Saturday, February 14, 2009

Don't stab, watch a film about idiots with guns instead

I'm still trying to work out if the Daily Mirror was having some sort of joke by tying its campaign to stop knife crime in with the hagiograph-flick of Biggie Smalls' life:

Biggie shielded his mother from his secret street life when he was growing up.

She said: "I didn't even know about the drugs until after he died. I thought it was powdered mashed potatoes he had under his bed, not drugs."

And presumably she thought that when he was banging on about his guns, he was talking about spudguns.

Seriously, Daily Mirror, you're elevating the man who sang Machine Gun Funk to some sort of spiritual figurehead against a knife crime crusade?
"When you kill you end up in a dark place yourself," she said. "I know Christopher wouldn't want to see so many young people feeling that they need to carry a knife.

"He would not want to see all the bloodshed."

If only he'd left some sort demonstration of that desire, eh?
All I want is bitches, big booty bitches
Used to sell crack, so I could stack my riches
Now I pack gats, to stop all the snitches
from stayin in my business, what is this? Relentless
approach, to know if I'm broke or not
Just cause I joke and smoke a lot
Don't mean I don't tote the glock
Sixteen shots for my niggaz in the pen
Until we motherfuckin meet again
Huh, I'm doin rhymes now, fuck the crimes now
Come on the ave, I'm real hard to find now
Cause I'm knee deep in the beats
In the Land Cruiser Jeep with the Mac-10 by the seats
For the jackers, the jealous ass crackers in the (car sirens)
I'll make you prove that it's bulletproof
Hold ya head, cause when you hit the bricks
I got gin, mad blunts, and bitches suckin dick
The funk baby

Oh, yes. He'd really be upset to think about people carrying knives.


Digital downloads pop up in local press

Trying times for local papers, challenged so much by digital media. So it's nice - and somewhat surprising - to see eMusic throwing some much needed advertising revenue at the local papers in the UK. Both the Milton Keynes Citizen and The Bucks Herald (and, presumably, other papers) are carrying adverts for eMusic this week.

Interesting approach - it'd be fascinating to see how many new subscribers this brings in.


"... but when she pulled the mask off, it was Katy Perry..."

Doug passes on an email from the good people at Jive:

Step right up, step right up! Now's your chance to be the Ring Master of the Circus and have your best creative fan fiction turned into an official Britney.com music video! That's right - your story could be used to create an official Britney.com music video seen all over the world! Compete against Britney fans all around the world with your creative writing, imagination, and passion for Britney and one fan will be the ultimate winner. Good luck!

Elizabeth Wilkinson

JIVE Label Group

Good luck to you, Elizabeth. As Doug asked:
I just wonder if they realise just how, ahem, creative some fan fiction can be...

I've entered, but I'm not expecting to win - no matter how highly my story scores on passion and imagination, I'm not sure there'd be the budget available to buy enough blutac and training the koala and the salamander might prove a stumbling block.


ASCAP hope to pop a cap in copyright carpers

Ben Sheffner has some fun with the idea that ASCAP is campaigning to "shut up" campaigners for a looser copyright regime:

ASCAP is out to "shut up" its ideological opponents by sending out an email with links to articles and commentaries that support its point of view! And criticize a book by a law professor with different views on copyright law! Scary! Perhaps next week, in another bold move to silence the copyleft, they will organize a panel discussion on issues that affect songwriters and publishers. And my super-secret ASCAP sources tell me that the final stage of the "shut up the copyleft" strategy consists of drafting an op-ed to run in Billboard. With all this shutting-up going on, it's a miracle ASCAP is even allowing Techdirt to go on publishing...

It's probably fair to say that Techdirt would have been better to say "drown out" than "shut up" - after all (for the moment) ASCAP and its chums have deeper pockets than the copyleft campaigners.

On the other hand, while Sheffner is having his yuks, he does forget to engage with the sharper points in the original Digital Music News story on which TechDirt was commenting:
In a letter emailed to members, longtime ASCAP board member (and distinguished songwriter) Dean Kay stamped on the Lessig ideology. But instead of directly countering core Lessig points, Kay offered a collection of articles, reviews, and even a video interview with Stephen Colbert to undermine the less-restrictive copyright thinking that Lessig espouses.

They're using The Colbert Report as the basis of their case? What, couldn't they find a Saturday Night Live sketch that shared their views?

It's easy for Sheffner to make fun of TechDirt's histrionics; it's easy for ASCAP to assemble a few pieces on the web that don't actually consider Lessig's arguments. It's just kind of funny that neither seem to want to directly debate.


Bonnie Prince this is a post about Bonnie Prince Billy Billy

The Phoenix New Times was all set to review the Bonnie Prince Billy album. Trouble is, the record label decided to scupper things:

I loaded the disc in to my iTunes to listen to -- as I do for a living -- and was digging the first track "Beware Your Only Friend" when a voice broke in to assure I was "enjoying a promotional copy of Beware by Bonnie 'Prince' Billy." Before the first song was even over, I was reminded again: "You are enjoying a promotional copy of Beware by Bonnie 'Prince' Billy." Again and again. Then, the interruptions started saying it in fake little Scottish and German accents. Ugh. This would be pretty annoying no matter the genre, but seemed especially grating given Billy's knack for crafting slow-burning folk ballads, which were invariably interrupted at key points.

It's surprising anyone still does this sort of thing; it's especially painful that Drag City would do it to a Bonnie Prince Billy record.


Bernard Butler: I hate you, Britpop reunions

Bernard Butler is as angry as a wasp in a sweetshop window with all these Britpop reunions:

"There's an awful lot of Britpop reunions going on at the moment and I find it embarrassing personally.

"I think it's got no relevance to what's going on at the moment."

Mmm. It;d be much better for the kids to listen to something of the moment like, erm, Duffy, right?
"I've never had an offer to do anything as Suede.

"I'm obsessively opposed to nostalgia. I hate the idea of it. It doesn't work. And it doesn't interest with me at all.

"What's important is not what I did last week, it's what I'm going to do next week. I made great records - I love them. My kids play them now. But that's for them and everyone else."

The key words, of course, are "as Suede". What with The Tears being completely different, and all.


Bookmarks: Some stuff to read on the internet: Valentine's Day

Letters Have No Arms marks February 14th by considering Mix tapes sent to people who are now exes:

What matters most is what you were listening to when you met this person (see above), when you were thinking about them (ditto), but most importantly of all, the songs you included on that cursed mixtape. The one they didn’t even listen to/like/understand/appreciate (or, and this is the worst: they said "oh yeah, i kind of liked that one song, I don't remember what it was called, but it was nice, and a girl was singing it"). 'Nice'!!! These are your favourite songs we're talking about!
And, as anyone who has ever made a successful mixtape can attest: making one is not just a matter of collecting a few random songs and pushing record/burn.
The truth is that, unless you shuffled it, you’ve put some thought into it. And chances are, if you were successful and achieved what you set out to do, you probably put (at least some of) your favourite songs on it…
So you’re fucked right?


