Foo Fighters, Vince Gill, Herbie Hancock, Kanye West and Amy Winehouse Vie for Album Of The Year at 50th Annual GRAMMY^® Awards Feb. 10, 2008

SANTA MONICA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nominations for the 50th Annual GRAMMY^® Awards were announced today by The Recording Academy^® reflecting one of the most diverse years ever with the Album Of The Year category alone representing the country, hip-hop, jazz, pop and rock genres. The press event was held at The Music Box @ Fonda in Hollywood and was attended by national and international media, as well as key music industry executives. Artists reading nominations this morning included Akon, Chester Bennington (of Linkin Park), Fergie, Vince Gill, Dave Grohl (Foo Fighters), Herbie Hancock, Jimmy Jam, Taylor Hawkins (Foo Fighters), George Lopez, Mike Shinoda (of Linkin Park) and Taylor Swift. The 50th Annual GRAMMY Awards will be held on "GRAMMY Sunday," Feb. 10, 2008, at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles and once again will be broadcast live in high definition TV and 5.1 surround sound on CBS from 8 – 11:30 p.m. (ET/PT).

“This year's nominations truly reflect a diverse and talented community of artists and creators who represent some of the most exceptional music of the year”

Kanye West tops the nominations with eight, Amy Winehouse garners six, and the Foo Fighters, Jay-Z, Timbaland, Justin Timberlake, and T-Pain each earn five nods. Akon, Dierks Bentley, Chris Daughtry, Feist, Tim McGraw, John Newton, Ne-Yo, Rihanna, and Bruce Springsteen receive four each.

"This year's nominations truly reflect a diverse and talented community of artists and creators who represent some of the most exceptional music of the year," said Neil Portnow, President/CEO of The Recording Academy. "The GRAMMY Awards process once again has yielded a comprehensive group of excellent nominees and coupled with the fact that it's our milestone 50th year, this year's telecast promises music fans a spectacular show filled with stellar performances and unique 'GRAMMY Moments' for which Music's Biggest Night^™ has come to be renowned."

Following is a sampling of nominations in 110 categories from the GRAMMY Awards' 31 Fields:

GENERAL FIELD

Nominees for Album Of The Year are:

Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace -- Foo Fighters

These Days -- Vince Gill

River: The Joni Letters -- Herbie Hancock

Graduation -- Kanye West

Back To Black -- Amy Winehouse

Nominees for Record Of The Year are:

"Irreplaceable" -- Beyoncé

"The Pretender" -- Foo Fighters

"Umbrella" -- Rihanna Featuring Jay-Z

"What Goes Around...Comes Around" -- Justin Timberlake

"Rehab" -- Amy Winehouse

Best New Artist nominees are:

Feist

Ledisi

Paramore

Taylor Swift

Amy Winehouse

Song Of The Year nominees include:

"Before He Cheats" -- John Kear & Chris Tompkins, songwriters (Carrie Underwood)

"Hey There Delilah" -- Tom Higgenson, songwriter (Plain White T's)

"Like A Star" -- Corinne Bailey Rae, songwriter (Corinne Bailey Rae)

"Rehab" -- Amy Winehouse, songwriter (Amy Winehouse)

"Umbrella" -- Shawn Carter, Kuk Harrell, Terius "Dream" Nash & Christopher Stewart, songwriters (Rihanna Featuring Jay-Z)

POP FIELD

Nominations for Best Pop Vocal Album go to:

Lost Highway -- Bon Jovi

The Reminder -- Feist

It Won't Be Soon Before Long -- Maroon 5

Memory Almost Full -- Paul McCartney

Back To Black -- Amy Winehouse

Best Pop Collaboration With Vocals nods go to:

"Steppin' Out" -- Tony Bennett & Christina Aguilera

"Beautiful Liar" -- Beyoncé & Shakira

"Gone Gone Gone (Done Moved On)" -- Robert Plant & Alison Krauss

"The Sweet Escape" -- Gwen Stefani & Akon

"Give It To Me" -- Timbaland Featuring Nelly Furtado & Justin Timberlake

Best Pop Instrumental Performance nominees are:

