Vikter Duplaix, Emily King and Ledisi are Up For Grammy Awards!

We were a little iffy about the American Music Award nominations (shame on you, America!), but a sampling of the Grammy noms looks like someone turned off the radio and opened their ears. But the "Best Rap Album" category looks like a certified battle royale!

Album Of The Year:

• Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace -- Foo Fighters
• These Days -- Vince Gill
• River: The Joni Letters -- Herbie Hancock
• Graduation -- Kanye West
• Back To Black -- Amy Winehouse

Record Of The Year:

• "Irreplaceable" -- Beyoncé
• "The Pretender" -- Foo Fighters
• "Umbrella" -- Rihanna Featuring Jay-Z
• "What Goes Around...Comes Around" -- Justin Timberlake
• "Rehab" -- Amy Winehouse

Best New Artist:

• Feist
• Ledisi
• Paramore
• Taylor Swift
• Amy Winehouse

Song Of The Year:

• "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)

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

• "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

Best Contemporary R&B Album:

• Konvicted -- Akon
• Just Like You -- Keyshia Cole
• Fantasia -- Fantasia
• East Side Story -- Emily King
• Because Of You -- Ne-Yo

Best Urban/Alternative Performance:

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• "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

 
Best Rap/Sung Collaboration:

• "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

 
Best Rap Song:

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• "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)

 
Best Rap Album:

• 
  Finding Forever -- Common
• 
  Kingdom Come -- Jay-Z
• 
  Hip Hop Is Dead -- Nas
• 
  T.I. vs T.I.P. -- T.I.
• 
  Graduation -- Kanye West

Sure, some of the likely characters re-appear, but overall, I'm excited about black music again. A full list of nominees can be found at the official Grammy site.

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