Gordon in the morning: Profumo in the country

You've got to love the Pet Shop Boys, choosing Nothing Has Been Proved for their Brits performance - rounding off the 2009 British Music Industry Awards show with a twenty year old song about a scandal in the Macmillan cabinet feels like a tongue has been affixed firmly in cheek. Gordon, of course, has to explain the song for his readers:

The song is about 1963 political sex scandal the Profumo Affair, which blew up after minister John Profumo had a fling with showgirl CHRISTINE KEELER.

You might spend half a day pondering why Keeler gets her name in capitals while Profumo doesn't. Perhaps Smart's version of Word automatically caps any showgirl's name?

Of course, he doesn't waste too much time sticking 'The Profumo Affair starring John Profumo' into Google, as what's really important is that we might see a bra while the song is being performed:
LADY GAGA has won the race to perform with PET SHOP BOYS at Wednesday’s Brits – promising the raunchiest show ever.

This comes under the unlikely headline:
Pet Shops Boys Gaga-ing for it

Um... Gordon... you do know the Pet Shop Boys are... oh, never mind. Never mind.

Scientists do assure me, by the way, that by the end of the year headline-writers will be able to come up with a headline other than "Gaga-ing for it" whenever Lady GaGa makes an appearance. "That," explained Professor Finebold, who holds the Our Price Chair in advanced Chartology, "or mysteriously you won't be hearing anything about her by then. Like Princess Superstar."

So anyway, Gordon, "raunchy", you say?
And a Brits insider said: “It is going to be the raunchiest show the Brits has ever seen.

“The organisers wanted a female singer who would really shock to sing this track about the Keeler sex scandal.

“GaGa is the girl. She will be perfect. Don’t expect many clothes.”

The Brits organisers really sat down and said "this song is about a 1963 political scandal really needs to have a shocking singer to perform it. It is, after all, about sex." On the same basis, if the Boys had chosen Go West, they'd have had to have got in Dave Prowse to do the singing.

And how, exactly, is Lady GaGa going to "shock"? While it's always nice to see attractive people dressed briefly, it's not like "woman in underwear on stage" is really going to make the BPI's guests drop their monocles in horror, is it? Now, if they'd got Katherine Jenkins, for example, and she came on in tassles and a thong, there might be some shock. But Lady GaGa? A little ho-hum, surely?

Gordon also has the news of the theme of this year's show: Sweaty executives wondering how much they dare put on expenses. Sorry: Glastonbury.
Presenters JAMES CORDEN and MATHEW HORNE — fronting the ceremony with KYLIE MINOGUE — will jump from a caravan to host the event.

Ah, and that would be the gap between the music industry and the people who keep them in business. Us lot? We associate Glastonbury with camping.
The set will have a pyramid shape — like Glasto’s iconic stage — and will be filled with farm animals and other props more likely to be seen in the countryside than at a glamorous London award show.

Except there aren't any farm animals at Glastonbury because they're all taken to other farms. You've got love Gordon's vague "other props more like to be seen...", though. I wonder what these typical countryside "props" will be?

Let's exclusively reveal those props in full:

- An 18th century coaching inn converted into a private house for a now-disgraced middle-ranking HBOS banker
- A bus-stop (disused since 1986)
- A Daily Mail journalist writing an article, surprised that it's possible to get heroin as much as ten miles from the nearest town
- A blameless woman trying to contain her anger as some people from London make jokes about inbreeding
- The corpses of the Famous Five, laying undiscovered since 1971, when they found out the hard way that you couldn't stop your food becoming contaminated with salmonella simply by putting it behind a waterfall
- Three men complaining bitterly about the European Union
- Senior Tories shooting things and hoping nobody recognises them
- Otis Ferry punching a badger
- A guy from Bovis putting up some signs

It should be brilliant


Friday, February 13, 2009

Ex-IFPII boss: fighting peer-to-peer "useless"

Per Eirik Johansen used to be chair of the IFPI, a role to which he was elevated after his time being someone senior at EMI. And, now he has neither of those roles, he's able to share the benefit of his experience. And that's that the IFPI and the RIAA are wasting their time:

He now believes the music industry’s fight against piracy has been useless and says he disagrees with the assertion that illicit file-sharing is the same as theft. Referring to an earlier EMI anti-piracy initiative, Johansen noted, “The message of that campaign is that there is a reason why we have copyright, and I agree.”

“But the main thing is that a whole generation already violates copyright, and the only thing we can do now is find better solutions,” he says pragmatically.

It might have been a bit handier if he'd mentioned this when he was in a position to call a halt to the expensive folly of the pursuit of the battle.


MEPs back plan to make Europe a less creative place

The proposal to extend copyright in recordings from the already over-generous 50 years to a preposterous 90 years has been approved by the European parliament. Some sort of vague attempt has been made to try and stop this turning into a cash cow for multinational companies:

The approved report, drafted by Brian Crowley (UEN, IE), amends existing legislation to increase the copyright protection for music recordings to 95 years.

To ensure that performers fully enjoy the additional royalties deriving from copyright extension, the committee amended the original text so as to prevent the use of previous contractual agreements to deduct money from the additional royalties.

Great news: if your recording hasn't recouped in fifty years, the burden is lifted. It's not known if Crowley considered how little the funds raised from the copyright over fifty years must have been if the contract hadn't recouped yet, but surely he must have. Let's assume this is just his little joke.

Nobody really believes this is going to make much difference for any individuals - if Crowley had been serious, he would have drafted the legislation to stop any funds going to companies at all rather than just a couple of sops.

Oh, yes - the other sop:
A dedicated fund for session musicians was also approved by the committee. This fund would be financed by contributions from producers, who would be obliged to set aside for this purpose, at least once a year, at least 20% of the revenues gained from the proposed extension of copyright term.

Committee members also amended a provision relating to this fund so as to give collecting societies, which represent performers' and producers' interests, the right to administer the annual supplementary remuneration.

Given that the figures involved are tiny, it's likely most of this fund will be swallowed up by the collection agencies administration. If there must be a fund, and there must be administration, wouldn't creating a charitable body to oversee the funds make more sense?


Throbbing Gristle plotting whistle-stop tour

Lucky, lucky, bloody Americans: Throbbing Gristle are doing a US tour.


Sony keeps on YouTube

The music industry demonstrates an surprising ability to make stupid, self-defeating decisions, so let's just offer up a small thanks that Sony has agreed a deal to keep its artists on YouTube.

Now, it might want to think about taking off the disabling of embedding, to make it worthwhile having the archive there in the first place.


The dance returns: Spandau Ballet plot comeback tour. Supposedly.

