad Paisley
Track from: 5th Gear
[Arista Nashville]
"Troubadour"
George Strait
Track from: Troubadour
[MCA Nashville]

BEST COUNTRY PERFORMANCE BY A DUO OR GROUP WITH VOCALS
"God Must Be Busy"
Brooks & Dunn
Track from: Cowboy Town
[Arista Nashville]
"Love Don't Live Here"
Lady Antebellum
Track from: Lady Antebellum
[Capitol Records Nashville]
"Every Day"
Rascal Flatts
Track from: Still Feels Good
[Lyric Street Records]
"Blue Side Of The Mountain"
The SteelDrivers
Track from: The SteelDrivers
[Rounder]
WINNER: "Stay"
More than one option

* (Film) Stay
* (Film) Sleeping Dogs Lie


Sugarland
Track from: Enjoy The Ride
[Mercury Records]

BEST COUNTRY COLLABORATION WITH VOCALS
"Shiftwork"
Kenny Chesney & George Strait
Track from: Just Who I Am: Poets And Pirates
[BNA Records]
WINNER: "Killing The Blues"
Robert Plant & Alison Krauss
Track from: Raising Sand
[Rounder]
"House Of Cash"
George Strait & Patty Loveless
Track from: Troubadour
[MCA Nashville]
"Life In A Northern Town"
Sugarland, Jake Owen & Little Big Town
Track from: Love On The Inside [Deluxe Fan Edition]
[Mercury Records]
"Let The Wind Chase You"
Trisha Yearwood & Keith Urban
Track from: Heaven, Heartache And The Power Of Love
[Big Machine]

BEST COUNTRY INSTRUMENTAL PERFORMANCE
"Sumatra"
Cherryholmes
Track from: Cherryholmes III: Don't Believe
[Skaggs Family Records]
"Two Small Cars In Rome"
Jerry Douglas & Lloyd Green
Track from: Glide
[Koch]
"Sleigh Ride"
Béla Fleck & The Flecktones
Track from: Jingle All The Way
[Rounder]
"Is This America? (Katrina 2005)"
Charlie Haden, Pat Metheny, Jerry Douglas & Bruce Hornsby
Track from: Family & Friends - Rambling Boy
[Decca Records]
WINNER: "Cluster Pluck"
Brad Paisley, James Burton, Vince Gill, John Jorgenson, Albert Lee, Brent Mason,
Redd Volkaert & Steve Wariner
[Arista Nashville]

BEST COUNTRY SONG
"Dig Two Graves"
Ashley Gorley & Bob Regan, songwriters (Randy Travis)
Track from: Around The Bend
[Warner Bros.; Publishers: Songs of Combustion Music, Music of Windswept/Famous Music, Mt. Tallac Music]
"I Saw God Today"
Rodney Clawson, Monty Criswell & Wade Kirby, songwriters (George Strait)
Track from: Troubadour
[MCA Nashville; Publishers: Big Red Toe/Extremely Loud Music, Steel Wheels Music, Steel Wheels Music/Blind Mule Music]
"In Color"
Jamey Johnson, Lee Thomas Miller & James Otto, songwriters (Jamey Johnson)
Track from: That Lonesome Song
[Mercury Records; Publishers: EMI Blackwood Music/Big Gassed Hitties, EMI Blackwood Music/New Songs of Sea Gayle/Noah's Little Boat Music, Eldorotto Music Publishing/Lucky Thumb Music]
WINNER: "Stay"
Jennifer Nettles, songwriter (Sugarland)
Track from: Enjoy The Ride
[Mercury Records; Publisher: Jennifer Nettles Publishing]
"You're Gonna Miss This"
Ashley Gorley & Lee Thomas Miller, songwriters (Trace Adkins)
Track from: American Man, Greatest Hits Volume II
[Capitol Records Nashville; Publishers: EMI Blackwood/New Songs of Sea Gayle/Noah's Little Boat Music/Songs of Combustion Music]

BEST COUNTRY ALBUM
"That Lonesome Song"
Jamey Johnson
[Mercury Records]
"Sleepless Nights"
Patty Loveless
[Saguaro Road]
WINNER: "Troubadour"
George Strait
[MCA Nashville]
"Around The Bend"
Randy Travis
[Warner Bros.]
"Heaven, Heartache And The Power Of Love"
Trisha Yearwood
[Big Machine]

BEST BLUEGRASS ALBUM
"Cherryholmes III: Don't Believe"
Cherryholmes
[Skaggs Family Records]
"Del McCoury Band - Live At The 2008 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival"
Del McCoury Band
[MunckMix]
"The Ultimate Collection / Live At The Ryman"
Earl Scruggs With Family & Friends
[Rounder Records]
WINNER: "Honoring The Fathers Of Bluegrass: Tribute To 1946 And 1947"
Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder
[Skaggs Family Records]
"Wheels"
Dan Tyminski
[Rounder]

BEST NEW AGE ALBUM
"Meditations"
William Ackerman
[Compass Productions]
"Pathfinder"
Will Clipman
[Canyon Records]
W"Peace Time"
Jack DeJohnette
[Golden Beams/Kindred Rhythm]
"Ambrosia"
Peter Kater
[Point Of Light Records]
"The Scent Of Light"
Ottmar Liebert & Luna Negra
[SSRI]

BEST CONTEMPORARY JAZZ ALBUM
WINNER: "Randy In Brasil"
Randy Brecker
[MAMA Records]
"Floating Point"
John McLaughlin
[Abstract Logix]
"Cannon Re-Loaded: All-Star Celebration Of Cannonball Adderley
(Various Artists)"
Gregg Field & Tom Scott, producers
[Concord Jazz]
"Miles From India"
(Various Artists)
Bob Belden, producer
[4Q/Times Square Records]
"Lifecycle"
Yellowjackets Featuring Mike Stern
[Heads Up International]

BEST JAZZ VOCAL ALBUM
"Imagina: Songs Of Brasil"
Karrin Allyson
[Concord Jazz]
"Breakfast On The Morning Tram
Stacey Kent"
[Blue Note]
"If Less Is More...Nothing Is Everything"
Kate McGarry
[Palmetto Records]
WINNER: "Loverly"
Cassandra Wilson
[Blue Note]
"Distances"
Norma Winstone (Glauco Venier & Klaus Gesing)
[ECM]

BEST JAZZ INSTRUMENTAL SOLO
WINNER: "Be-Bop"
Terence Blanchard, soloist
Track from: Live At The 2007 Monterey Jazz Festival (Monterey Jazz Festival 50th Anniversary All-Stars)
[Monterey Jazz Festival Records]
"Seven Steps To Heaven"
Till Brönner, soloist
Track from: The Standard (Take 6)
[Heads Up International]
"Waltz For Debby"
Gary Burton & Chick Corea, soloists
Track from: The New Crystal Silence
[Concord Records]
"Son Of Thirteen"
Pat Metheny, soloist
Track from: Day Trip
[Nonesuch Records]
"Be-Bop"
James Moody, soloist
Track from: Live At The 2007 Monterey Jazz Festival (Monterey Jazz Festival 50th Anniversary All-Stars)
[Monterey Jazz Festival Records]

BEST JAZZ INSTRUMENTAL ALBUM, INDIVIDUAL OR GROUP
WINNER: "The New Crystal Silence"
Chick Corea & Gary Burton
[Concord Records]
"History, Mystery"
Bill Frisell
[Nonesuch Records]
"Brad Mehldau Trio: Live"
Brad Mehldau Trio
[Nonesuch Records]
"Day Trip"
Pat Metheny With Christian McBride & Antonio Sanchez
[Nonesuch Records]
"Standards"
Alan Pasqua, Dave Carpenter & Peter Erskine Trio
[Fuzzy Music]

BEST LARGE JAZZ ENSEMBLE ALBUM
"Appearing Nightly"
Carla Bley And Her Remarkable Big Band
[WATT]
"Act Your Age"
Gordon Goodwin's Big Phat Band
[Immergent]
"Symphonica"
Joe Lovano With WDR Big Band & Rundfunk Orchestra
[Blue Note]
"Blauklang"
Vince Mendoza
[Act Music and Vision (AMV)]
WINNER: "Monday Night Live At The Village Vanguard"
The Vanguard Jazz Orchestra
[Planet Arts Recordings]

BEST LATIN JAZZ ALBUM
"Afro Bop Alliance"
Caribbean Jazz Project
[Heads Up International]
"The Latin Side Of Wayne Shorter"
Conrad Herwig & The Latin Side Band
[Half Note Records]
WINNER: "Song For Chico"
Arturo O'Farrill & The Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra
[Zoho]
"Nouveau Latino"
Nestor Torres
[Diamond Light Records]
"Marooned/Aislado"
Papo Vázquez The Mighty Pirates
[Picaro Records]

