Grammy Nominations: Dumb & Dumber

WTF?!?!?! Where is Leona Lewis among the Grammy nominations for Best New Artist?!
There have always been absurd anomalies—the two most shameful that I recall are Lena Horne’s win in 1981 for Pop Female Vocalist and (dead) Ray Charles’ Album of the Year in 2004. As a NARAS voter, sadly I find that I am more often voting against artists (Fergie, anyone?) than for those that deserve the award. But this is a damn crime. iTunes announced Wednesday that Lewis' "Bleeding Love" is the No. 1-selling single of 2008. The song spent NINE weeks at No. 1 at top 40 radio this year: the longest reign at the format. Her album "Spirit" DEBUTED at No. 1. Uh, what more do we need?
Instead, we have Adele and Duffy, clearly talented, but one-hit wonders in the U.S.; Jonas Brothers, a pretty boy pop trio that will be a whisper in the wind two years from now; country act Lady Antebellum, whose CMA award for the same covered all territory for any merit this barely out-of-the-box act has earned... and the best: Jazmine Sullivan, who scored two R&B hits that flopped in their attempts to cross to the mainstream. Nice!

Meanwhile, in my favorite category, Best Pop Female Vocalist, the nods went to: Adele’s “Chasing Pavements," Sara Bareilles’ “Love Song,” “Mercy” from Duffy, “Bleeding Love” from Leona Lewis (thank God), “I Kissed a Girl” from Katy Perry and Pink’s “So What.” All fine efforts and fair nominations. Without a doubt, my vote with go to Leona, followed by Bareilles, Perry, Pink and Adele. I love the Adele song, but it wasn't a bona fide hit. That's what Grammys should reward.


For Male Pop Vocalist, there are, as usual, few contenders with merit: The "Gotcha" Award goes to Paul McCartney and James Taylor, both nominated because they shared oxygen with mere humans during the year (what: didn’t Sting pass gas in 2008? Where's his Grammy?). The others: Kid Rock, Jason Mraz and Ne-Yo… zzzzzz…. This category should just be retired. I'll go with Kid, who had a great, multi-format comeback kind of year, with hits that impacted pop, rock and country.

Record of the Year, which goes to the song itself: Adele (How did this happen? She was barely a blip commercially). Coldplay's "Viva La Vida," Paper Planes "M.I.A." "Please Read The Letter" from Robert Plant & Alison Krauss and... "Bleeding Love" from Leona!! And yet... no Best New Artist wave? You betcha.

Song of the year goes to the songwriter: Hands down, I give it to Adele’s genius “Chasing Pavements." I'm also fond of Bareilles' "Love Song" (even though it reminds me of having a molar drilled by the dentist for 40 minutes). Other nods: Estelle & Kanye West, Jason Mraz and Coldplay. That Coldplay song "Viva La Vida" is awfully good. That probably SHOULD win.

Okay, I can't take any more of this madness.