Given the size of the venues Tony Hadley has been playing recently, isn't it a bit of a stretch to believe that even a reformed Spandau Ballet would be playing the Nou Camp in Barcelona? Especially now the pound falling against the euro has meant far fewer pensioners winter in Spain?


Gabriel decides to sit down for an extra minute

Peter Gabriel has decided he won't play the Oscars, after all. He was - rather understandably - miffed to discover he was only going to get a sixty five second slot:

"We were originally hoping to perform," he said. "We'd assumed, as there are only three nominees, that the songs would be performed [in full. But the producers came in to revamp it as audience figures were falling off.

"One of the things they've decided to cut is the songs. So we've only been offered 65 seconds as part of a medley. So I've now decided to withdraw from the ceremony, but I'll still go along.

"I do think it's a bit unfortunate. I do think songwriters, even though they're a small part of the filmmaking process… we still work bloody hard and I think deserve a place in the ceremony as well.

"So I'm an old fart, and it's not going to do me any harm to make a little protest. But the ceremony will be fun and I'm looking forward to it."

In a bid to increase audiences, the 65 seconds originally planned for Gabriel will now be given to Owen Wilson to run around the stage in an amusing costume and suprising wig.


Downloadable: Saint Etienne

In order to promote the latest in the long line of Saint Etienne best-ofs, they're swapping a free download of Teenage Winter for email addresses.


Darkness at 3AM: Crime reporters

The Chris Brown allegations are a difficult story for the gossip columnists. Used to running stories that are frothy and insubstantial, they suddenly have to cope with a real crime story, in which someone has been violently assaulted. It calls for a bit of gravitas, and a need to balance sensitivity for the victim with an awareness that - despite what we may all believe - the accused has not yet been found guilty of anything. It's a tough call. Can you do that, 3AM Girls?

It's Chris Brown trousers!

Well, I just thought I'd ask.


Gordon in the morning: Escape to the suburbs

It's like Location, Location, Location on Bizarre this morning, with Gordon announcing Amy Winehouse's move to the countryside. (Yes, yes, it's not that many days since Gordon insisted that Winehouse was hoofing off to Jamaica, where they have drugs, but the story now is that she's moving to Hadley Wood, where - supposedly - they don't.)

The trouble is, for a lead story, "woman buys house in suburbs" is a bit thin. Even when you've added in a spot of uncredited speculation from "a pal":

“It’s quiet and there won’t be all that temptation on her doorstep.

But it’s near to her home London borough of Enfield, and to Camden, so she won’t feel too isolated. That’s why she has agreed.”

Ah. So Hadley Wood hovers, surprisingly, both nowhere near and surprisingly close to Central London. I wonder if the estate agent pointed that out as he showed people around? "Also, there are both very good local schools, and there are no schools anywhere near here..."

But the pal can't fill a column on their own. What about the horrified local residents, Gordon? There surely must be horrified local residents:
Director of The Hadley Wood Association, Rod Armstrong, said: “I’m not very familiar with Amy. But knowing the people here, she’ll be made welcome.”

Oh. That's not very horrified, is it? In fact, it's more like polite uninterest.

But surely the WI will be getting up a petition. Someone get the WI on the phone:
Mavis Webber, of the local Women’s Institute, said: “It’s a nice, quiet area. Country walks will do her good.”

Oh.

Incidentally, what on earth is Gordon doing telling us the names of these people? Surely they should have been "a source in the local Assocation" and "a WI insider"? How are we supposed to take these people seriously when you suggest they're genuine quotes, rather than something made up in the office and assigned to a vaguely identified "chum"?

Still, so far, the story is "woman buys suburban house; people of suburbs not that interested." But the area is represented by a Tory MP. Surely, surely, he'll provide some frothing outrage that will make this lead story a little more interesting?
And Local Tory MP David Burrowes added: “The area has no pubs, clubs or wine bars. The only nightlife is a whole lot of foxes and wild-life. Amy could take on a role in the community.”

She could. It sounds like they desperately need someone to bring crack cocaine and wine boxes back from Central London. Admittedly, the implication that Burrowes doesn't count a fox as wildlife is diverting, and might have been relevant if it was Otis Ferry moving in, but this is still quite thin, isn't it?

Surely, surely, Gordon, you can find someone who is terrified at the prospect of this force of nature moving into the former home of the founder of the Salvation Army?
Ghita Cohen, of the local theatre group, warned: “It’s mainly middle-aged people with middle-class views here and I don’t think it’s her cup of tea...

Aha! Quick, let's get this nailed down. You don't think her type should be coming round her, with her being young and related to a taxi driver - will you be getting up a petition? Having an emergency session of the Parochial Church Council?
— but I do hope she’ll be happy.”

Oh.

Still, Gordon, you don't have to run this as your main story online this morning, do you? There's that Kate Moss one, isn't there?
At her birthday last month she befriended ABBEY CLANCY and PETER CROUCH, this time opera diva KATHERINE JENKINS joined her gang.

My source added: “They got on great.”

Okay. Go with the 'woman moves to more expensive house' one, then.


Thursday, February 12, 2009

The second time as... well, slight desperation

If you were about to launch an avant-garde fashion title, would you choose to effectively rework a two year old NME cover?

For next month's issue, they're going to get Miles Hunt to dress up like her out of DeeLite.

Yes, Beth Ditto naked again. Just like in 2007.

[Via Magculture]


2009 festival cull: Ozzfest

Ozzfest? Cancelled? Why, yes, but not because of the financial situation, oh no. Ozzy's busy working on his new album.

He's lost the I Can't Believe It's Not Butter gig, too. Times must be hard.


And Velvet Revolver are still sort-of going?

How long have Velvet Revolver been looking for a new singer now? It must be over a year, surely? They tend to be able to fill papal vacancies faster than this. The search, however, grinds on.


Woo-hoo! It's the return of Limp Bizkt

Woo! Limp Bizkit! Back Dudes. They're B-to-the-A-to-the-K back. You better believe it. Back ready to mess shit up and shit. Woo-hoo. Drinkin' beer, givin' each other wedgies. Back.

Clearly, there's not been a great deal of work around for former members of Limp Bizkit, which might explain why they've decided to proceed with the comeback even when attempts to get the world excited about the idea through some hints and trails failed to whip up anything other than a spot of apathy. It's not known if Durst intends to continue to pretend to be thirteen, or if his character will have aged in the last decade or so.


Folding magazines: Vibe cuts back

While the UK music press posts slightly gloomy circulation figures, there's some equally glum news from the US: Vibe is cutting its frequency to 10 issues a year, putting staff on short hours, and cutting its circulation. (In other words, it's going to stop promising advertisers each issue will reach a certain number of issues and pitching for a lower level of take-up; In Vibe's case by 25%.)

In a bid to offset the loss, there's going to be "a twice-a-year newsstand-only celebrity tabloid." Which, unarguably, is trying something new in the face of the current market.