"Off The Grid" -- Beastie Boys

"Paris Sunrise #7" -- Ben Harper & The Innocent Criminals

"Over The Rainbow" -- Dave Koz

"One Week Last Summer" -- Joni Mitchell

"Simple Pleasures" -- Spyro Gyra

DANCE FIELD

For Best Dance Recording, the nominees are:

"Do It Again" -- The Chemical Brothers

"D.A.N.C.E." -- Justice

"Love Today" -- Mika

"Don't Stop The Music" --Rihanna

"Love Stoned/I Think She Knows" -- Justin Timberlake

ROCK FIELD

Nominations for Best Solo Rock Vocal Performance go to:

"Timebomb" -- Beck

"Only Mama Knows" -- Paul McCartney

"Our Country" -- John Mellencamp

"Radio Nowhere" -- Bruce Springsteen

"Come On" -- Lucinda Williams

Best Rock Album nominees are:

Daughtry -- Daughtry

Revival -- John Fogerty

Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace -- Foo Fighters

Magic -- Bruce Springsteen

Sky Blue Sky -- Wilco

Nods for Best Rock Song go to:

"Come On" -- Lucinda Williams, songwriter (Lucinda Williams)

"Icky Thump" -- Jack White, songwriter (The White Stripes)

"It's Not Over" -- Chris Daughtry, Gregg Wattenberg, Mark Wilkerson & Brett Young, songwriters (Daughtry)

"The Pretender" -- Dave Grohl, Taylor Hawkins, Nate Mendel & Chris Shiflett, songwriters (Foo Fighters)

"Radio Nowhere" -- Bruce Springsteen, songwriter (Bruce Springsteen)

R&B FIELD

Nominees for Best R&B Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals are:

"Same Girl" -- R. Kelly Featuring Usher

"Disrespectful" -- Chaka Khan Featuring Mary J. Blige

"Hate That I Love You" -- Rihanna Featuring Ne-Yo

"Baby" -- Angie Stone Featuring Betty Wright

"Bartender" -- T-Pain Featuring Akon

For Best Contemporary R&B Album, the nominees are:

Konvicted -- Akon

Just Like You -- Keyshia Cole

Fantasia -- Fantasia

East Side Story -- Emily King

Because Of You -- Ne-Yo

Best Urban/Alternative Performance nods go to:

"Make A Baby" -- Vikter Duplaix

"That's The Way Of The World" -- Dwele

"Daydreamin'" -- Lupe Fiasco Featuring Jill Scott

"Fantasy" -- Meshell Ndegeocello

"Dream" -- Alice Smith

RAP FIELD

Best Rap/Sung Collaboration nods go to:

"I Wanna Love You" -- Akon Featuring Snoop Dogg

"Kiss, Kiss" -- Chris Brown & T-Pain

"Let It Go" -- Keyshia Cole Featuring Missy Elliott & Lil' Kim

"Umbrella" -- Rihanna Featuring Jay-Z

"Good Life" -- Kanye West Featuring T-Pain

Nominees for Best Rap Song are:

"Ayo Technology" -- N. Hills, Curtis Jackson, Timothy Mosley & Justin Timberlake, songwriters (50 Cent Featuring Justin Timberlake & Timbaland)

"Big Things Poppin' (Do It)" -- Clifford Harris & Byron Thomas, songwriters (T.I.)

"Can't Tell Me Nothing" -- A. Davis & Kanye West, songwriters (Kanye West)

"Crank That (Soulja Boy)" -- Soulja Boy Tell'Em, songwriter (Soulja Boy Tell'Em)

"Good Life" -- A. Davis, F. Najm & K. West, songwriters (Kanye West Featuring T-Pain)

For Best Rap Album, the nominees are:

Finding Forever -- Common

Kingdom Come -- Jay-Z

Hip Hop Is Dead -- Nas

T.I. vs T.I.P. -- T.I.