BEST GOSPEL PERFORMANCE
"I Understand"
Kim Burrell, Rance Allen, Bebe Winans, Mariah Carey & Hezekiah Walker’s Love
Fellowship Tabernacle Church Choir
Track from: Randy Jackson's Music Club, Volume One
[Concord Records/Dream Merchant 21 Ent.]
"East To West"
Casting Crowns
Track from: The Altar And The Door Live
[Beach Street/Reunion Records]
WINNER: "Get Up"
Mary Mary
Track from: The Sound
[Columbia]
"Shall We Gather At The River"
Take 6
Track from: The Standard
[Heads Up International]
"Waging War"
CeCe Winans
Track from: Thy Kingdom Come
[PureSprings Gospel/EMI Gospel]

BEST GOSPEL SONG
"Cover Me"
James L. Moss, songwriter (21:03 With Fred Hammond, Smokie Norful & J Moss)
[Verity/Zomba Gospel; Publisher: Millenni-era Music]
"Get Up"
Erica Campbell, Tina Campbell, Warryn Campbell & Eric Dawkins, songwriters (Mary

Mary)
Track from: The Sound
[Columbia; Publishers: Wet Ink Red Music/That's Plum Song/It's Tea Tyme/EMI April/E.D. Duz-It Music/Irving Music/Underdog Songs]
"Give Me Your Eyes"
Brandon Heath & Jason Ingram, songwriters (Brandon Heath)
Track from: What If We
[Reunion Records; Publishers: Sitka6 Music/Peertunes/Grange Hill Music/Windsor Way Music]
WINNER: "Help Me Believe"
Kirk Franklin, songwriter (Kirk Franklin)
Track from: The Fight Of My Life
[Fo Yo Soul Ent./Zomba Gospel ; Publishers: Universal Music-Z Songs/Kerrion Publishing]
"You Reign"
Jim Bryson, Steven Curtis Chapman, Nathan Cochran, Barry Graul, Bart Millard,
Mike Scheuchzer & Robby Shaffer, songwriters (MercyMe)
Track from: All That Is Within Me
[INO Records; Publishers: Simpleville Music/Wet As A Fish Music, Sparrow Song/Peach Hill Songs]

BEST ROCK OR RAP GOSPEL ALBUM
"Hello"
After Edmund
[Slanted Records]
"Our World Redeemed"
Flame
[Cross Movement Records]
"We Need Each Other"
Sanctus Real
[Sparrow Records]
"Rock What You Got"
Superchick
[Inpop Records]
WINNER: "Alive And Transported"
TobyMac
[ForeFront Records/EMI CMG]

BEST POP/CONTEMPORARY GOSPEL ALBUM
"This Moment"
Steven Curtis Chapman
[Sparrow Records]
"What If We"
Brandon Heath
[Reunion Records]
"Opposite Way"
Leeland
[Essential Records]
"Hello Love"
Chris Tomlin
[Sparrow Records/Sixstepsrecords/EMI CMG]
WINNER: "Thy Kingdom Come"
CeCe Winans
[PureSprings Gospel/EMI Gospel]

BEST SOUTHERN, COUNTRY, OR BLUEGRASS GOSPEL ALBUM
"Room For More"
Booth Brothers
[Daywind Records]
WINNER: "Lovin' Life"
Gaither Vocal Band
[Gaither Music Group]
"Steps To Heaven"
Charlie Louvin
[Tompkins Square]
"Hymned Again"
Bart Millard
[INO Records]
"Ephesians One"
Karen Peck & New River
[Daywind Records]

BEST TRADITIONAL GOSPEL ALBUM
WINNER: "Down In New Orleans"
The Blind Boys Of Alabama
[Time Life]
"I'll Say Yes"
The Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir
Carol Cymbala, producer
[Integrity Music]
"Take It Back"
Dorinda Clark-Cole
[GospoCentric/Zomba]
"Deitrick Haddon Presents . . . Together In Worship"
Voices Of Unity
[Tyscot Records]
"Bishop Charles E. Blake Presents... No Limit"
The West Angeles COGIC Mass Choir
[EMI Gospel]

BEST CONTEMPORARY R&B GOSPEL ALBUM
"Reflections"
Jason Champion
[EMI Gospel/Brooks Entertainment]
WINNER: "The Fight Of My Life"
Kirk Franklin
[Fo Yo Soul Entertainment/ Zomba Gospel]
"The Sound"
Mary Mary
[Columbia]
"Donald Lawrence Introduces: Family Prayer"
The Murrills
[Quiet Water/ Verity]
"Stand Out"
Tye Tribbett & G.A.
[Columbia]

BEST LATIN POP ALBUM
"Cara B"
Jorge Drexler
[Warner Music Latina]
"Palabras Del Silencio"
Luis Fonsi
[Universal Music Latino]
WINNER: "La Vida...Es Un Ratico"
Juanes
[Universal Music Latino]
"Cómplices"
Luis Miguel
[Warner Music Latina]
"Tarde O Temprano"
Tommy Torres
[Warner Music Latina]

BEST LATIN ROCK OR ALTERNATIVE ALBUM
"Sonidos Gold"
Grupo Fantasma
[Aire Sol Records/Grupo Fantasma]
WINNER: "45"
Jaguares
[EMI Music]
"La Verdad"
Locos Por Juana
[Machete Music]
"Tijuana Sound Machine"
Nortec Collective Presents: Bostich & Fussible
[Nacional Records]
"Mediocre"
Ximena Sariñana
[Warner Music Latina]

BEST TROPICAL LATIN ALBUM
"Cuba: Un Viaje Musical - A Musical Journey"
Albita, Rey Ruíz & Donato Poveda
[Apollo Music]
"Renacer"

DLG
[Machete Music]
WINNER: "Señor Bachata"
José Feliciano
[Universal Music Latino]
"Frutero Moderno"
Gonzalo Grau y La Clave Secreta
[2008 Gonzalo Grau]
"Back On The Streets... Taste Of Spanish Harlem Vol. 2"
New Swing Sextet
[Cotique/Emusica Records]

BEST REGIONAL MEXICAN ALBUM
WINNER: "Amor, Dolor Y Lágrimas: Música Ranchera"
Mariachi Los Camperos de Nati Cano
[Smithsonian Folkways Recordings]
"'Desde México: "Cumbia Cusinela"'
Huichol Musical
[ASL]
"Vámonos Pa'l Río"
Los Pikadientes De Caborca
[Norte/Sony BMG]
"Canciones De Amor"
Mariachi Divas
[Shea Records/East Side Records]
"A Puro Dolor"
Nadia
[Warner Music Latina]

BEST TEJANO ALBUM
"Music Lessons"
Chente Barrera y Taconazo
[Qvo Records]
"Friends & Legends"
Joe Posada
[Baby Dude Records]
WINNER: "Viva La Revolucion"
Ruben Ramos & The Mexican Revolution
[Revolution Records]
"All That Jazz..."
Tortilla Factory
[Tortilla Records]
"Heir To The Throne"
Albert Zamora
[Freddie Records]

BEST NORTEÑO ALBUM
"Me Enamore De Un Angel"
Los Palominos
[Urbana Records]
WINNER: "Raíces"
Los Tigres Del Norte
[Fonovisa]
"Corridos: Defendiendo El Honor"
Pesado
[Warner Music Latina]
"Six Pack"
Siggno
[Freddie Records]
"Cuidado"
Solido
[Freddie Records]

BEST BANDA ALBUM
"Tu Inspiracion"
Alacranes Musical
[Fonovisa]
"Que Bonito... ¡Es Lo Bonito!"
Banda El Recodo de Cruz Lizárraga
[Fonsovisa]
"Vive Y Dejame Vivir"
Cuisillos
[Musart/Balboa Records]
"Tiro De Gracia"
Lupillo Rivera
[ASL]
WINNER: "No Es De Madera"
Joan Sebástian
[Musart/Balboa Records]

BEST TRADITIONAL BLUES ALBUM
"The Blues Rolls On"
Elvin Bishop
[Delta Groove Music, Inc.]
"Skin Deep"
Buddy Guy
[Silvertone Records]
"All Odds Against Me"
John Lee Hooker Jr.
[Steppin' Stone Records/CC Entertainment]
WINNER:"One Kind Favor"
B.B. King
[Geffen Records]
"Pinetop Perkins & Friends"
Pinetop Perkins & Friends
[Stoneagle Music/Telarc]

BEST CONTEMPORARY BLUES ALBUM
"Peace, Love & BBQ"
Marcia Ball
[Alligator Records]
"Like A Fire"
Solomon Burke
[Shout! Factory]
WINNER:"City That Care Forgot"
Dr. John And The Lower 911
[429 Records]
"Maestro"
Taj Mahal
[Heads Up International]
"Simply Grand"
Irma Thomas
[Rounder Records]