Downloadable: Can see super Seksu

Fancy something lovely for your ears? How about a remix of Asobi Seksu's Familiar Light? For free, in mp3, and wonderful.


NME abandons slide, goes for tanking

Despite arch rival Kerrang losing nearly a third of its readership year-on-year, the NME still languishes behind the other weekly. The paper lost about a quarter of its readership, dipping below the 50,000 mark to just 48,549 copies a week. Kerrang is just about ahead, managing 52,272.

Actually, NME should worry about Kerrang - it's now being outstripped by Metal Hammer as well. With the NME.com website doing better than ever, unless something spectacular happens for the print edition, the simple force of economic wisdom suggests the NME will become a website that used to have a weekly magazine attached. By the way: leaping onto Skins about two years after it was hip, and just as the series was descending into Carry On Grange Hill clumsiness, isn't "something spectacular" in this context.

Eleswhere, Q is also shedding - just above the 100,000 mark, but 21.6% down on the year. Mojo had a smaller drop (100,507, 5.4% down) similar in size to the drop in Uncut's sales (87,069, 4.3%).

The sales figures for the music sector as a whole are grim reading for anyone who works in music magazines, or, indeed, loves music magazines.


BPI charts company tries surprising 'pay to buy' model

Just making its debut on the iTunes app store is a little application from the Official Chart Company which lets you look at the charts. Music Ally is surprised:

But hang on, any savvy iPhone user can simply visit the Radio 1 website every Sunday and get that info...

Ah, but there is a unique selling point:
Well, the OCC is hoping its app’s extra features will make it tempting, with the ability to preview and buy tracks on the iTunes Store, stream videos for some tracks from YouTube, browse that week’s new releases, and click through to artist websites.

Aha - so it's a useful tool to allow people to move from grazing the charts onto buying the music. That's quite savvy. Giving away a nice shiny app to play with charts in the hope of making some sales. Good wo... hang about, what's this?
It costs £1.79 to download the app, although...

Although you get your money back? It's free if you're in the UK? That comes with a free iTunes purchase?
although this will soon rise to £2.99.

Oh. So you want me to give you three quid for a device to sell music to me? You know what else lets me click through to artist websites? Google. You know what that costs me? Nothing.


The newly merged Sirius-XM might get swallowed

Now merged, still struggling - and now Sirius XM is in talks with DirecTV's owner Liberty Media about a possible takeover.


QTrax has yet another launch

I'm making this third launch of QTrax, but one does lose count, don't you find? This time, at least, QTrax has got a deal with all the majors and, thus, some music to offer through it's not-at-all-clunky system:

The advertising-supported service works like this: users can download songs to a PC and move them to a portable device, but must sync the devices once a month. DRM prevents copying — it’s based on Windows Media Player 11 and the .NET framework — but also allows for tracking the number of plays and paying artists and labels based on that. Ads will be on the web, but not in songs.

About 300,000 users have been participating in the beta, according to Qtrax. The service isn’t iPod compatible but the company says it should work on a large range of cellphones and players.

Aha - nothing like the "it won't work on the music player you probably own, but providing you remember to sync every thirty days and have a device which can cope with Windows Media, why the world is your oyster" offering. Oh, and adverts. Did we mention the adverts?


Prince is where the party is at

Prince has announced that he's throwing his house open for an Oscars party on Oscars night. I'm not sure if you need an invitation, or if it's enough to just get the address off Facebook and turn up with a six-pack.

Prince is hoping that this will be more successful than his Eurovision part last year, when only Annie Lennox turned up and he was left eating stale Tesco tortilla chips and slightly-off guacamole for three weeks after.


Damn - I had drawn 'consumer-facing synergetic value release' in the sweepstake

Ticketmaster CEO Irving Azoff can't contain his excitement at the new, merged Live Nation-Ticketmaster hybrid:

"This merger will create a pipeline for all rights holders to reach their consumers, whether it is our team, an artist or a record company.

It is time that our business delivered forward thinking marketing solutions and we intend to do just that."

Let's just hope when they put tickets for forward thinking marketing pipelines on sale, they don't screw up, tell people they're sold out and try and offer them the same thing with a seventy-thousand per cent mark-up, eh?

Still, let's be fair - the man is honest. He didn't create a piece of meaningless, impenetrable marketing crapola to try and pretend there's anything in it for the consumers.

To be really fair, I should point out that Azoff wasn't using a clunking metaphor when he spoke of a pipeline; LiveNation Ticketmaster Don't Mention Ticketmaster are actually developing a pipeline to deliver musicians to customers. Early tests have been a bit buggy; the beta service was suspended when Jordan Knight was delivered at a dangerously high pressure and took out two family homes and a small dairy in Missouri.


Gordon in the morning: American take delivery of Cole

Cheryl Cole is a hit in America. No, really, Gordon says so:

CHERYL COLE is music’s most wanted star, having charmed the pants off the Yanks.

The GIRLS ALOUD beauty has just arrived back from a hugely successful stint in Los Angeles where she was offered more jobs than an Italian power station worker.

Uh-oh: Gordon's trying for a topical joke. Sure, it might not make any sense (isn't the problem that the power station guys were offered just the one job?) and it's stirring up trouble in an already raw-area (blah blah blah taking our jobs); and, sure, it hardly even stands up as a philosophical exposition of The Sun's kneejerk xenophobia (Italians working in Britain = bad, but, apparently, unskilled British workers working in America = a wonderful example of how lifting national barriers to employment can improve us all). But, still, I'm choosing to see this as Gordon's first tentative steps to move to the newsdesk.

Anyway, Cheryl Cole was in America - and it was a success, was it, Gordon? Oddly, a quick poke about on Google News doesn't suggest many Americans even noticed she was there; nearly all the coverage of her trip seems to be in the UK media.

Still, she got all these offers, did she?
A source said: “Mika is in the States working on his new album. He went for dinner with the chief of Universal records and Cheryl was invited along too.

“They were chatting about their plans for the future and Mika said he’d love to work on her solo material."

Ah, Mika. Yes, I remember him. Couldn't she have met up with Mika in London? And, strictly speaking, isn't Cole traipsing halfway across the world to see Mika a bit like the Queen going door-to-door to deliver the OBEs? You know, it's a nice gesture, but surely putting the wrong person out?

And what else? These was another chat with William - sorry, Will-I-am and a trip to the Grammys:
She also attended the Grammys where record bosses were queueing up with fat chequebooks and warm handshakes.

Mmm. Getting to shake the clammy hands of record bosses. That's quite a honour.

Elsewhere, there's another splash from Emily Smith, who has put together a story about Michael Jackson having MRSA. Or possibly a staph infection.

There's a stack of quotes from Dr Anthony Youn:
"Many people in the health-care system can contract this disease via cuts to the skin.