Graduation -- Kanye West

COUNTRY FIELD

Nods for Best Country Collaboration With Vocals go to:

"Days Aren't Long Enough" -- Steve Earle & Allison Moorer

"Because Of You" -- Reba McEntire & Kelly Clarkson

"I Need You" -- Tim McGraw & Faith Hill

"Lost Highway" -- Willie Nelson & Ray Price

"Oh Love" -- Brad Paisley & Carrie Underwood

For Best Country Song, the nominees are:

"Before He Cheats" -- Josh Kear & Chris Tompkins, songwriters (Carrie Underwood)

"Give It Away" -- Bill Anderson, Buddy Cannon & Jamey Johnson, songwriters (George Strait)

"I Need You" -- Tony Lane & David Lee, songwriters (Tim McGraw & Faith Hill)

"If You're Reading This" -- Tim McGraw, Brad Warren & Brett Warren, songwriters (Tim McGraw)

"Long Trip Alone" -- Brett Beavers, Dierks Bentley & Steve Bogard, songwriters (Dierks Bentley)

Nominations for Best Country Album are:

Long Trip Alone -- Dierks Bentley

These Days -- Vince Gill

Let It Go -- Tim McGraw

5th Gear -- Brad Paisley

It Just Comes Natural -- George Strait

JAZZ FIELD

For Best Contemporary Jazz Album, the nominees are:

Party Hats -- Will Bernard

Downright Upright -- Brian Bromberg

Re-Imagination -- Eldar

River: The Joni Letters -- Herbie Hancock

He Had A Hat -- Jeff Lorber

Nods for Best Jazz Vocal Album go to:

Avant Gershwin -- Patti Austin

Red Earth - A Malian Journey -- Dee Dee Bridgewater

Music Maestro Please -- Freddy Cole

Nightmoves -- Kurt Elling

On The Other Side -- Tierney Sutton

This year's Producer Of The Year, Non-Classical nominations go to: Howard Benson, Joe Chiccarelli, Mike Elizondo, Mark Ronson, and Timbaland.

In the newly added Best Zydeco Or Cajun Music Album category, nominations go to: Le Cowboy Creole (Geno Delafose & French Rockin' Boogie), King Cake (Lisa Haley), Live: Á La Blue Moon (Lost Bayou Ramblers), Blues De Musicien (Pine Leaf Boys), Racines (Racines), The La Louisianne Sessions (Roddie Romero And The Hub City All-Stars), and Live! Worldwide (Terrance Simien & The Zydeco Experience).

In the Latin Field, Best Latin Rock, Alternative Or Urban Album has now been split into two categories. Nominations for Best Latin Rock Or Alternative Album are: No Hay Espacio (Black:Guayaba), Adelantando (Jarabe De Palo), Amantes Sunt Amentes (Panda), Kamikaze (Rabanes), Memo Rex Commander Y El Corazón Atómico De La Via Láctea (Zoé). For Best Latin Urban Album, nods go to: E.S.L. (Akwid), El Abayarde Contra-Ataca (Tego Calderón), Residente O Visitante (Calle 13), El Cartel: The Big Boss (Daddy Yankee), and Vacaneria! (Fulanito).

GRAMMY ballots for the final round of voting will be mailed on Dec. 12 to the voting members of The Recording Academy. They are due back to the accounting firm of Deloitte by Jan. 9, 2008, when they will be tabulated and the results kept secret until the telecast.

The 50th Annual GRAMMY Awards are produced by John Cossette Productions and AEG Ehrlich Ventures for The Recording Academy. Ken Ehrlich and John Cossette are executive producers, Walter C. Miller is producer/director, Tisha Fein is the coordinating producer, and Tzvi Small is supervising producer.

Established in 1957, The Recording Academy is an organization of musicians, producers, engineers and recording professionals that is dedicated to improving the cultural condition and quality of life for music and its makers. Internationally known for the GRAMMY Awards — the preeminent peer-recognized award for musical excellence and the most credible brand in music — The Recording Academy is responsible for groundbreaking professional development, cultural enrichment, advocacy, education and human services programs. In its 50th year, The Academy continues to focus on its mission of recognizing musical excellence, advocating for the well-being of music makers and ensuring music remains an indelible part of our culture. For more information about The Academy, please visit www.grammy.com.

MEDIA, PLEASE NOTE: A complete list of nominees is available at www.grammy.com. For information detailing how to apply for press credentials to cover the 50th Annual GRAMMY Awards, please click on the "Press" link located on the GRAMMY.com home page (http://www.grammy.com/press/credentials.aspx) and follow the directions posted. No credential applications will be accepted in any form other than that outlined on the Web site. The deadline to apply is Friday, Dec. 28, 2007, at 5 p.m. (PT). NO EXCEPTIONS.