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Mary J. Blige, Chili Peppers Top Grammy Nominations List

Blunt, Mayer, T.I., Gnarls, Timberlake also garner multiple noms.

It's definitely turning out to be Mary J. Blige's year.

Fresh from winning nine Billboard Music Awards last week, Blige was the top nominee for the 49th annual Grammy Awards announced Thursday morning (December 7), with eight nods related to her aptly titled album, The Breakthrough.

Following close behind with six nominations were the Red Hot Chili Peppers, whose Stadium Arcadium garnered six nods, including Album of the Year, for which they'll vie against fellow multiple nominees the Dixie Chicks, Gnarls Barkley, John Mayer and Justin Timberlake.

Blige was nominated in most of the major R&B categories, including Best Female R&B Vocal Performance, Best R&B Song, Record and Song of the Year for "Be Without You"; Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals for her duet with U2 on "One"; R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals for "Love Changes" (with Jamie Foxx); Traditional R&B Vocal Performance for "I Found My Everything"; and Best R&B Album.

The Chili Peppers were close behind with nominations for Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal, Best Rock Song and Short Form Music Video for "Dani California," as well as Best Rock Album and Boxed or Special Limited Edition Package for Stadium Arcadium.

Though they were largely shunned by country radio due to their political outspokenness, the Dixie Chicks were embraced by the Recording Academy, with nods for Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal, Song and Record of the Year (for "Not Ready to Make Nice"), in addition to Album of the Year and Country Album for Taking the Long Way.

The Academy voters spread the wealth this year, handing out multiple nominations to a number of singers and bands, including five each for Blunt, the Dixie Chicks, John Mayer, Prince, Gnarls Barkley's Danger Mouse, producer Rick Rubin and Black Eyed Peas member and producer Will.I.Am. Right behind with four each were Beyoncé, songwriter Bryan-Michael Cox, Gnarls Barkley, T.I and Timberlake, whose second solo album, FutureSex/LoveSounds, earned an Album of the Year nomination, as well as Best Pop Vocal Album nods and a Best Dance Recording notice for "SexyBack." Timberlake also earned a Best Rap/Sung Collaboration nomination for "My Love" with T.I.

Former "American Idol" winner Carrie Underwood has become a major country star, and her album, Some Hearts, is one of the year's top sellers, having sold 3.7 million copies, according to SoundScan. She earned nods for Song of the Year, Best Country Song and Best Female Country Vocal Performance for "Jesus Take the Wheel," as well as a Best New Artist notice (where she'll go up against Chris Brown, Imogen Heap, Corinne Bailey Rae and Blunt).

Getting a surprisingly low number of nominations was Bob Dylan's acclaimed Modern Times album, which had been tipped as a frontrunner (given the past Grammy love shown to the folk legend). Dylan came away with just three: Best Solo Rock Vocal Performance and Best Rock Song for "Someday Baby" and Best Contemporary Folk/Americana Album. He was shut out of the major categories.

And though her debut is just now catching fire in the U.S. after entering the U.K. charts at #1 in February, jazzy British singer Corinne Bailey Rae made some serious noise in her first year of Grammy eligibility, including a spot in the Record of the Year race for her song "Put Your Records On," which will be up against Blunt's "You're Beautiful," Blige's "Be Without You," the Chicks' "Not Ready to Make Nice" and Gnarls Barkley's "Crazy."

Rubin was honored in the Producer of the Year, Non-Classical category for his work on albums by Johnny Cash, the Chili Peppers, the Dixie Chicks and Neil Diamond. He'll face off against Danger Mouse (Gnarls Barkley, the Rapture), Howard Benson (Hoobastank, Flyleaf, Papa Roach) and Will.I.Am (Blige, Fergie, Timberlake, Busta Rhymes, Sergio Mendes).