“But it is possible Mr Jackson contracted it through surgery on his nose. There are occasions where patients contract the infection during plastic surgery procedures."

That's a fascinating insight, Dr Youn. And when did you have your consultation with Michael Jackson?
Dr Anthony Youn[...] has not treated Jacko but has viewed the shocking photos of the star.

Presumably the same photos that the Sun has run on the Bizarre website - long lens shots in which Jackson either has his back to the camera, or is wearing a mask which covers most of his face. There is one picture where you can see a tiny part of Jacko's cheek. But only a small piece. Still, if Dr Youn is happy to give a diagnosis based on that; well, he's the doctor.


Wednesday, February 11, 2009

Santogold name devalued

There are two Santogolds, you know. Or there were - there was Santogold, who you've probably read about. And Santo Gold, Santo Rigatuso, who was less successful but had been using the name for longer.

Santo Gold was sore about his name being used, sort of, by someone else, and had issued legal and musical challenges to the space-less Santogold. With me so far?

Well, now, Santogold has backed down, and has re-christened herself Santigold. Which is, frankly, a much worse name; it's a bit like she asked a five year-old what she should be called and got "you oughtta be called what you is, miss santy-gold" in reply.

Also, if Santo Gold believes that Santogold is too close to Santo Gold for comfort, wouldn't Santo Gold be equally close to Santigold anyway?

Still. Santogold is now Santigold, Santo Gold remains Santo Gold, and Aviva is the new name for Norwich Union. If you have any colour supplements from the last twelve months, a junior member of staff from their music desk will call at your house with stickers to change the names in your back issue.


Together at last: Ice and Hammer

Yes, yes, you can have your Batman and Superman; yes, yes, you might even enjoy seeing DeNiro and Pacino side-by-side, no matter how ropey the finished product might prove to be.

But here's the tie-up to end all tie-ups: Vanilla Ice and MC Hammer, united, together, as one. In, erm, Hammer Pants And Ice.

I suppose, at least, you couldn't accuse them of taking themselves too seriously.


Turning a personal tragedy into a public sideshow

Where do you begin when a New York radio station tries to turn domestic violence into a sideshow?

New York is having a “Shred Your Ex” party the day before Valentines Day. Radio Station WBLI has invited members of Rihanna's Fan Club and other fans across the nation to join the pop star's side along with others who are “unlucky in love.”

According to Nancy Cambino, the station's operations manager, “Valentine's Day should stand for love so we find it fitting to make the Friday the 13th right before Valentine’s Day a day for revenge for those who were unlucky in love. Whether you're a Rihanna fan or not, we can all empathize with being with someone who caused love to go wrong.”

The centerpiece of this event is to be the "shredding" of Chris Brown CDs and posters. Despite, of course, that he's not actually been convicted of anything. But let's just assume - for the sake of argument - that he is guilty; is turning a woman's abuse at the hands of her partner into a radio promo really the best way to show support? Is "revenge" the correct emotional response to be stirred up in the first place? And does WBLI not understand that there's a difference between being "unlucky in love" and being violently assaulted? Given that one of the tricks used by violent partners is to humiliate their victims in public, isn't this being more supportive of Brown than of Rihanna?


Neko Case and Sky Larkin: For your viewing pleasures

Two delights coming up on Fabchannel on Sunday (and then on demand, afterwards): Neko Case and Sky Larkin.


The Daily Mail has confused us

The Mail has some condescending fun with photos of Rod Stewart kissing a woman in the street:

Do ya think I'm sexy, Rod? Rocker Stewart kisses OAP fan in the street

Rod Stewart proved he still got what it takes to make a lady swoon - even if it is an OAP.

The rocker left one senior fan reeling yesterday after he planted a kiss on her lips as he left a Starbucks cafe in Bel Air.

The bespectacled woman was the envy of the street after the ever-charming 64-year-old weaved his magic.

Stewart was out with his 21-year-old daughter Ruby, who was left rather amused by her father's lady-killing antics.

So his daughter had a bit of a chortle at the thought of Rod kissing a (not actually that much older) lady, right? All good, clean, innocent fun.

Apart from the woman being thrust into the Mail simply because she happened to be kissed by Stewart, with no indication any attempt was made to ask if she minded being publicly made the butt of a Mail piece snickering at the idea of - heavens - someone kissing an older woman.

Now, maybe I'm getting confused, but when Jonathan Ross made a joke about having a dalliance with an older woman - an unnamed woman, until the tabloids invaded her privacy - wasn't that somehow taking advantage of her? Or is it only bad if you, erm, don't know who the person is?


Busy, busy KMFDM

There's two KMFDM albums due this year, at least one of which is going to be "analogue synthetics with high-powered hooks".


Gordon in the morning: Open letters

It's not just Rihanna getting the benefit of an open letter this morning (a survivor of domestic violence advising her to get the hell away); no, Gordon also finds space to run an open letter to Peaches Geldof. From Emma Ridley.

Yes. Emma Ridley:

Dear Peaches

JUST like you, in the Eighties I was labelled an out-of-control wild child. Stringfellows nightclub in London was my favourite haunt and I was always the life and soul of the party.

And you can see where that got her - now unable to go more than three or four words without spitting out a tabloidese cliche.

Ridley, you'll almost certainly have forgotten, got married in Las Vegas at the age of 15:
Our marriage lasted three years, a little longer than yours, but it still didn’t turn out to be my happy-ever-after fairytale ending. He was a nightclub owner and his infidelity eventually caused our split.

Is "nightclub owner" now some sort of euphemism? "He ran a club, so obviously he was sleeping around..."?

It wasn't Emma's fault, though:
I think my outrageous lifestyle stemmed from my upbringing. Like yours, it was a little unconventional. My mother was a very creative person and my father was always in the office.

Wow, there's one crazy family: a father going off to the office every day? I bet he carried a briefcase, too. What chance did she have?
On the surface I oozed confidence, I think my main problem was that I didn’t have very high self-esteem and so craved attention.

Luckily, Emma's past that need for attention now. That's why she's written this as an article for the biggest selling newspaper in the UK and not just sent it as a private note.

So, what's Emma's advice for Peaches?
I realised it was up to me to make myself happy.

I decided I was going to stop lurching from relationship to relationship.

I cut my hair short and, rather dramatically, started going to church. Religion had always been taboo when I was growing up so it is interesting that I am now a committed Christian.

Actually, Emma, it's not. Adults making decisions that take them in a different direction from that of their parents is a pretty common occurrence. And given that you've just told us that you didn't have a very happy childhood, that makes it more likely that you'd have found comfort and peace in a lifestyle that was the very opposite of that of your parents'.

Emma's final advice?
You have your whole life to be an adult, so enjoy your youth as long as you can.

So, having spent a whole page telling Peaches she needs to grow up and take responsibility for herself, and to look after her own happiness, she finished with the advice that she shouldn't grow up too quickly.