BEST TRADITIONAL FOLK ALBUM
"Coal"
Kathy Mattea
[Captain Potato Records]
"Comedians & Angels"
Tom Paxton
[Appleseed Recordings]
"Bring Me Home"
Peggy Seeger
[Appleseed Recordings]
WINNER: "At 89"
Pete Seeger
[Appleseed Recordings]
"Strangers In Another Country"
Rosalie Sorrels
[Red House Records]

BEST CONTEMPORARY FOLK/AMERICANA ALBUM
"Day After Tomorrow"
Joan Baez
[Bobolink/Razor & Tie]
"I, Flathead"
Ry Cooder
[Nonesuch Records]
"Sex & Gasoline"
Rodney Crowell
[Work Song/Yep Roc Records]
"All I Intended To Be"
Emmylou Harris
[Nonesuch Records]
WINNER: "Raising Sand"
Robert Plant & Alison Krauss
[Rounder Records]

BEST NATIVE AMERICAN MUSIC ALBUM
"Songs From The Black Hills"
Bryan Akipa
[SOAR Corporation]
"Spo'Mo'Kin'Nan"
Black Lodge
[Canyon Records]
"Red Rock"
Northern Cree
[Canyon Records]
WINNER:"Come To Me Great Mystery - Native American Healing Songs"
(Various Artists)
Tom Wasinger, producer
[Silver Wave Records]
"Faith"
Kevin Yazzie
[Canyon Records]

BEST HAWAIIAN MUSIC ALBUM
WINNER: "'Ikena"
Tia Carrere & Daniel Ho
[Daniel Ho Creations]
"'Aumakua"
Amy Hanaiali`i
[Ua Records/Concord]
"Force Of Nature"
Led Kaapana & Mike Kaawa
[Ledward Kaapana & Mike Kaawa]
"Hawaiian Slack Key Kings Masters Series Vol. II"
(Various Artists)
Chris Lau & Milton Lau, producers
[Rhythm And Roots Records]
"The Spirit Of Hawaiian Slack Key Guitar"
(Various Artists)
Daniel Ho, George Kahumoku, Jr., Dennis Kamakahi, Paul Konwiser & Wayne Wong,
producers
[Daniel Ho Creations]

BEST ZYDECO OR CAJUN MUSIC ALBUM
WINNER:"Live At The 2008 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival"
BeauSoleil & Michael Doucet
[MunckMix]
"From Now On"
Michael Doucet
[Smithsonian Folkways Recordings]
"Homage Au Passé"
Pine Leaf Boys
[Lionsgate]
"Live At The 2008 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival"
Steve Riley & The Mamou Playboys
[MunckMix]
"Cedric Watson"
Cedric Watson
[Valcour Records]

BEST REGGAE ALBUM
WINNER:"Jah Is Real"
Burning Spear
[Burning Music Production]
"Let's Get Physical"
Elephant Man
[VP Records/ Bad Boy]
"Vibes"
Heavy D
[Stride/Universal]
"Repentance"
Lee "Scratch" Perry
[Narnack Records]
"Intoxication"
Shaggy
[VP Records]
"Amazing"
Sly & Robbie
[Fontana International]

BEST TRADITIONAL WORLD MUSIC ALBUM
"Calcutta Chronicles: Indian Slide Guitar Odyssey"
Debashish Bhattacharya
[Riverboat Records/World Music Network]
"The Mandé Variations"
Toumani Diabaté
[Nonesuch Records]
WINNER:"Ilembe: Honoring Shaka Zulu"
Ladysmith Black Mambazo
[Heads Up International]
"Dancing In The Light"
Lakshmi Shankar
[World Village]

BEST CONTEMPORARY WORLD MUSIC ALBUM
"Shake Away"
Lila Downs
[Manhattan Records/Blue Note]
"Banda Larga Cordel"
Gilberto Gil
[Warner Music Latina]
WINNER:"Global Drum Project"
Mickey Hart, Zakir Hussain, Sikiru Adepoju & Giovanni Hidalgo
[Shout! Factory]
"Rokku Mi Rokka (Give And Take)"
Youssou N'Dour
[Nonesuch Records]
"Live At The Nelson Mandela Theater"
Soweto Gospel Choir
[Shanachie Entertainment]

BEST POLKA ALBUM
"El Maestro Del Acordeón Y Sus Polkas"
Paulino Bernal
[Urbana Records]
"Speechless"
LynnMarie & Charlie Kelley As The Boxhounds
[Squeeze Records]
"Back To Back Hall Of Fame Polkas"
Walter Ostanek & His Band, Jerry Darlak & The Touch And Bob Kravos & His Band
[Sunshine Diversified Ent.]
"Hungry For More"
Polka Family Band
[Polka Family Music]
WINNER:"Let The Whole World Sing"
Jimmy Sturr And His Orchestra
[Rounder]

BEST MUSICAL ALBUM FOR CHILDREN
"Beethoven's Wig 4: Dance Along Symphonies"
Beethoven's Wig
[Rounder Records]
"Big Round World"
Trout Fishing In America
[Trout Records]
WINNER: "Here Come The 123s"
They Might Be Giants
[Disney Sound]
"Here Comes Brady Rymer And The Little Band That Could"
Brady Rymer And The Little Band That Could
[Bumblin' Bee Records]
"The Shoe Bird"
Gerard Schwarz Conducting The Seattle Symphony
[Brilliance Audio]

BEST SPOKEN WORD ALBUM FOR CHILDREN
"Around The Campfire"
Buck Howdy With BB
[Prairie Dog Entertainment]
"The Big One-Oh"
Dean Pitchford
[Random House Audio/Listening Library]
"Brown Bear And Friends"
Gwyneth Paltrow
[Macmillan Audio]
"The Cricket In Times Square"
Tony Shalhoub
[Macmillan Audio]
WINNER:"Yes To Running! Bill Harley Live"
Bill Harley
[Round River Records]

BEST SPOKEN WORD ALBUM
WINNER: "An Inconvenient Truth (Al Gore)"
Beau Bridges, Cynthia Nixon & Blair Underwood
[Simon & Schuster Audio]
"Born Standing Up"
Steve Martin
[Simon & Schuster Audio]
"I Am America (And So Can You!)"
Stephen Colbert (& Various Artists)
[Hachette Audio]
"Life Beyond Measure"
Sidney Poitier
[HarperAudio]
"When You Are Engulfed In Flames"
David Sedaris
[Hachette Audio]

BEST COMEDY ALBUM
"Anticipation"
Lewis Black
[Comedy Central Records]
"Flight Of The Conchords"
Flight Of The Conchords
[Sub Pop]
"For Your Consideration"
Kathy Griffin
[Columbia/Music With A Twist]
WINNER: "It's Bad For Ya"
George Carlin
[Eardrum Records]
"Songs Of The Bushmen"
Harry Shearer
[Courgette Records]

BEST MUSICAL SHOW ALBUM
"Gypsy"
Robert Sher, producer (Jule Styne, composer; Stephen Sondheim, lyricist) (2008
Broadway Cast With Patti LuPone & Others)
[Time Life]
WINNER: "In The Heights"
Kurt Deutsch, Alex Lacamoire, Andrés Levin, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Joel Moss & Bill
Sherman, producers; Lin-Manuel Miranda, composer/lyricist (Original Broadway
Cast With Lin-Manuel Miranda And Others)
[Razor & Tie Entertainment/Ghostlight Records]
"The Little Mermaid"
Bruce Botnick, Michael Kosarin, Alan Menken & Chris Montan, producers; Alan
Menken, composer; Glenn Slater, lyricist (Howard Ashman, lyricist) (Original
Broadway Cast With Sierra Boggess, Tituss Burgess & Others)
[Walt Disney Records]
"South Pacific"
David Caddick, David Lai & Ted Sperling, producers (Richard Rodgers, composer;
Oscar Hammerstein II, lyricist) (New Broadway Cast With Kelli O'Hara, Paulo Szot
& Others)
[Masterworks Broadway]
"Young Frankenstein; The Musical"
Doug Besterman, producer; Mel Brooks, composer/lyricist (Original Broadway Cast
With Roger Bart, Megan Mullally, Sutton Foster & Others)
[Decca Broadway]

BEST COMPILATION SOUNDTRACK ALBUM FOR MOTION PICTURE, TELEVISION OR OTHER VISUAL MEDIA
"American Gangster"
(Various Artists)
[Def Jam]
"August Rush"
(Various Artists)
[Columbia/Sony Music Soundtrax]
WINNER:"Juno"
(Various Artists)
[Fox Music/Rhino]
"Mamma Mia!"
Meryl Streep (& Various Artists)
[Decca Records]
"Sweeney Todd - The Demon Barber Of Fleet Street"
(Various Artists)
[Nonesuch Records]