Christina Aguilera was recognized for her ambitious double album, Back to Basics, with a Best Female Pop Vocal Performance nom for "Ain't No Other Man," a category that will pit her against Pink ("Stupid Girls"), Natasha Bedingfield ("Unwritten"), Sheryl Crow ("You Can Close Your Eyes") and newcomer KT Tunstall ("Black Horse and a Cherry Tree"). Aguilera was also nominated for Best Pop Vocal Album.

One of the most interesting categories is shaping up to be Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocal. The eclectic nominees include the Black Eyed Peas ("My Humps"), indie darlings Death Cab for Cutie ("I Will Follow You Into the Dark"), the Fray ("Over My Head [Cable Car]"), Keane ("Is It Any Wonder?") and the Pussycat Dolls ("Stickwitu").

Nelly Furtado got some love in the Best Pop Collaboration With Vocals race for her duet with Timbaland on "Promiscuous," Madonna earned a pair of notices in the Best Electronic Dance Album and Dance Recording categories, Beck's vocals on "Nausea" snagged him a Best Solo Rock Vocal Performance bid, and "Steady, as She Goes" by White Stripe Jack White's other band, the Raconteurs, is up against Coldplay ("Talk"), U2 & Green Day ("The Saints Are Coming"), the Chili Peppers ("Dani California") and the Fray ("How to Save a Life") for Best Rock Performance By a Duo or Group with Vocal.

The Best Alternative Music Album category pits a trio of relative newcomers against a pair of vets, with the Arctic Monkeys, Gnarls Barkley and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs taking on the Flaming Lips and Radiohead's Thom Yorke. Some hip-hop categories also feature a mix of veterans and young stars going at it, with Best Rap Solo Performance pitting Busta Rhymes, Mos Def and Missy Elliott against T.I. and Lupe Fiasco; and Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group featuring a square-off between the Roots, Outkast, Nelly, Ludacris and Chamillionaire. The Best Rap Album contest also features the Roots, Ludacris and Fiasco, who will go up against Pharrell and T.I.

And even though he's been off the radar for most of the past year, past Grammy winner Eminem earned two nominations in one category (for a pair of songs with very similar names): "Smack That," his duet with Akon, and "Shake That" (featuring Nate Dogg) both got the nod for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration.

The awards, for albums released between October 1, 2005, and September 30, 2006, will be handed out on February 11 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.

Selected List of Grammy Nominations

Record of the Year

· Mary J. Blige - "Be Without You"

· James Blunt - "You're Beautiful"

· Dixie Chicks - "Not Ready to Make Nice"

· Gnarls Barkley - "Crazy"

· Corinne Bailey Rae - "Put Your Records On"

Album of the Year

· Dixie Chicks - Taking the Long Way

· Gnarls Barkley - St. Elsewhere

· John Mayer - Continuum

· Red Hot Chili Peppers - Stadium Arcadium

· Justin Timberlake - FutureSex/LoveSounds

Song of the Year

· Mary J. Blige - "Be Without You" (Mary J. Blige, Bryan-Michael Cox and Jason Perry, songwriters)

· James Blunt - "You're Beautiful"

(James Blunt, Amanda Ghost and Sacha Skarbek, songwriters)

· Dixie Chicks - "Not Ready to Make Nice" (Martie Maguire, Natalie Maines, Emily Robison and Dan Wilson, songwriters)

· Corinne Bailey Rae - "Put Your Records On"

(John Beck, Steve Chrisanthou and Corinne Bailey Rae, songwriters)

· Carrie Underwood - "Jesus Take the Wheel" (Brett James, Hillary Lindsey and Gordie Sampson, songwriters)

Best New Artist

· James Blunt

· Chris Brown

· Imogen Heap

· Corinne Bailey Rae

· Carrie Underwood

Best Female Pop Vocal Performance

· Christina Aguilera - "Ain't No Other Man"

· Natasha Bedingfield - "Unwritten"

· Sheryl Crow - "You Can Close Your Eyes"