Well, it's still more coherent than anything in Disappear Here.


Tuesday, February 10, 2009

Take the money and run

Liz Phair has signed up to appear in adverts for Banana Republic, the American clothes chain. People do have to eat, after all.

Part of the deal, though, is that Liz and the others taking part will write a song for the store and its marketing theme. Which feels slightly less comfortable, although it's hard to actually put a finger on why.

It probably wouldn't be so bad if the marketing campaign wasn't so... well, marketingish:

Banana Republic's chief marketing officer Peter DeLuca tells Billboard that the campaign began by targeting "the modern soul": shoppers between the ages of 25 and 49 who "aspire to a city lifestyle," says DeLuca. "We're really trying to establish the brand's vision of the city as an anchor point. Music is a key piece of the puzzle."

If you're nearly fifty, and aspire to a city lifestyle: why not move to the bloody city instead of buying a pair of trousers?


... but it's not just MTV News

Who's really suffering in this story? Kanye West, it turns out, at least according to Kanye:

"I was completely devastated by the concept of what I heard," he told Ryan Seacrest's KIIS-FM radio show today.

By the concept?
West said "I was completely devastated during [my Grammy] performance."

Nobody knows how Kanye suffers.
“All I want to say is, it's so devastating. Just as a person, I don't care how famous she is or even if she just worked at McDonald's ... it should never come to that place," West said.

You know, even if you're some lowly sod working at McDonalds, even people like that, they don't deserve to be treated that way.

Staff at McDonalds are due to meet tomorrow to decide if they should be flattered that Kanye wants them protected from domestic violence, or offended that he's decided they're the polar opposite of being rich and successful.

Still, it's great to see Kanye offering Rihanna support in the only way he can: by talking about what a terrible time it's been for him, and trying to feed the news cycle with a little more attention for the story.


The internet abhors a vacuum: Chris Brown's arrest

With Chris Brown arrested, and, you'd hope, what may or may not have happened between him and Rihanna disappearing under a cloak of sub judice (you can dream, can't you?) the ever-hungry internet news services need to fill their pixel-boxes somehow. But what to do?

Without any actual news to report, MTV News turns to its readers, to find out what they're thinking. Given this is to fill a gap caused by nobody knowing what's happened, you might wonder if this exercise is a little empty. Even some MTV News readers have spotted the flaw:

"Just waiting until the whole story comes out before I can comment on something that did or didn't happen," said shannon504.

A sensible attitude. Let's wait and see exactly what's happened before rushing to judgement, right, MTV?

Oh... but what's that? You've got a story to file.
While some have chosen to reserve their opinions, many have started to take sides as details develop.

Thank god for that, eh?
"I think Chris Brown has some inner demons that he needs to deal with. When you're that young and have all that fame, you tend to forget that you are not above the law, and he now faces a lot of sponsors that will drop him," said Wing70.

Yeah. Losing that Wrigleys' chewing gum gig - that would be an almost Old Testament style punishment.

But not every MTV reader is worried that what's really at stake here is the ability to endorse products and/or events. Because, clearly, if someone hit somebody else - well, that would be the fault of the somebody else, right?
"I don't think Chris would just a hit a girl like that. She had to do something or say something out the way for him to really hurt her," said Nika2hot.

Yes, that's right. Why haven't the police rounded up Rihanna - clearly, the unacceptable provocation of saying something is a crime which must be dealt with.
"If people can forgive Britney for going all crazy, then why can't they do it for him, said Breebooluzya, "No matter if he did it or not, I'm still a fan of Chris Brown!"

Yes, because attacking your partner is pretty much on a par with having a mental breakdown. In, erm, some way.

In yesterday's Guardian, Martin Bright, ex-political editor of the New Statesmen, warned news organisations that not taking care over the quality and tenor of the contributions in your comments section risks poisoning your online brand. I'm not quite sure what he'd make of a company digging into its comments box, and actually republishing the most unpleasant as a news story.


Quick! Foxes

Sub Pop have just slapped up onto the internet a video for Fleet Foxes Mykonos. Go on, treat yourself to a few minutes.


Two become one: LiveNation, Ticketmaster complete merger

The board are still deciding if they'll just have one giant boot to tread on the face of gig-going humanity forever, or if they'll continue to use two smaller boots, but the Ticketmaster - LiveNation merger is go. The surprise? They're dropping the Ticketmaster name from the new company:

The combined company will be called Live Nation Entertainment.

The combined entity will have to try and somehow convince competition authorities that this isn't anti-competitive; if they can manage that they'll form into a single blob.


Nein, nein, nein: Germany says no to three strikes

Unlike their French neighbours, the German Ministry of Justice has rejected calls for a three strikes rule to throw filesharers off the internet:

Dr. Heinz Stroh, managing director of the German Federal Association of Music Publishers (DMV) in Bonn says that he was unable to understand the concerns voiced by the ministry of justice, seeing as it was sufficient for users to be in default of payment for their Internet connections to be cancelled.

Stefan Michalk, managing director of the German Federal Music Association (BMI) in Berlin, adds that the combination of warnings and sanctions provided a very good means of combating Internet piracy.

Although it's not really been tried anywhere, and so nobody really knows if it'll work, or if it'll be expensive; or, indeed, if you can really get away with cutting off people from their communications network in the 21st century. But in the music industry's heads it's a good means of combating internet piracy.


Seksu, sir

Asobi Seksu are doing a kind of semi-secret pre-sale of their new album Hush, letting Amie Street get first sales on it. Except not in the UK, which is a bit of a shame as the band are. Their tour dates:

Feb 10 Manchester, UK @ Roadhouse
Feb 11 Dublin, IE @ Crawdaddy
Feb 13 Belfast, UK @ Speakeasy
Feb 14 Glasgow, UK @ ABC2
Feb 15 Newcastle, UK @ The Cluny
Feb 16 Leeds, UK @ Faversham
Feb 18 Birmingham, UK @ Barfly (Dragon)
Feb 19 London, UK @ ICA
Feb 20 Amsterdam, NL @ Paradiso
Feb 21 Paris, FR @ Fleche d'Or
Feb 22 Brussels, BE @ Rotonde
Feb 24 Muenster, DE @ Gleiss 22
Feb 25 Berlin, DE @ Magnet

The album will be available even here, in our stinking territory, from the 17th. Apparently.

