NASHVILLE, Tenn. (Dec. 12, 2008) — Nominations for the 51st Annual GRAMMY® Awards were announced by The Recording Academy® on Dec. 3 through a first-ever star-studded live primetime concert, and Yamaha artists once again reigned supreme with a total of 54 nominations. Coldplay, Alicia Keys, Sara Bareilles, and James Taylor are just a few of the artists who earned nods for their contributions to the music industry this past year.
"Yamaha sincerely congratulates all of our artists who were recognized," comments Chris Gero, vice president of Yamaha Corporate Artist Affairs, Inc. "These nominations are a reflection of the true artistry and talent our Yamaha artists possess, and we are proud to support them in their careers."
Yamaha drummer
Will Champion of the band Coldplay is celebrating an impressive six nominations for the blockbuster multi-platinum album
Viva La Vida Or Death And All His Friends. Coldplay is nominated for the prestigious Album of the Year award as well as Best Rock Album, while their songs "Viva La Vida" and "Violet Hill" drew individual recognition: "Viva" is up for Song of the Year and Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals; "Violet Hill" for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals and Best Rock Song.
Singer/songwriter
Sara Bareilles, who plays Yamaha grand pianos, a CLP280 and Yamaha keyboards, has reached the top of the charts with her major label debut
Little Voice. The infectious single "Love Song" has earned her a nomination for Song of the Year, along with Yamaha newcomer
Jason Mraz, for his hit tune "I'm Yours." Bareilles is also up for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance, while Mraz is eligible for the male equivalent of the award.
Also joining Mraz in the Best Male Pop Vocal Performance category is the legendary
Paul McCartney for his single "That Was Me," and the ever-popular American singer/songwriter
James Taylor for "Wichita Lineman." Both McCartney and Taylor play Yamaha grand pianos, and they each earned one more nomination a piece: McCartney for Best Solo Rock Vocal Performance ("I Saw Her Standing There") and Taylor for Best Pop Vocal Album (
Covers).
Nine-time GRAMMY Award winning artist
Sheryl Crow earned one nomination this year for her efforts, and she joins Taylor in the category for Best Pop Vocal Album for her sixth studio release
Detours.
Hit churning pop/rock band Maroon 5, featuring
Matt Flynn on Yamaha drums, is nominated for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals for "Won't Go Home Without You." A successful collaboration with pop/R&B singer Rihanna also earned Maroon 5 a nomination for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals for "If I Never See Your Face Again."
Two other Yamaha artists join Maroon 5 in that category for their successful collaborations.
Alicia Keys, who performs on Yamaha grand pianos, is nominated with John Mayer for "Lesson Learned," and
Justin Timberlake, who plays Yamaha upright pianos and guitars, is nominated for his collaboration with Madonna on the song "4 Minutes." Keys is also being recognized for her duet with Jack White on the James Bond theme song "Another Way to Die," which is up for Best Short Form Music Video, and her song "Superwoman" earned her a nomination for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance.
Five-time Grammy Award winner
John Legend is nominated for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals for his duet with Al Green "Stay With Me (By the Sea)," on Green's
Lay It Down. Legend's "Green Light" with Andre 3000, from his new
Evolver album, is up for best rap/sung collaboration. And Legend, born John Stephens, is one of seven songwriters credited on Estelle's "American Boy," up for song of the year, a songwriter's award.
Yamaha artists came one nomination away from sweeping the field for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album. Four of the five artists nominated are Yamaha artists, and they include
Natalie Cole for
Still Unforgettable,
Josh Groban for
Noel,
Barry Manilow for
In The Swing of Christmas and
Rufus Wainwright for
Rufus Does Judy At Carnegie Hall.
The 26-time GRAMMY Award winner
Stevie Wonder, a record setting number for a solo artist, joins Legend in the category for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals for "Never Give Up," his collaboration with Raphael Saadiq and CJ Hilton.
Yamaha is also well represented in the Jazz categories. Guitarist
Mike Stern is up for Best Contemporary Jazz Album for his work with the Yellowjackets on
Lifecycle. Trumpeter
Randy Brecker is also nominated in this category for
Randy in Brasil. Yamaha jazz pianist
Chick Corea is nominated for Best Jazz Instrumental Solo for his work with Gary Burton on "Waltz for Debby." Corea and Burton also earned a nomination for Best Jazz Instrumental Album by an Individual or Group for
The New Crystal Silence. Corea's third and final nomination is for Best Instrumental Composition for "Alegria."
Yamaha Christian artists racked up the nominations this year. Receiving nods for Best Pop/Contemporary Gospel Album are Leeland with Yamaha artist
Jack Mooring for
Opposite Way, Chris Tomlin for
Hello Love and CeCe Winans for
Thy Kingdom Come. Winans is also nominated for Best Gospel Performance for "Waging War."
Kirk Franklin, who plays Yamaha keyboards, earned two nominations for Best Gospel Song and Best Contemporary R&B Gospel Album. And Christian group Casting Crowns with lead singer
John Hall is nominated for Best Gospel Performance for "East to West."
Yamaha guitarist
Daniel Ho, who won a GRAMMY last year for Best Hawaiian Music Album, is nominated once again in that category - this time for two different albums. His album
'Ikena with Tia Carrere and his album
The Spirit of Hawaiian Slack Key Guitar with George Kahumoku, Jr., Dennis Kamakahi, Paul Konwiser & Wayne Wong are both nominated.
