"And the Winner Is...": Grammy Award 2008 Nominations Are Released

The 2008 Grammy Awards are approaching and it has been a hectic year in music for many artists. The nominations were released December 6th, for the 50th annual gathering. Who was nominated and who wasn't?

The past year has been an incredible year for R&B singer Beyonce. She's released a No. 1 album, has made a couple handful of appearances, promoted HD TV programming, and released an ultra catchy song with lyrics that sing "to the left, to the left." The song "Irreplaceable" is nominated for Record of the Year, placing against Justin Timberlake, Rihanna, The Foo Fighters, and Amy Winehouse. Beyonce is also nominated for "Beautiful Liar," performed with Shakira, for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals.

It's been an up and down year for Amy Winehouse. She's been recently slammed by tabloids after her marijuana bust just a few short months back. However, she is nominated for Record of the Year ("Rehab"), Album of the Year (Back to Black, which is up against Kayne West's Graduation), a songwriting nomination for Song of the Year ("Rehab"), Best New Artist (which she is expected to walk away with), Best Female Pop Vocal Performance ("Rehab"), and Best Pop Vocal Album (Back to Black).

Rock legends are not being discluded this Grammy year. U2, who walked away with 5 more awards in 2006, is nominated for Best Pop Performance By A Duo or Group with Vocals for their single "Window In The Skies." The group is up against Daughtry, Maroon 5, Bon Jovi, and the Plain White T's. They're also nominated for Best Rock Performance By A Duo or Group with Vocals for their remake song "Instant Karma." The latter is also up against Daughtry in this category. Green Day and Nickelback are also competing for that award.