This is the video for Me & Mary, the first single off the Hush:


Chris TT takes tour

Chris TT has just announced a slew of March tour dates, taking in Ireland, the Isle Of Man and some of the drier parts of the US:

5 Derry Masons (solo)
6 Belfast Auntie Annies (solo)
7 Douglas, Isle Of Man
8 Port Erin, Isle Of Man
14 San Diego, The Habitat
15 San Francisco, Hotel Utah
18-22 SXSW 2009 in Austin Texas
21 Austin, Stephen F’s
23 Phoenix, Yucca Tap Room
24 Tucson, Dry River
27 Santa Barbara, Muddy Waters
28/29 Los Angeles, venue tbc (with Learning Music)

[You might also enjoy the Chris TT weekend]


Doherty pays taxi bill with blood

Steve McDonald would never have let him get away with this: Rather than pay the £1,800 outstanding bill for taxis, Pete Doherty has got the company to take the proceeds from one of his blood-oh-my-god-mother-blood doodles:

Marlborough cab firm owner Justin Cook is selling 45 signed copies of what Doherty says is the "best painting" he has ever drawn.

Apparently, they're going to split the cash 50/50, which means they're going to have to try and get eighty quid for each one if the cab company is going to make their money up.

Doherty has offered to have a nosebleed onto a Kleenex by way of a tip for the driver.


Duffy: It depends what you mean by experimental

How much credence should we give to reports in the Daily Star that Duffy is going to swap Springfield-lite for Carey-cloning?.

None, obviously, because it was in the Daily Star; it's like pondering how far one should take Nostradamus to heart when planning for the summer. Even by the Star's own rotten standards, though, this one makes no sense:

A source tells the publication, "Duffy and the team around her are very aware at how successful she has been by channelling the '60s vibe, but they are already starting to think about album number two.

"She is keen to explore a Mariah (Carey) or Christina Aguilera style of album. On the next record Duffy can afford to be a bit more experimental now that she is assured her position as a singing force to be reckoned with."

Ye-e-s. "We've got this goose laying golden eggs - shall we have a poke about with it and see if we can get it to lay ordinary eggs as well?"

Experimenting with producing by-the-yard, mainstream-no-skirt pop? How is that experimenting? It's like going in to an Indian restaurant to have something different and ordering the chicken and chips, surely?


Northern Blur

NME are reporting that Blur are adding a date at the Manchester Evening News Arena, in Manchester, in Greater Manchester. The date is June 26th; unseemly scrambling for tickets starts on Friday.


Ticketmaster accused of scalping in Canada

The demand for half a million Canadian dollars in damages is, of course, just greedy, but the facts of the case are interesting: A man from Toronto is suing Ticketmaster after his attempts to buy $70worth of Smashing Pumpkins tickets saw him redirected to another, secondary site, which charged him over five hundred bucks. He's, understandably, upset. So it's all going to court.

And that half a million in damages?

The C$500 million in damages is based on Ticketmaster's expected revenue during the time it will likely take the case to makes its way through the courts, according to one of Krajewski's lawyers.

They are looking to turn the case into a class action, which would at least make the amount a little less eye-popping.


Gordon in the morning: This charming man

Now, generally, I'm not a big fan of Abi Titmuss. But does she really deserve the headline that Gordon's put on the story about Mickey Rourke's supposed attempts to spend some time with her:

Slapper smacks down grappler

Slapper? Really, Gordon? You think it's ever appropriate for a family newspaper to call someone a slapper?

We're also treated to Gordon's thinking-words on the occasion of the Grammy-BAFTA night:
THE country might be awash with economic gloom but we can take huge pride in the success of our film and music industry.

COLDPLAY, ADELE, ROBERT PLANT, DUFFY and ESTELLE proudly flew the flag for the UK, pocketing a brilliant 15 Grammys on Sunday night.

Back home our actors, directors and talented army of film makers gave Britain one of our proudest Bafta nights ever.

Best bit for me was Orange Rising winner Noel Clarke, 33, who issued a rallying call to teenagers insisting if he could make a success of himself, then anyone could follow in his footsteps.

Our music and film industries are without any question packed with Great Britons.

Apparently, you can create this editorial for yourself simply by humming the Dambusters theme into one of those headsets that change voice into text.

So, how great is the British film industry at creating stars, Gordon? Your three stories from the BAFTA aftershows are that one with Abi Titmuss and Mickey Rourke; one about Pitt and Jolie rushing off and one about Sharon Stone not being able to hail a taxi. Funny, isn't it? This great night for British stars, and yet - apart from Abi, of course - Gordon's only interested in the Americans.


Monday, February 09, 2009

Little Man Tate takes on the pirates

Skint have come up with a plan to protect the new Little Man Tate against the threat of illegal filesharers - by, erm, not letting anyone have the record before it goes on sale:

Little Man Tate’s I Am Alive comes with a ticket to the band’s headline show at Rotherham’s 4000 capacity Magna venue on the March 28. In an added bid to reduce bootlegging, the single will not be promoted to the radio or press until the day of its release.

Although the suspicion would have to be that all this would do is hold off the appearance of the album on the torrents until the day of release. And unless Skint know something suprising about the likely demographic make-up of LMT filesharers, would they really all be within traveling distance of Rotherham? Isn't this just going to stop Yorkshire piracy of the record?


George Lamb's anti-Travellers 'joke' doesn't bother Ofcom

Ho-ho: Although George Lamb compared travellers to "asbestos", Ofcom have accepted his apology for this little exchange:

George Lamb: “He's now said ‘I'll give my land to travellers before I give it to Trump’

Marc Hughes: Did he say that? Brilliant

George Lamb: And you ain't moving travellers off basically. Travellers is [sic] like asbestos basically. The whole gaff is getting condemned."

Over to you, BBC:
The BBC stated that George Lamb’s show is an established feature of the 6Music schedule and the show has a “loyal following of listeners who understand and enjoy its somewhat quirky format and direction”.

Well, yes. But you could say the same about the Daily Mail.

Still, Lamb apologised, and Ofcom will consider the matter closed.

Also in the latest regulatory round-up: Alex Zane's date rape joke was up for consideration. This is where XFM attempted a pastiche of Mike Sarne's Code Of Love called Won't Take No For An Answer. Ofcom could see what they were trying to do:
It is clear from the introduction to the song that the programme was aiming to make a pastiche of Sarne’s original song. The presenters were attempting to satirise what used to be acceptable in the 1960’s but would now be considered totally inappropriate by today’s standards. If was therefore always possible that the result could be offensive and therefore the context that such material was presented would be particularly important.

However, the extract from Sarne’s song played by the presenters bore little relation to the pastiche they attempted. The subject matter and tone of “Code of Love” were vastly different to the presenters’ own song (which was supposedly inspired by the former). In Ofcom’s view, the presenters’ song was likely to have been perceived by listeners as recounting a physical and sexual assault. As such, the actions of the man in this song shared little resemblance to those of the suitor in the “Code of Love” extract played by the broadcaster. Ofcom also noted that the subject matter of the presenters’ song was portrayed as a light-hearted joke and the material was transmitted at breakfast-time, when children may be in the audience.

XFM had taken action before Ofcom started investigating, which helped matters - although it might have been a bit more convincing had it not offered up a justification in saying that the network wasn't "aimed at a conservative audience". What does that mean? There's meant to be something progressive in snickering at jokes about a bloke taking a woman down "where there ain’t no big lights" and ripping her underwear?