BEST SCORE SOUNDTRACK ALBUM FOR MOTION PICTURE, TELEVISION OR OTHER VISUAL MEDIA
WINNER:"The Dark Knight"
More than one option

* (Film) The Dark Knight
L Zharkova, Oleg Kovalov
* (Film) The Dark Knight


James Newton Howard & Hans Zimmer, composers
[Warner Sunset/Warner Bros.]
"Indiana Jones And The Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull"
John Williams, composer
[Concord Records]
"Iron Man"
Ramin Djawadi, composer
[Lionsgate]
"There Will Be Blood"
Jonny Greenwood, composer
[Nonesuch Records]
"Wall-E"
Thomas Newman, composer
[Walt Disney Records/Pixar]

BEST SONG WRITTEN FOR MOTION PICTURE, TELEVISION OR OTHER VISUAL MEDIA
WINNER:"Down To Earth" (From Wall-E)
Peter Gabriel & Thomas Newman, songwriters (Peter Gabriel)
Track from: Wall-E
[Walt Disney Records/Pixar; Publishers: Walt Disney Music, Wonderland Music/Pixar Talking Pictures/Pixar Music]
"Ever Ever After" (From Enchanted)
Alan Menken & Stephen Schwartz, songwriters (Carrie Underwood)
Track from: Enchanted
[Walt Disney Records; Publishers: Wonderland Music & Walt Disney Music]
"Say" (From The Bucket List)
John Mayer, songwriter (John Mayer)
Track from: Continuum
[Aware/Columbia; Publishers: Sony/ATV Tunes, Specific Harm Music]
"That's How You Know" (From Enchanted)
Alan Menken & Stephen Schwartz, songwriters (Amy Adams)
Track from: Enchanted
[Walt Disney Records; Publishers: Wonderland Music & Walt Disney Music]
"Walk Hard" (From Walk Hard - The Dewey Cox Story)
Judd Apatow, Marshall Crenshaw, Jake Kasdan & John C. Reilly, songwriters (John
C. Reilly)
Track from: Walk Hard The Dewey Cox Story
[Columbia; Publishers: Murder by Television/Apatow Music/Popular Misconception/New Columbia Pictures Music/Colpix Music]

BEST INSTRUMENTAL COMPOSITION
WINNER:"The Adventures Of Mutt" (From Indiana Jones And The Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull)
John Williams, composer (John Williams)
Track from: Indiana Jones And The Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull - Soundtrack
[Concord Records]
"Alegria"
Chick Corea, composer (Chick Corea & Gary Burton)
Track from: The New Crystal Silence
[Concord Records]
"Claire's Closet"
Russell Ferrante, composer (Yellowjackets Featuring Mike Stern)
Track from: Lifecycle
[Heads Up International]
"Danzón De Etiqueta"
Dave Grusin, composer (Lee Ritenour & Dave Grusin)
Track from: Amparo
[Decca]
"Hit The Ground Running"
Gordon Goodwin, composer (Gordon Goodwin's Big Phat Band)
Track from: Act Your Age
[Immergent]

BEST INSTRUMENTAL ARRANGEMENT
WINNER:"Define Dancing" (From Wall-E)
Peter Gabriel & Thomas Newman, arrangers (Thomas Newman)
Track from: Wall-E - Soundtrack
[Walt Disney Records]
"Down In The Valley"
Frank Macchia, arranger (Frank Macchia Featuring The Prague Orchestra)
Track from: Landscapes
[Cacophony]
"Duke Ellington's Sound Of Love"
Michael Abene, arranger (Joe Lovano With WDR Big Band & Rundfunk Orchestra)
Track from: Symphonica
[Blue Note]
"St. Louis Blues"
Bob Brookmeyer, arranger (The Vanguard Jazz Orchestra)
Track from: Monday Night Live At The Village Vanguard
[Planet Arts Recordings]
"Yesterdays"
Gordon Goodwin, arranger (Gordon Goodwin's Big Phat Band Featuring Art Tatum)
Track from: Act Your Age
[Immergent]

BEST INSTRUMENTAL ARRANGEMENT ACCOMPANYING VOCALIST(S)
"Alfie"
Vince Mendoza, arranger (Traincha & The Metropole Orchestra)
Track from: The Look Of Love - Burt Bacharach Songbook
[Blue Note]
"Grace"
Cedric Dent, arranger (Take 6)
Track from: The Standard
[Heads Up International]
WINNER: "Here's That Rainy Day"
Nan Schwartz, arranger (Natalie Cole)
Track from: Still Unforgettable
[DMI Records]
"Johnny One Note"
Don Sebesky, arranger (John Pizzarelli)
Track from: With A Song In My Heart
[Telarc International]
"Lazy Afternoon"
Claus Ogerman, arranger (Danilo Perez)
Track from: Across The Crystal Sea
[Emarcy]

BEST RECORDING PACKAGE
WINNER: "Death Magnetic"
Bruce Duckworth, Sarah Moffatt & David Turner, art directors (Metallica)
[Warner Bros.]
"Hawk Nelson...Is My Friend!"
Don Clark, art director (Hawk Nelson)
[BEC Recordings]
"Nouns"
No Age & Brian Roettinger, art directors (No Age)
[Sub Pop]
"Radio Retaliation"
Neal Ashby, Matthew Curry & Patrick Donohue, art directors (Thievery
Corporation)
[ESL Music]
"Summer Rains"
Amanda Barrett, Abby DeWald, Renee Jablow & Rick Whitmore, art directors (The
Ditty Bops)
[The Green Witch Society]

BEST BOXED OR SPECIAL LIMITED EDITION PACKAGE
"Ghosts I-IV"
Trent Reznor & Rob Sheridan, art directors (Nine Inch Nails)
[The Null Corporation]
WINNER: "In Rainbows"
Stanley Donwood, Mel Maxwell & Xian Munro, art directors (Radiohead)
[TBD Records]
"Poems & Songs"
Qing-Yang Xiao, art director (Wu Sheng)
[Ring of Fire Music]
"Pretty. Odd."
Alex Kirzhner & Panic At The Disco, art directors (Panic At The Disco)
[Decaydance/Fueled By Ramen]
"@#%&*! Smilers"
Aimee Mann & Gail Marowitz, art directors (Aimee Mann)
[SuperEgo Records]

BEST ALBUM NOTES
"Art Of Field Recording Volume I: Fifty Years Of Traditional American Music Documented By Art Rosenbaum"
Art Rosenbaum, album notes writer (Various Artists)
[Dust-To-Digital]
"Debate '08: Taft And Bryan Campaign On The Edison Phonograph"
Patrick Feaster & David Giovannoni, album notes writers (William Jennings Bryan
& William Howard Taft)
[Archeophone Records]
WINNER:"Kind Of Blue: 50th Anniversary Collector's Edition"
Francis Davis, album notes writer (Miles Davis)
[Columbia/Legacy Recordings]
"Rare & Unreleased Recordings From The Golden Reign Of The Queen Of Soul"
David Ritz & Jerry Wexler, album notes writers (Aretha Franklin)
[Rhino/Atlantic]
"The Unsung Father Of Country Music: 1925-1934"
Henry "Hank" Sapoznik, album notes writer (Ernest V. Stoneman)
[5-String Productions]

BEST HISTORICAL ALBUM
WINNER:"Art Of Field Recording Volume I: Fifty Years Of Traditional American Music Documented By Art Rosenbaum"
Steven Lance Ledbetter & Art Rosenbaum, compilation producers; Michael Graves,
mastering engineer (Various Artists)
[Dust-To-Digital]
"Classic Columbia, OKeh And Vocalion Lester Young With Count Basie (1936-1940)"
Scott Wenzel, compilation producer; Malcolm Addey, Michael Brooks, Matt
Cavaluzzo, Andreas Meyer & Mark Wilder, mastering engineers (Lester Young With
Count Basie)
[Mosaic Records]
"Debate '08: Taft And Bryan Campaign On The Edison Phonograph"
David Giovannoni, Meagan Hennessey & Richard Martin, compilation producers;
Richard Martin, mastering engineer (William Jennings Bryan & William Howard
Taft)
[Archeophone Records]
"Polk Miller & His Old South Quartette"
Ken Flaherty, Jr., compilation producer; Marcos Sueiro Bal, Ken Flaherty, Jr.,
Kurt Nauck & Glenn Sage, mastering engineers (Polk Miller & His Old South
Quartette)
[Tompkins Square]
"To Be Free: The Nina Simone Story"
Richard Seidel, compilation producer; Mark G. Wilder, mastering engineer (Nina
Simone)
[RCA/Legacy Recordings]