· Pink - "Stupid Girls"

· KT Tunstall - "Black Horse and the Cherry Tree"

Best Male Pop Vocal Performance

· James Blunt - "You're Beautiful"

· John Legend - "Save Room"

· John Mayer - "Waiting on the World to Change"

· Paul McCartney - "Jenny Wren"

· Daniel Powter - "Bad Day"

Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocal

· Black Eyed Peas - "My Humps"

· Death Cab for Cutie - "I Will Follow You Into the Dark"

· The Fray - "Over My Head (Cable Car)"

· Keane - "Is It Any Wonder?"

· Pussycat Dolls - "Stickwitu"

Best Pop Collaboration With Vocals

· Tony Bennett and Stevie Wonder - "For Once in My Life"

· Mary J. Blige and U2 - "One"

· Sheryl Crow and Sting - "Always on Your Side"

· Nelly Furtado and Timbaland - "Promiscuous"

· Shakira and Wyclef Jean - "Hips Don't Lie"

Best Pop Vocal Album

· Christina Aguilera - Back to Basics

· James Blunt - Back to Bedlam

· Elvis Costello/ Allen Toussaint - The River in Reverse

· John Mayer - Continuum

· Justin Timberlake - FutureSex/LoveSounds

Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocal

· Coldplay - "Talk"

· The Fray - "How To Save a Life"

· The Raconteurs - "Steady, as She Goes"

· Red Hot Chili Peppers - "Dani California"

· U2 and Green Day - "The Saints Are Coming"

Best Hard Rock Performance

· Buckcherry - "Crazy Bitch"

· Nine Inch Nails - "Every Day Is Exactly the Same"

· System of a Down - "Lonely Day"

· Tool - "Vicarious"

· Wolfmother - "Woman"

Best Metal Performance

· Lamb of God - "Redneck"

· Mastodon - "Colony of Birchmen"

· Ministry - "Lies, Lies, Lies"

· Slayer - "Eyes of the Insane"

· Stone Sour - "30/30-150"

Best Rock Song

· Bob Dylan - "Someday Baby" (Bob Dylan, songwriter)

· The Killers - "When You Were Young" (Brandon Flowers, Dave Keuning, Mark Stoermer and Ronnie Vannucci, songwriters)

· Red Hot Chili Peppers - "Dani California"

(Flea, John Frusciante, Anthony Kiedis and Chad Smith, songwriters)

· Snow Patrol - "Chasing Cars"

(Nathan Connolly, Gary Lightbody, Jonny Quinn, Tom Simpson and Paul Wilson, songwriters)

· Neil Young - "Lookin' for a Leader" (Neil Young, songwriter)

Best Rock Album

· John Mayer Trio - Try!

· Tom Petty - Highway Companion

· Raconteurs - Broken Boy Soldiers

· Red Hot Chili Peppers - Stadium Arcadium

· Neil Young - Living With War

Best Alternative Music Album

· Arctic Monkeys - Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not

· Flaming Lips - At War With the Mystics

· Gnarls Barkley - St. Elsewhere

· Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Show Your Bones

· Thom Yorke - The Eraser

Best Female R&B Vocal Performance

· Beyoncé - "Ring the Alarm"

· Mary J. Blige - "Be Without You"

· Mariah Carey - "Don't Forget About Us"

· Natalie Cole - "Day Dreaming"

· India.Arie - "I Am Not My Hair"

Best Male R&B Vocal Performance

· John Legend - "Heaven"

· Ne-Yo - "So Sick"

· Prince - "Black Sweat"

· Lionel Richie - "I Call It Love"

· Luther Vandross - "Got You Home"

Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocals

· George Benson and Al Jarreau - "Breezin' "

· Jamie Foxx (featuring Mary J. Blige) - "Love Changes"

· Chaka Khan, Gerald Levert, Yolanda Adams and Carl Thomas - "Everyday (Family Reunion)"

