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Dr. Dre, Destiny's Child lead diverse Grammy field
Garnering five nods apiece, rapper-producer Dr. Dre and Destiny's Child's Beyoncé Knowles led the field of nominees for the 43rd Annual Grammy Awards. The Recording Academy announced the nominations at a Wednesday (1/3) press conference in Beverly Hills, Calif.
Receiving four nominations each were rapper Eminem, country performer Vince Gill, producer-songwriter Rodney Jerkins, R&B singer Joe and arranger-conductor Vince Mendoza. Destiny's Child producer-songwriter LaShawn Daniels and group members LeToya Luckett, LaTavia Roberson and Kelendria Rowland also received four nominations. (Luckett and Roberson left Destiny’s Child last year, and recently reached an out-of-court settlement with Rowland and Knowles.)
Picking up three nominations were Sheryl Crow, D'Angelo, Foo Fighters, producer Nigel Godrich (Radiohead, Travis), Macy Gray, Don Henley, Faith Hill, B.B. King, Madonna, Aimee Mann, Brian McKnight, 'N Sync, Jill Scott, Sisqo, Ricky Skaggs, Steely Dan and U2.
"This year's nominees are unquestionably the most diverse group of artists and recordings the Academy has ever celebrated," Recording Academy President/CEO Michael Greene said in a statement.
The Album of the Year category features entries by veteran artists Steely Dan and Paul Simon, eclectic folk-rocker Beck, the experiment-prone British rock group Radiohead, and controversial rapper Eminem.
Eminem's Grammy nominations immediately kicked up a negative reaction from the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD), which has been critical of the rapper's lyrics. "GLAAD appreciates the conflicts and complexities inherent in reporting on Eminem and his music," the organization said in statement directed at journalists. "Eminem's music and production values have been acclaimed as artistic breakthroughs by many of the nation's music critics. Yet his lyrics advocating violence against lesbians and gay men send explicit messages that endorse hatred."
In the past, Eminem has brushed aside similar complaints from groups like GLAAD. “Every time a critic tries to slam me in the press, I sell more records," he said at the MTV Music Awards.
Nominees for Record of the Year include Destiny’s Child’s "Say My Name," Macy Gray’s “I Try,” Madonna’s “Music,” ‘NSync’s “Bye Bye Bye,” and U2’s “Beautiful Day.”
The nominees in the Best New Artist category include country acts Shelby Lynne and Brad Paisley, rap-rockers Papa Roach, R&B hip-hop artist Jill Scott and “Thong Song” singer Sisqo.
Winners in each of the 100 Grammy categories will be revealed during the Grammy Awards telecast on Feb. 21, 2001. The three-hour show will take place at Staples Center in Los Angeles, and will be broadcast on CBS-TV at 8 p.m. Eastern and Pacific Time.
Recordings released from Oct. 1, 1999 through Sept. 30, 2000 were eligible for Grammy nominations. Ballots will be mailed to the 12,000 voting members of the Recording Academy on Jan. 12. Returned ballots will be tabulated by the accounting firm of Deloitte & Touche LLP, and kept secret until the telecast.
A partial list of nominees for the 43rd Annual Grammy Awards follows. A complete listing is available at the official Grammy website.