BEST ENGINEERED ALBUM, NON-CLASSICAL
WINNER:"Consolers Of The Lonely">
Joe Chiccarelli, Vance Powell & Jack White III, engineers (The Raconteurs)
[Third Man/Warner Bros.]
"Just A Little Lovin'"
Al Schmitt, engineer (Shelby Lynne)
[Lost Highway Records]
"Lay It Down"
Jimmy Douglass, Russell "The Dragon" Elevado & John Smeltz, engineers (Al Green)
[Blue Note]
"Still Unforgettable"
Al Schmitt, engineer (Natalie Cole)
[DMI Records]
"We Sing. We Dance. We Steal Things."
Dyre Gormsen & Tony Maserati, engineers (Jason Mraz)
[Atlantic]

PRODUCER OF THE YEAR, NON-CLASSICAL
Danger Mouse
Attack & Release (The Black Keys) (A)
Modern Guilt (Beck) (A)
The Odd Couple (Gnarls Barkley) (A)
Nigel Godrich
In Rainbows (Radiohead) (A)
Johnny Karkazis (Johnny K)
Big Bad World (Plain White T's) (A)
The Illusion Of Progress (Staind) (A)
Light From Above (Black Tide) (A)
3 Doors Down (3 Doors Down) (A)
WINNER:Rick Rubin
Death Magnetic (Metallica) (A)
Home Before Dark (Neil Diamond) (A)
Mercy (Dancing For The Death Of An Imaginary Enemy) (Ours) (A)
Seeing Things (Jakob Dylan) (A)
Weezer (Red Album) (Weezer) (A)
will.i.am
American Boy (Estelle Featuring Kanye West) (T)
Encanto (Sergio Mendes) (A)
Funky Bahia (Sergio Mendes Featuring will.i.am & Siedah Garrett) (T)
In The Ayer (Flo Rida Featuring will.i.am) (T)
Pick It Up (Fergie) (T)
Picture Perfect (Chris Brown Featuring will.i.am) (T)
What's Your Name (Usher Featuring will.i.am) (T)

BEST REMIXED RECORDING, NON-CLASSICAL
"Closer (StoneBridge Radio Edit)"
StoneBridge, remixer (Ne-Yo)
[Def Jam]
WINNER:"Electric Feel (Justice Remix)"
Justice, remixers (MGMT)
Track from: Oracular Spectacular
[Columbia]
"4 Minutes (Junkie XL Remix)"
Junkie XL, remixer (Madonna Featuring Justin Timberlake)
[Warner Bros.]
"Just Fine (Moto Blanco Remix)"
Moto Blanco, remixers (Mary J. Blige)
Track from: Growing Pains
[Geffen]
"The Longest Road (Deadmau5 Remix)"
Deadmau5, remixer (Morgan Page Featuring Lissie)
Track from: Elevate
[Nettwerk]

BEST SURROUND SOUND ALBUM
"Divertimenti"
Morten Lindberg & Hans Peter L'Orange, surround mix engineers; Morten Lindberg,
surround mastering engineer; Morten Lindberg, surround producer (Øyvind Gimse &
TrondheimSolistene)
[2L]
WINNER:"Mussorgsky: Pictures At An Exhibition; Night On Bald Mountain; Prelude To Khovanshchina"
Michael Bishop, surround mix engineer; Michael Bishop, surround mastering
engineer; Robert Woods, surround producer (Paavo Järvi & Cincinnati Symphony
Orchestra)
[Telarc]
"Rheinberger: Sacred Choral Works"
John Newton, surround mix engineer; Jonathan Cooper & Mark Donahue, surround
mastering engineers; Blanton Alspaugh, surround producer (Charles Bruffy,
Phoenix Bach Choir & Kansas City Chorale)
[Chandos]
"Ringo 5.1 The Surround Sound Collection"
Bruce Sugar, surround mix engineer; Chris Bellman, surround mastering engineer;
Bill Crowley, Ringo Starr & Bruce Sugar, surround producers (Ringo Starr)
[Koch]
"Sensurround + B-Sides"
Toru Takayama, surround mix engineer; Ryuichi Tanaka & Yu Yamaguchi, surround
mastering engineers; Keigo Oyamada, surround producer (Cornelius)
[Everloving]

BEST ENGINEERED ALBUM, CLASSICAL
"Berlioz: Symphonie Fantastique"
Fred Vogler, engineer (Gustavo Dudamel & Los Angeles Philharmonic)
[Deutsche Grammophon]
"Divertimenti"
Morten Lindberg & Hans Peter L'Orange, engineers (Øyvind Gimse &
TrondheimSolistene)
[2L (Lindberg Lyd)]
"Puccini: La Bohème"
Michael Bishop, engineer (Robert Spano & Atlanta Symphony Orchestra & Chorus)
[Telarc]
"Respighi: Church Windows, Brazilian Impressions, Rossiniana"
John Newton, engineer (JoAnn Falletta & Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra)
[Naxos]
WINNER:"Traditions And Transformations: Sounds Of Silk Road Chicago"
David Frost, Tom Lazarus & Christopher Willis, engineers (Miguel Harth-Bedoya,
Alan Gilbert, Silk Road Ensemble, Wu Man, Yo-Yo Ma & Chicago Symphony Orchestra)
[CSO Resound]

PRODUCER OF THE YEAR, CLASSICAL
WINNER:David Frost
Berlioz: Symphonie Fantastique (Gustavo Dudamel & Los Angeles Philharmonic)
Right Through The Bone - Julius Röntgen Chamber Music (ARC Ensemble)
Schubert: Sonata In D Maj.; Liszt: Don Juan Fantasy (Min Kwon)
Traditions And Transformations: Sounds Of Silk Road Chicago (Miguel
Harth-Bedoya, Alan Gilbert, Yo-Yo Ma, Silk Road Ensemble, Wu Man & Chicago
Symphony Orchestra)
David Groves
Baroque (Gabriela Montero)
Beethoven: Piano Sonatas (Jonathan Biss)
Polish Spirit (Nigel Kennedy & Jacek Kaspszyk)
Respighi: Roman Trilogy, Il Tramonto (Antonio Pappano)
Shostakovich: Piano Concerto No. 1 (Martha Argerich)
Judith Sherman
Carter, Elliott: String Quartets Nos. 1 And 5 (Pacifica Quartet)
Piano Music Of Salonen, Stucky And Lutoslawski (Gloria Cheng)
Reich: Daniel Variations (Grant Gershon, Alan Pierson, Los Angeles Master
Chorale & London Sinfonietta)
Riley, Terry: The Cusp Of Magic (Kronos Quartet & Wu Man)
String Poetic (Jennifer Koh & Reiko Uchida)
Robert Woods
Mussorgsky: Pictures At An Exhibition, Night On Bald Mountain, Prelude To Khovanshchina (Paavo Järvi & Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra)
Prokofiev: Symphony No. 5, Lieutenant Kijé Suite (Paavo Järvi & Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra)

Puccini: La Bohème (Robert Spano & Atlanta Symphony Orchestra & Chorus)
Ravel: Boléro (Erich Kunzel & Cincinnati Pops Orchestra)
Revolutionary (Cameron Carpenter)
Robina G. Young
Beethoven: String Quartets Op. 18, Nos 1-6 (Tokyo String Quartet)

Beethoven: Symphony No. 3 'Eroica' (Andrew Manze & Helsingborg Symphony Orchestra)
Birds On Fire (Fretwork)
Heavenly Harmonies (Stile Antico)
Scattered Rhymes (Paul Hillier, Orlando Consort & The Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir)

BEST CLASSICAL ALBUM
"Maria"
Cecilia Bartoli; Christopher Raeburn, producer; Wolf-Dieter Karwatky & Philip
Siney, engineers/mixers (Adam Fischer; Orchestra La Scintilla)
[Decca Records]
"O'Regan, Tarik: Threshold Of Night"
Craig Hella Johnson, conductor; Blanton Alspaugh, producer; John Newton,
engineer/mixer; Mark Donahue, mastering engineer (Company Of Strings; Company
Of Voices & Conspirare)
[Harmonia Mundi]
"Schoenberg/Sibelius: Violin Concertos"
Esa-Pekka Salonen, conductor; Hilary Hahn; Sid McLauchlan & Arend Prohmann,
producers; Stephan Flock, engineer/mixer (Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra)
[Deutsche Grammophon]
"Spotless Rose: Hymns To The Virgin Mary"
Charles Bruffy, conductor; Phoenix Chorale; Blanton Alspaugh, producer; John
Newton, engineer/mixer; Jonathan Cooper, mastering engineer
[Chandos]
WINNER:"Weill: Rise And Fall Of The City Of Mahagonny"
James Conlon, conductor; Anthony Dean Griffey, Patti LuPone & Audra McDonald;
Fred Vogler, producer (Donnie Ray Albert, John Easterlin, Steven Humes, Mel
Ulrich & Robert Wörle; Los Angeles Opera Chorus; Los Angeles Opera Orchestra)
[EuroArts]