Viking FM somehow slipped up and invited a tea-time audience to call in with "stories about dogging" - Bauer apologised. And Northern Media Group's Northern Ireland radio stations and Your Radio in Scotland both invited listeners to text in to a pre-recorded programme, offering the excuse that it made the programme "more interesting" and "more interactive" respectively. More interactive? How is spending money sending a text to an empty studio more interactive? Was the station hoping to generate some sort of faith, where people communicated with an entity they knew in their hearts was a fiction? Ofcom was having none of it, and have issued a statement that this sort of thing will be cracked down on. In future.


Blink 182 had split? I thought I'd had them shipped off in a container

The highlight of last night's Grammys, if you measure events in terms of people seizing a stage to deliver news that nobody could care about, would have been Blink 182 announcing their reunion:

Travis Barker — wearing a sling on his injured left arm — and estranged guitarist Tom DeLonge walked out together, with Hoppus joking, "Isn't it great to see the Jonas Brothers and Stevie Wonder back together again?" after the unlikely pairing performed a medley of the Bros' "Burning Up" and Wonder's "Superstition." Barker added, "We used to play music together, and we decided we're going to play music together again," as DeLonge stood awkwardly to the side. Hoppus also yelled, "Blink-182 is back!"

The auditorium then fell silent, as the entire audience fired up Wikipedia on their Blackberries to try and remind themselves which one was Blink 182 and which was Green Day, before going "oh...".


Kaiser Chiefs split? Nope, they're churning on

Last week, the Daily Star hinted that the Kaiser Chiefs might be about to split - and, despite nobody seeming to be very interested, the band have taken the opportunity to issue a statement denying any such thing:

"We're not usually ones to defend our patch, we don't need to, but just occasionally a time comes to speak up.

"What do we have to be devastated about? We're halfway though our most enjoyable and biggest tour of Europe, and couldn't be happier with the way it's going.

"Off With Their Heads is our favourite Kaiser Chiefs album to play live, we're proud of it. And it's done well, our third album in the UK to chart in the top two and 'Never Miss A Beat' went top five at a time when British indie bands don't seem able to do that anymore.

"It's sold over half a million albums and is still going, where's the doom and gloom in that? Not here. We thought we owed it to our fans to flag this one up, don't believe all you read!"

As the Quietus observes, it's strange to see a 'we're still going' statement which seems to be pointing to sales figures rather than creativity as the proof of the beating pulse. After all, there does then hang an unspoken "if we'd only shifted a couple of hundred thousand, then it'd be time to talk to Mr. Grankle to see if he was still holding our jobs open at the glue factory" to that statement.

And "charting in the top two"? "We have a consistent track record of not quite being number one" would make a fantastic slogan, wouldn't it?

Still, as the band say: they don't normally need to pipe up about their existence. But when the Daily Star starts to worry the fans, what can they do, eh?


Chad Kroeger drops his drink driving appeal

Drunk-driver Chad Kroeger of Nickelback had been trying to wriggle out of responsibility for his actions; he wanted to appeal against his conviction because a policeman had asked him to blow into his face. (Frankly, we'd be paying the cop ten dollars out of public funds for going above and beyond the call of duty.)

Now a similar appeal has been thrown out by the Canadian courts, Kroeger's plans to appeal have been dropped.


Monsters revived

Back before Knebworth became the focus for a 'who can get most people in a country garden' contest between Robbie Williams and The Oasis, it was home to the Monsters Of Rock Festival. Now it's back. Sort of.

Sonisphere is a pan-European event, and the British leg will be at Knebworth. Assuming the planning has been done properly and there's the demand and it doesn't all end up being cancelled.

Amongst those hoping nobody reminds people about flinging plastic bottles of wee at the stage are Metallica and Linkin Park.


The Swan of Brooklyn

Given that the lazy formulation is that if Shakespeare was alive today he'd be writing for EastEnders, and that Jamal Woolard reckons that Biggie Smalls was this generation's Shakespeare, does that mean the Notorious BIG should have been putting words into Peggy Mitchell's mouth?

It's fair enough that Woolard wants to aggrandise Smalls - after all, he's playing him in a hagiographical movie so it's his job. But couldn't someone at least have asked him to show his working when he makes such a claim:

"Biggie was an influence in every aspect of my music – from the lifestyle to our values to what we believed in. We all had big dreams, we wanted to be musicians, or doctors or lawyers. We all looked up to him. Biggie to us was like our Shakespeare."

Come on, Woolard: A comparison with The Beatles, perhaps. Maybe even Larkin. But Shakespeare? Really? There might even have been some poetic resonance in comparing him to Marlowe.


The gap between desires and reality

An eye-catching headline from ContactMusic:

EMINEM - JEM TO WORK WITH EMINEM?

But, of course, the question mark tells its story. She's asked, is all:
Speaking to the Daily Star, the singer said she sent a note along with the track, which is entitled You Will Make It.

"The track is about losing someone and I wrote it the day after his friend Proof was murdered. I was in Detroit with Eminem's friends, who I happened to be recording with, when it happened. I hope I hear back from him," she remarked.

So... still waiting for the word back. Perhaps he's trying to rearrange his schedule - because who wouldn't want to be asked to record a song about someone dying, you know, like your friend did?


Darkness at 3AM: Presumably forgot to go back and change the headline

The 3Am Girls take the Gordon Smart challenge and, indeed, come up with a headline worse than "Grammy-Dad":

Paul McCartney still unBeatable at pre-Grammy bash

No matter how much you tried, you couldn't make his hair into a moptop.


Gordon in the morning: House!

Why do the BAFTAS still clash with the Grammys? It is almost as if the organisers of the never-been-as-good-since-they-took-out-the-TV prize givings really did want to give their scary masks out with as few people as possible around the world noticing.

It also puts an intolerable strain on Gordon's resources, which results in headlines like this:

Grammy-dad of rock is... Macca

Grammy-dad. Because he's old, you see?

It's interesting to note that The Sun now considers "play Sun bingo" to be a "related story" to nearly everything that appears in Bizarre. How is playing bingo like all of Gordon's stories, exactly? I guess people only get involved in the hope of winning surprising sums of money, so maybe that's what they're getting at.

Jane Fulcher stayed up to file the actual Grammy report:
COLDPLAY scooped three gongs at the 51st Grammy Awards in Los Angeles - as a British invasion took over the LA ceremon

Why, yes. A British invasion. Still, it's good news: our economy might be screwed, our banks might only be kept going by processing Jacqui Smith's payments to her family, but we still rule the world at churning out empty, non-threatening bombast.

Sun reader Marzipam basks in the glory:
Blimey we did brilliantly.

Sadly, Marzipam doesn't reveal if they're a member of Coldplay or one of Adele's entourage.


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]