Many Yamaha artists were nominated in nearly every genre, including Pop, Gospel, Country and Jazz. Other Yamaha nominations include: Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals for Rascal Flatts featuring Yamaha artist
Jay DeMarcus; Best Pop Instrumental Performance for Fourplay, featuring Yamaha bassist
Nathan East; Best Contemporary Blues Album for
Dr. John; Best Song Written For Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media for
Stephen Schwartz; Best Boxed or Special Limited Edition Package for
Panic at the Disco; Best Latin Jazz Album for Afro Bop Alliance featuring
Joe McCarthy on drums and
Dave Samuels on Marimba & Vibes; Best Latin Rock or Alternative Album for Jaguares featuring Yamaha drummer
Alfonso André; Best Pop Instrumental Performance and Best Country Instrumental Performance for Bela Fleck and the Flecktones with Yamaha saxophonist
Jeff Coffin; and Best Traditional Blues Album for B.B. King and his Yamaha horn section.
The 51st Annual GRAMMY Awards will be held Feb. 8, 2009, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles and will be broadcast live in high definition on CBS from 8 p.m. – 11:30 p.m. (ET/PT). A complete listing of all Yamaha artists nominated for a GRAMMY follows.
For more information on the extensive Yamaha product catalog and critically acclaimed Yamaha artists, please visit
www.yamahaartists.com.
Yamaha artists nominated for a GRAMMY include:
Album Of The Year
Coldplay (Will Champion) -
Viva La Vida Or Death And All His Friends
Song Of The Year
Jason Mraz - "I'm Yours"
Sara Bareilles - "Love Song"
Coldplay (Will Champion) - "Viva La Vida"
Best Female Pop Vocal Performance
Sara Bareilles - "Love Song"
Best Male Pop Vocal Performance
Paul McCartney - "That Was Me"
Jason Mraz - "I'm Yours"
James Taylor - "Wichita Lineman"
Best Pop Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals
Coldplay (Will Champion) - "Viva La Vida"
Maroon 5 (Matt Flynn) - "Won't Go Home Without You"
Best Pop Collaboration With Vocals
Alicia Keys (with John Mayer) - "Lesson Learned"
Justin Timberlake (with Madonna) - "4 Minutes"
Maroon 5 (Matt Flynn) (with Rihanna) - "If I Never See Your Face Again"
Best Pop Instrumental Performance
Fourplay (Nathan East) - "Fortune Teller"
Best Pop Instrumental Album
Bela Fleck and the Flecktones (Jeff Coffin) - "Jingle All the Way"
Best Pop Vocal Album
Sheryl Crow -
Detours
James Taylor -
Covers
Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album
Natalie Cole -
Still Unforgettable
Josh Groban -
Noel
Barry Manilow -
In The Swing of Christmas
Rufus Wainwright -
Rufus Does Judy At Carnegie Hall
Best Solo Rock Vocal Performance
Paul McCartney - "I Saw Her Standing There"
Best Rock Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals
Coldplay (Will Champion) - "Violet Hill"
Best Rock Song
Coldplay (Will Champion) - "Violet Hill"
Best Rock Album
Coldplay (Will Champion) -
Viva La Vida Or Death And All His Friends
Best Female R&B Vocal Performance
Alicia Keys - "Superwoman"
Best R&B Performance By A Duo or Group with Vocals
John Legend, accompanying Al Green - "Stay With Me (By The Sea)"
Stevie Wonder accompanying Raphael Saadiq with CJ Hilton - "Never Give You Up"
Best Rap/Sung Collaboration
John Legend with Andre 3000 - "Green Light"
Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocals
Rascal Flatts (Jay DeMarcus) - "Every Day"
Best Country Instrumental Performance
Bela Fleck and the Flecktones (Jeff Coffin) - "Sleigh Ride"
Best Contemporary Jazz Album
Randy Brecker (trumpet) -
Randy in Brasil
Yellowjackets featuring Mike Stern –
Lifecycle
Gregg Field and Tom Scott, producers -
Cannon Re-Loaded: All Star Celebration of Cannonball Adderley
Best Jazz Instrumental Solo
Chick Corea with Gary Burton - "Waltz for Debby"
Best Jazz Instrumental Album, Individual or Group
Chick Corea with Gary Burton -
The New Crystal Silence
Pat Metheny with Christina McBride and Antonio Sanchez –
Day Trip
Best Gospel Performance
Casting Crowns (John Hall) - "East to West"
CeCe Winans - "Waging War"
Best Gospel Song
Kirk Franklin - "Help Me Believe"
Best Pop/Contemporary Gospel Album
Leeland - Opposite Way
Chris Tomlin - Hello Love
CeCe Winans -
Thy Kingdom Come
Best Contemporary R&B Gospel Album
Kirk Franklin -
The Flight Of My Life
Best Contemporary Blues Album
Dr. John and the Lower 911 -
City That Care Forgot
Best Traditional Blues Album
B.B King (Horn Section) -
One Kind Favor
Best Song Written For Motion Picture, Television Or Other Visual Media
Stephen Schwartz with Alan Menken - "That's How You Know" (
Enchanted)
Best Instrumental Composition
Chick Corea - "Alegria"
Best Boxed Or Special Limited Edition Package
Panic at the Disco with Alex Kirzhner -
Pretty.Odd.
Best Short Form Music Video
Alicia Keys and Jack White - "Another Way To Die"
Best Latin Jazz Album
Caribbean Jazz Project featuring Joe McCarthy on drums and Dave Samuels on Marimba & Vibes -
Afro Bop Alliance
Best Latin Rock or Alternative Album
Jaguares (Alfonso André) -
45
Best Hawaiian Music Album
Daniel Ho with Tia Carrere - 'Ikena
Daniel Ho with George Kahumoku, Jr., Dennis Kamakahi, Paul Konwiser & Wayne Wong –
The Spirit of Hawaiian Slack Key Guitar