BEST ORCHESTRAL PERFORMANCE
"D'Indy: Orchestral Works, Vol. 1"
Rumon Gamba, conductor (Iceland Symphony Orchestra)
[Chandos]
"Glazunov: Symphony No. 6, La Mer, Introduction And Dance From Salome"
José Serebrier, conductor (Royal Scottish National Orchestra)
[Warner Classics & Jazz]
"Prokofiev: Scythian Suite, Op. 20"
Alan Gilbert, conductor (Chicago Symphony Orchestra)
Track from: Traditions And Transformations: Sounds Of Silk Road Chicago
[CSO Resound]
WINNER:"Shostakovich: Symphony No. 4"
Bernard Haitink, conductor (Chicago Symphony Orchestra)
[CSO Resound]
"Walden, Chris: Symphony No. 1, The Four Elements"
Chris Walden, conductor (Hollywood Studio Symphony Orchestra)
[Origin Classical]

BEST OPERA RECORDING
"Dun, Tan: The First Emperor"
Tan Dun, conductor; Michelle DeYoung, Plácido Domingo, Elizabeth Futral, Paul
Groves, Wu Hsing-Kuo & Hao Jiang Tian; Jay David Saks, producer (The
Metropolitan Opera Orchestra; The Metropolitan Opera Chorus)
[EMI Classics]
"Lully: Psyché"
Paul O´Dette & Stephen Stubbs, conductors; Colin Balzer, Karina Gauvin, Carolyn
Sampson & Aaron Sheehan; Renate Wolter-Seevers, producer (Boston Early Music
Festival Orchestra; Boston Early Music Festival Chorus)
[CPO]
"Monteverdi: L'Orfeo"
Rinaldo Alessandrini, conductor; Sara Mingardo, Monica Piccinini, Anna Simboli &

Furio Zanasi; Jean-Pierre Loisil, producer (Concerto Italiano)
[Naive Classique]
"Tchaikovsky: Eugene Onegin"
Valery Gergiev, conductor; Renée Fleming, Dmitri Hvorostovsky & Ramón Vargas;
Jay David Saks, producer (The Metropolitan Opera Orchestra; The Metropolitan
Opera Chorus)
[Decca]
WINNER:"Weill: Rise And Fall Of The City Of Mahagonny"
James Conlon, conductor; Anthony Dean Griffey, Patti LuPone & Audra McDonald;
Fred Vogler, producer (Donnie Ray Albert, John Easterlin, Steven Humes, Mel Ulrich & Robert Wörle; Los Angeles Opera Orchestra; Los Angeles Opera Chorus)
[EuroArts]

BEST CHORAL PERFORMANCE
"O'Regan, Tarik: Threshold Of Night"
Craig Hella Johnson, conductor (Company Of Strings; Company Of Voices &
Conspirare)
[Harmonia Mundi]
"Rheinberger: Sacred Choral Works"
Charles Bruffy, conductor (Kansas City Chorale & Phoenix Bach Choir)
[Chandos]
WINNER:"Symphony Of Psalms"
Sir Simon Rattle, conductor; Simon Halsey, chorus master (Berliner
Philharmoniker; Rundfunkchor Berlin)
Track from: Stravinsky: Symphonies
[EMI Classics]
"Szymanowski, Karol: Stabat Mater"
Antoni Wit, conductor; Henryk Wojnarowski, chorus master (Jaroslaw Brek, Iwona
Hossa & Ewa Marciniec; Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra; Warsaw Philharmonic Choir)
[Naxos]
"Tippett: A Child Of Our Time"
Colin Davis, conductor; Joseph Cullen, chorus master (Steve Davislim, Mihoko
Fujimura, Matthew Rose & Indra Thomas; London Symphony Orchestra; London
Symphony Chorus)
[LSO Live]

BEST INSTRUMENTAL SOLOIST(S) PERFORMANCE (WITH ORCHESTRA)
"Bloch/Lees:Violin Concertos"
John McLaughlin Williams, conductor; Elmar Oliveira (National Symphony Orchestra
Of Ukraine)
[Artek]
"Harrison: Pipa Concerto"
Miguel Harth-Bedoya, conductor; Wu Man (Chicago Symphony Orchestra)
Track from: Traditions And Transformations: Sounds Of Silk Road Chicago
[CSO Resound]
"Mozart: Piano Concertos 17 & 20"
Leif Ove Andsnes (Norwegian Chamber Orchestra)
[EMI Classics]
"Saint-Saëns: Piano Concertos 2 & 5"
Charles Dutoit, conductor; Jean-Yves Thibaudet (L'Orchestre De La Suisse
Romande)
[Decca Records]
WINNER:"Schoenberg/Sibelius: Violin Concertos"
Esa-Pekka Salonen, conductor; Hilary Hahn (Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra)
[Deutsche Grammophon]

BEST INSTRUMENTAL SOLOIST PERFORMANCE (WITHOUT ORCHESTRA)
"In A State Of Jazz"
Marc-André Hamelin
[Hyperion]
WINNER:"Piano Music Of Salonen, Stucky, And Lutoslawski"
Gloria Cheng
[Telarc]
"Red Cliff Capriccio"
Wei Li
[First Impression Music]
"Revolutionary"
Cameron Carpenter
[Telarc]
"Strange Toys"
Joan Jeanrenaud
[Talking House Records]

BEST CHAMBER MUSIC PERFORMANCE
"Brahms: String Quartet Op. 51, No. 2, Piano Quintet Op. 34"
Stephen Hough; Takács Quartet
[Hyperion]
WINNER:"Carter, Elliott: String Quartets Nos. 1 And 5"
Pacifica Quartet
[Naxos]
"Folk Songs"
Trio Mediaeval
[ECM New Series]
"Right Through The Bone - Julius Röntgen Chamber Music"
ARC Ensemble
[RCA Red Seal]
"String Poetic"
Jennifer Koh & Reiko Uchida
[Cedille Records]

BEST SMALL ENSEMBLE PERFORMANCE
"Divertimenti"
Øyvind Gimse, conductor; TrondheimSolistene
[2L (Lindberg Lyd)]
"Dun: Pipa Concerto; Hayashi: Viola Concerto; Takemitsu: Nostalgia"
Roman Balashov, conductor; Yuri Bashmet; Moscow Soloists (Wu Man)
[Onyx Classics]
"Im Wunderschoenen Monat Mai"
Reinbert De Leeuw, conductor; Barbara Sukowa; Schoenberg Ensemble
[Winter & Winter]
"Monk: Impermanence"
Meredith Monk & Vocal Ensemble
[ECM New Series]
WINNER:"Spotless Rose: Hymns To The Virgin Mary"
Charles Bruffy, conductor; Phoenix Chorale
[Chandos]

BEST CLASSICAL VOCAL PERFORMANCE
WINNER:"Corigliano: Mr. Tambourine Man: Seven Poems Of Bob Dylan"
Hila Plitmann (JoAnn Falletta; Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra)
[Naxos]
"Fussell, Charles: Wilde"
Sanford Sylvan (Gil Rose; Boston Modern Orchestra Project)
[BMOP/sound]
"Gomidas Songs"
Isabel Bayrakdarian (Eduard Topchjan; Serouj Kradjian; Chamber Players Of The
Armenian Philharmonic Orchestra)
[Nonesuch Records]
"Maria"
Cecilia Bartoli (Adam Fischer; Orchestra La Scintilla)
[Decca Records]
"Terezín: Theresienstadt"
Anne Sofie Von Otter (Christian Gerhaher & Daniel Hope; Bengt Forsberg & Gerold
Huber)
[Deutsche Grammophon]

BEST CLASSICAL CONTEMPORARY COMPOSITION
"Dalbavie: Concerto Pour Flûte"
Marc-André Dalbavie (Peter Eötvös)
Track from: Dalbavie/Jarrell/Pintscher: Flute Concertos
[EMI Classics]
"Gandolfi: The Garden Of Cosmic Speculation"
Michael Gandolfi (Robert Spano)
[Telarc]
WINNER:"Mr. Tambourine Man: Seven Poems Of Bob Dylan"
John Corigliano (JoAnn Falletta)
Track from: Corigliano: Mr. Tambourine Man: Seven Poems Of Bob Dylan
[Naxos]
"Violin Concerto No. 2"
George Tsontakis (Douglas Boyd)
Track from: Tsontakis: Violin Concerto No. 2, Clair De Lune
[Koch Int'l Clasiscs]
"Walden, Chris: Symphony No. 1, The Four Elements"
Chris Walden (Chris Walden)
[Origin Classical]

