Notes on Grammy Nods

As audacious and unnecessary as it seems to have a prime time special for an awards show that is merely about the nominees and not the awards show itself, the nominees for the 51st annual Grammy awards were unveiled last night.

A complete list of all nominees can be found here, here.

In the four major categories — album, record, song of the year and best new artist — the big winners look to be British rockers Coldplay, who earned a spot in each accept best new artist. Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends marked a noticeable change in form and style from the grandiose X&Y, but some have chided the material as formulaic and too-knowing in its intentions to change and broaden the group's scope.

While Ne-Yo's Year of the Gentleman is the surprise nominee for album of the year, it's also surprising to see Grammy actually have what looks like it will be the year's top-selling platter, Lil Wayne's Tha Carter III, on the same roster. Rounding out the album of the year nods are Robert Plant & Alison Krauss, whose Raising Sand is a quiet, honest affair finding two voices which work surprisingly well together. The record plays to Krauss' strengths more than Plant's Led Zeppelin heritage, but still finds both on comfortable footing. Last but not least is Radiohead, whose In Rainbows was released in digital form in October 2007 and physical form on New Year's Day. Radiohead — who headlined the opening night of the (hopefully inaugural!) Outside Lands Music Festival in Golden Gate Park in August — has been given praise for the record, a package of 10 cuts which took four years to deliver but is heralded as one of the group's finest.

Record of the year, an award given to the performers of the best individual track, finds Coldplay (string-driven "Viva la Vida") and Plant & Krauss (the unexpected "Please Read the Letter") pitted against three young British artists in Adele ("Chasing Pavements"), Leona Lewis ("Bleeding Love") and M.I.A. ("Paper Planes"). If this were a popularity contest — and the Grammy awards often are — the obvious winner here would be "Paper Planes," a crossover hit with a chorus where gunshots and cash registers ring out.

Song of the year, which is given to the songwriters, returns Adele and Coldplay from the record category, but ads "American Boy" (Estelle f/Kanye West collaboration), "I'm Yours" (Jason Mraz) and "Love Song" (Sara Bareilles). I have to think the multiple appearances run against Adele and Coldplay, but I think "Viva la Vida" is probably the finest track amongst the bunch.

Best new artist features a diverse if uninspiring cast including Adele, The Jonas Brothers, Lady Antebellum, Jazmine Sullivan and Duffy. I guess I'd like to see Duffy, the Welsh successor to Amy Winehouse in sound if not public drama, carry this one. That "Mercy" song is so irrepressible even John Mayer was covering it.

Lil Wayne led all nominations with seven, most of which were in the rap field. Coldplay followed, with nods scattered in the big four, pop and rock.