BEST CLASSICAL CROSSOVER ALBUM
"Baroque"
Gabriela Montero
[EMI Classics]
"Indigo Road"
Ronn McFarlane
[Dorian Sono Luminus]
"Olde School"
East Village Opera Company
[Decca Records]
"The Othello Syndrome"
Uri Caine Ensemble
[Winter & Winter]
WINNER:"Simple Gifts"
The King's Singers
[Signum Records]

BEST SHORT FORM MUSIC VIDEO
"Honey"
Erykah Badu
Erykah Badu & Mr. Roboto, video directors; Megan Gutman, video producer
[Universal Motown]
"Who's Gonna Save My Soul"
Gnarls Barkley
Christopher Milk, video director; Anne Johnson, video producer
[Downtown/Atlantic]
"Another Way To Die"
Alicia Keys & Jack White
PR Brown & MK12, video directors; Mick Ebeling, Sheira Rees-Davies & Jane
Tredget, video producers
[J Records]
"House Of Cards"
Radiohead
James Frost, video director; Dawn Fanning, video producer
[TBD Records]
WINNER:"Pork And Beans"
Weezer
Mathew Cullen, video director; Bernard Rahill, video producer
[DGC/Interscope]

BEST LONG FORM MUSIC VIDEO
"Where The Light Is - Live In Los Angeles"
John Mayer
Danny Clinch, video director; Lindha Narvaez, video producer
[Columbia]
WINNER:"Runnin' Down A Dream"
Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers
Peter Bogdanovich, video director; Skot Bright, video producer
[Warner Bros.]
"Good Girl Gone Bad Live"
Rihanna
Paul Caslin, video director; John Paveley, Ruth Paveley & Rupert Style, video
producers
[Def Jam/SRP Records/Mercury Music Group/Universal Music]
"Respect Yourself - The Stax Records Story"
(Various Artists)
Robert Gordon & Morgan Neville, video directors; Mark Crosby, Robert Gordon &
Morgan Neville, video producers
[Stax/Tremolo Productions/Concord Music Group]
"Amazing Journey: The Story Of The Who"
The Who
Paul Crowder & Murray Lerner, video directors; Murray Lerner, Robert Rosenberg &
Nigel Sinclair, video producers
[Universal Home Entertainment]

Jakarta off? No, she cancelled of her own accord

Rhianna has pulled her planned Jakarta gig over fears that she might be a target for terrorists seeking an easy reprisal for the Bali bomber executions:

"They said Indonesia's security is not supportive," event promoter Troy Waroka told the local press. "The concert will be postponed until January or February."

Oh, yes. Just give it five or six weeks. These desperate, callous terrorists who would happily murder innocents in their hundreds in November to atone for the execution of their brothers are sure to be over it by the New Year, aren't they?

Rhianna enters into awkward devil/charity pact

Rhianna - having exhausted the market for Rhianna-themed umbrella memorabilia - is now taking on a new role, as the face of Gucci's new UNICEF range.

Yes, yes, you did read that correctly: Gucci - overpriced way of separating fools and money - are doing a range for UNICEF, which Rhianna will be pushing.

Is it right to be cynical, though? Isn't it a great thing that Gucci is handing over all the cash it makes from exploiting Rhianna and the idea of starving children to try and do some good in the world? Isn't it in the least bit heartwarming?

The Umbrella hitmaker will front the Italian designer's Tattoo Heart range of products. A quarter of all profits made from the line will be donated to the children's charity.

Sorry? What was that? A quarter of profits? So in other words, seventy-five per cent of the profit will stick with Gucci. Is Rhianna comfortable that, in effect, she's promoting a product which pretends to be about helping the disadvantaged, but actually is generating a dollar for a luxury brand for every 33 cents it makes for the starving kids it's using as a marketing tool?

MTV EMAs announced

No sooner has the world struggled to pretend to be interested in the MTV VMAs than their even-less-significant sibling, the MTV Europe Music Awards have announced their shortlist.

This year, Liverpool council tax payers are subsidising the event ("Liverpool hosts the event") and as you'd expect, the line-up of potential winners is absolutely glittering. Littering. Something:
Album Of the Year
Alicia Keys – As I Am
Britney Spears - Blackout
Coldplay – Viva La Vida or Death And All His Friends
Duffy – Rockferry
Leona Lewis – Spirit

Headliner
Foo Fighters
Linkin’ Park
Metallica
The Cure
Tokio Hotel

Most Addictive Track
Coldplay – Viva La Vida
Duffy – Mercy
Katy Perry – I Kissed A Girl
Kid Rock – All Summer Long
P!nk – So What

New Act
Duffy
Jonas Brothers
Katy Perry
Miley Cyrus
One Republic

Act of 2008
Amy Winehouse
Britney Spears
Coldplay
Leona Lewis
Rihanna

Ultimate Urban
Alicia Keys
Beyoncé
Chris Brown
Kanye West
Lil Wayne

Rock Out
30 Seconds to Mars
Linkin Park
Metallica
Paramore
Slipknot

Rihanna - artist of 2008? A case could be made for her domination of 2007, when you couldn't set foot out the door without hearing a postman singing "ella... ella... ellla", but what has she done for us lately?

More, admittedly, than Beyonce, who seems to have been nominated on some sort of whim.

This act brought to you by the military-industrial complex

Here's an odd thing, tucked away in the list of sponsors for the New Orleans Essence Music Festival. Alongside McDonalds, Coca-Cola and Wal-Mart, the US Army is ponying up some dollars to bring Kanye West, Mary J Blige and Rhianna to Louisiana.

Now, regardless of what you feel about the military, is it really appropriate for defence budget to be spent sponsoring a musical entertainment?

Presumably the idea is to try and sign up some extra troops to help with the various jobs that the army is currently engaged in; we're not sure - and, genuinely, would love to know - if the US Army is only sponsoring music events aimed mainly at young, black audiences in financially deprived areas, or if they'll be chipping in to help bring, say, Ozfest to LA this year.

Some of the artists on the bill - Jill Scott, for example - make much of their commitment to peace and love. How come they're at a gig where some of the tab for their show will be underwritten by recruiting for war?

Gordon in the morning: Some things hurt more, much more than cars and girls

Lewis Hamilton and Dannii Minogue are having a secret date. It's on May 25th, in Monaco.

Admittedly, that's not very secret, is it?

It's also not very much of a story - despite a hopeful headline:

Get a vroom will you Lewis!

... the pair are still almost two months away from their first date, never mind touching. So there's a surprising amount of padding. We discover that Dannii "knows a lot" about cars - although there's no mention of how much Hamilton might know about second-string sibling pop. Of course, Dannii has breasts, which is always good for a line or two:

Nice to see she’s playing her cards close to her ample chest.

And, of course, Gordon needs to share his forecast for this relationship:

Lewis clearly knows his way around shiny bodywork and Dannii is in pole position. I reckon this pair could burn some serious rubber together.

Yes, they might screw each other, Gordon. Thanks for your insight.

But if 'couple arrange tentative date' is the big news, what does that imply about the rest of Gordon's work this morning?

Sexy stars and their lucky dogs

Yes, Gordon spends some time looking at photos of people with their dogs and tries to introduce a slightly disturbing sex angle:

IF I get reincarnated, I want to come back as a dog - they grab the attention of some of the world's sexiest stars.
[...]
So I'm praying it's a dog's life for me next time round.

But, Gordon, you know it's not like Jennifer Aniston has sex with her dog, or that Rhianna's dog doesn't think "waa-heeey" - because it's a different species. You do know that, don't you?

RIHANNA's lucky hound looks hot under the collar after being held tight by the singer when she stepped out in Hollywood.

Apparently not. The thing is, the dog in the photo doesn't even look like it's anything other than slightly scared, never mind "hot under the colour".

Brown, Rhianna: not together, just looks like it

Chris Brown and Rhianna aren't a couple, they say, but they can see how it looks like they are:

"It's actually funny, because I know the truth when I see a picture, but when they write a note with it, it's so crazy because people read it — of course they say that about a picture," Rihanna said. "I always try to read things from a fan's perspective. It's so believable, I just give up."

"I think we've got the worst luck with pictures. I think that's the thing," Brown added.

Especially the one with Rhianna in a white dress and Chris in a tuxedo cutting a cake in front of all their friends and relatives. That one was really, really unlucky.

Watch out for the umbrella, fella, hell... arrrgh

In a move not seen since Stand And Deliver Antpeople were stopped from taking duelling pistols into Adam And The Ants gigs, security is cracking down on people turning up with umbrellas to watch Rhianna:

Security guard Andy McDonald, said: "We don’t normally ask people to leave an umbrella outside. But we were taking precautions over a potential accident.

"We were told that Rihanna’s song features dancing with umbrellas on stage. We didn’t want the crowd following her actions and someone getting their eye poked out."

Now, this has, of course, been dressed up as a 'health and safety gone mad' story by the Daily Star:

A fan told the Daily Star: "I always carry an umbrella with me as the weather is dodgy and snow was predicted to fall.

"I couldn’t believe it when I had mine taken off me during a bag search on my way inside the venue."

But, to be honest, we're more surprised that venues are normally okay with people turning up to watch bands and taking their brollies into the auditorium. Surely, if ever there was an object which you don't need during the set, it'd be an umbrella?

Okay, with the possible exception of the Liverpool venue which, prior to a building upgrade, did have a problem with maggots growing in the pigeon carcasses on the abandoned top floor sometimes dropping through the ceiling onto people enjoying themselves. You might need an umbrella then.

[Thanks again to the tireless James P for the link]

Showbiz Zoe gets a jump

In the old days, gossip columnists could fill their pages with lists of people who went to see gigs and shows. Nowadays, though, with so many competing columns, that's not enough.

So Showbiz Zoe from the Sunday Mirror has decided to predict who'll be going to gigs a month before they happen:

Stars set to be out in force for Rihanna UK gigs

Rihanna is supported by R'n'B singer David Jordan on six UK dates in March.

I bet boxer Audley Harrison gets front-row tickets - he was drooling over her at London's Crystal club last week.

This is an exciting development. We're now boldly predicting that Pixie Geldof will be hanging about backstage at Glastonbury, and Andy Burnham will turn up at the next Brit Awards.

Under my day-glo Umbrella... ella... ellaq

Actually, you know, I kind of like the idea of the Klaxons doing a collaboration with Rhianna for the Brits. Even although it signals that the organisers are worried that they can't trust the audience to watch three minutes of the Klaxons without someone with a higher profile on stage.

[Thanks to Michael M for the link]

Umbrella... ella... unweller...

Rhianna, somewhat appropriately, is feeling under the weather, and so has dropped three of her UK tour dates:

A representative from the NEC said that Rihanna "appreciates the love and support of all her fans and wants nothing more than to see and connect with them".

Although, clearly, there is something she wants more, as she's not seeing them and connecting with with them.

Gordon Smart gurgles again

Perhaps Rebekah Wade hasn't had a chance to see what Gordon Smart is doing at Bizarre at the moment. As someone commented yesterday, under Newton it was hardly Newsnight, but at least there was some attempt to pretend there was something more to it than going "here's a person in a bikini and it's making me feel a bit wibbly in my fireman".

This morning, Gordon is bringing us Rod Stewart's daughter in a bra ad:

Ruby shows off her boobies

I’d love to be a fly on the wall during a row at the Stewart residence.

I reckon there’d be Bristols at dawn.

Well, at least he's moved on from bangers, but we're not quite sure how he thinks his pun works - does he imagine that the women who share Rod Stewart's house fight duels with their breasts? What does he mean?

Then, it's on to Rhianna, at the Bambi awards. Gordon can't find the space to say who awards the Bambis, or what they're for, or who won anything. But there's lots of room to talk about tits:

Rihanna's bust great at Bambis

RIHANNA's never one to keep her bangers undercover and what better place than to give them an airing than at a red carpet event?

The really sad thing is, the accompanying picture shows that the dress she was wearing wasn't even that revealing.

Gordon, though, also hints that he'd not mind losing his virginity to an older woman, either:

To top it off veteran actress SOPHIA LOREN made an appearance and showed she's still got what it takes to mix it up with the young wrigglers.

The young wrigglers? Do you suppose the only reason nobody with any responsibility at the Sun has taken him to one side and had a word is they imagine Gordon is using street talk?

Celine Dion wins the world

The World Music Awards - older readers will remember these as an easy way for ITV to fill some of the deader night-time hours in the mid-1990s; laying claim to the "world" of the title solely by virtue of being held in a place that record company bosses fancied a tax-deductible trip to.

They're still going, you know. This year, they were in Monaco (lovely at this time of year, we understand), and they gave Celine Dion an award for "an outstanding contribution to music". And it's well deserved. She's not released an album for over 18 months, and the world of music really has been a better place for it.

Even more unlikely, Mika won five awards: new artist, male entertainer, pop/rock male artist and U.K. artist. These are, of course, awards handed out by the IFPI based on sales, so in a way you can't argue with them. But even so, let's argue with them: Mika? Are you serious?

Avril Lavigne - who, yes, we still feel has been eclipsed by the march of time - picked up bestselling pop/rock female artist and bestselling artist for the region of Canada.

Completing the comedy line-up, Akon took three prizes, although nothing for getting caught up in hilarious coincidences. Best male R&B artist, internet artist and artist from Africa were his prizes.

It says a lot about the IFPI worldview that "Canada" and "Africa" are both considered equal regions.

The other winners included:
* Pop Female – Rihanna
* Entertainer of the year – Rihanna
* Regional Award, U.S. – Justin Timberlake
* Regional Award, Australia – Silverchair
* Regional Award, China – Jay Chou
* Regional Award, Ireland – U2
* Regional Award, Middle East – Amr Diab
* Regional Award, Spain – Miguel Bose.
* Legend - Patti LaBelle

Next week: some sketches

Bizarre has appeared to turn progression on its head this morning:

Rihanna strips to her undies

PICTURE SPECIAL: LAST week we brought you Rihanna's new vid - now we've got snaps

Perhaps their target audience prefers stills to the moving version; maybe it makes it easier to peer down Rihanna's cleavage or something.

Britney: The troops rally

Yesterday, Ozzy Osbourne mumbled something about Britney Spears which sounded vaguely positive. Now, Rhianna has also added her support to the beleaguered pop star:

"You can't judge her performance [at the MTV Awards] without knowing what was going on with her personally.

"She had so much pressure on her for that one performance. It's not easy being on that stage. I performed for a minute and a half, and I was extremely nervous.

"To have the amount of pressure that Britney had? I don't know what I would've done. She did her best, so leave her alone."

Now, while we feel a degree of sympathy for Britney, what kind of contraflow-in-a-one-way-system logic is this?

Why should people feel obliged to take "what was going on with her personally" into judging a performance? If your plumber came in and bungled the flue on your central heating, you wouldn't still pay him because he had stuff "going on personally" and that ruined his performance. Until people start to hand back Grammys saying "I really don't deserve this, as when I made the record I was in love, well off and in perfect health so there was no struggle", I don't think we can really start to weight reviews according to the off-stage influences on the act.

Don't shoot the piano player, he's embroiled in a sub-prime credit crunch repossession.

Doesn't work, does it?

Rhianna apologises for the poor weather, kind of

After some people (and by "some people" we mean people who fill in the gaps between the journalism in newspapers) blamed Rhianna for cursing the British summer - because she made a song about Umbrellas, which meteorologists have proven could affect the ocean surface temperature in the mid-Atlantic to a point that would lead to an additional two or three inches rainfall across the UK - Rhianna has said... that she feels bad. A bit:

"I feel bad about that," Rihanna told WENN. "I don't think it's my fault. I think the weather helped to keep the song there for so long. It worked for me."

Aha. So it must have been arranged by her marketing department then: "sod the novelty umbrellas, we're spending the entire advertising budget on seeding clouds..."

[Thanks to James P]

Hey... the song's called Umbrella, right?

News of a slowing of sales for Umbrella, coupled with receding flood water, will probably only fuel The Sun's belief that Rhianna is responsible for the rain.

Meanwhile, after two and a half months, someone has come up with a mechandising tie-in: Yes, Rhianna Umbrella umbrellas, yours for a tenner. Or £25 if you want one which actually works. Hats off to whoever came up with that new revenue stream.

Word of warning: If you attempt to use a Rhianna CD to keep the rain off your head, the BPI will be down on you like a burst dam.

Rhianna blamed for the summer

You'd have thought there was plenty enough news around at the moment - floods, Russians, enormous Homer Simpsons on the hillsides of Dorset - that newspapers wouldn't have to resort to simply making up flim-flam.

Not so. The Sun runs a claim that Rhianna's Umbrella is "responsible" for the rainy weather. No, really:

And now experts are wondering if clubbers who have been partying to Umbrella have unwittingly been doing a RAINDANCE.

"Experts", eh? Experts who believe it's possible to control the weather by dancing.

Surprisingly, The Sun somehow manages to neglect to name these scientific experts.

Looking back, Umbrella seemed destined to bring bad luck.

The video to the track was shot on Friday, April 13.

Before the single was released on May 14, Britain had been basking in sunshine.

Erm... yes, that really proves how it was destined to bring bad luck - a whole month of sunshine.

But just one day after the song hit the shops, severe weather warnings hit the headlines.

Oh. Well, that proves it.

It's somewhat surprising that any newspaper - even one as slight as The Sun - would hold its readership in such contempt that it would print this guff with a straight face. They might as well have run a page with a drawing of a cheese pie on it.