· Sly & the Family Stone, John Legend, Joss Stone with Van Hunt - "Family Affair"

· Prince and Támar - "Beautiful, Loved and Blessed"

Best Traditional R&B Vocal Performance

· Anita Baker - "Christmas Time Is Here"

· George Benson and Al Jarreau (featuring Jill Scott) - "God Bless the Child"

· Mary J. Blige (featuring Raphael Saadiq) - "I Found My Everything"

· Sam Moore (featuring Billy Preston, Zucchero, Eric Clapton and Robert Randolph) - "You Are So Beautiful"

· Temptations - "How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved by You)"

Best Urban/Alternative Performance

· Gnarls Barkley - "Crazy"

· Sergio Mendes (featuring Erykah Badu and Will.I.Am) - "That Heat"

· Sergio Mendes (featuring the Black Eyed Peas) - "Más Que Nada"

· Outkast - "Idlewild Blue (Don't Chu Worry 'Bout Me)"

· Prince - "3121"

Best R&B Song

· Mary J. Blige - "Be Without You" (Johnta Austin, Mary J. Blige, Bryan-Michael Cox and Jason Perry, songwriters)

· Prince - "Black Sweat" (Prince, songwriter)

· Beyoncé (featuring Jay-Z) - "Deja Vu"

(Shawn Carter, Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins, Beyoncé Knowles, Makeba, Keli Nicole Price and Delisha Thomas, songwriters)

· Mariah Carey - "Don't Forget About Us"

(Johnta Austin, Mariah Carey, Bryan-Michael Cox and Jermaine Dupri, songwriters)

· India.Arie - "I Am Not My Hair" (Drew Ramsey, Shannon Sanders and India Arie Simpson, songwriters)

Best R&B Album

· Mary J. Blige - The Breakthrough

· Jamie Foxx - Unpredictable

· India.Arie - Testimony: Vol. 1, Life & Relationship

· Prince - 3121

· Lionel Richie - Coming Home

Best Contemporary R&B Album

· Beyoncé - B'Day

· Chris Brown - Chris Brown

· Janet Jackson - 20 Y.O.

· Kelis - Kelis Was Here

· Ne-Yo - In My Own Words

Best Rap Solo Performance

· Busta Rhymes - "Touch It"

· Missy Elliott - "We Run This"

· Lupe Fiasco - "Kick, Push"

· Mos Def - "Undeniable"

· T.I. - "What You Know"

Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group

· Chamillionaire (featuring Krayzie Bone) - "Ridin"

· Ludacris and Field Mob (featuring Jamie Foxx) - "Georgia"

· Nelly (featuring Paul Wall, Ali and Gipp) - "Grillz"

· Outkast - "Mighty 'O' "

· The Roots - "Don't Feel Right"

Best Rap/Sung Collaboration

· Akon (featuring Eminem) - "Smack That"

· Beyoncé (featuring Jay-Z) - "Deja Vu"

· Eminem (featuring Nate Dogg) - "Shake That"

· Jamie Foxx (featuring Ludacris) - "Unpredictable"

· Justin Timberlake (featuring T.I.) - "My Love"

Best Rap Song

· Yung Joc - "It's Goin' Down" (Chadron Moore and Jasiel Robinson, songwriters)

· Lupe Fiasco - "Kick, Push" (Wasalu Muhammad Jaco, songwriter)

· Ludacris (featuring Pharrell) - "Money Maker"

(Christopher Bridges and Pharrell Williams, songwriters)

· Chamillionaire (featuring Krayzie Bone) - "Ridin" (Anthony Henderson, J. Slainas, O. Salinas and Hakeem Seriki, songwriters)

· T.I. - "What You Know" (A. Davis & Clifford Harris, songwriters; Donny Hathaway, Leroy Hutson and Curtis Mayfield, songwriters)

Best Rap Album

· Lupe Fiasco - Lupe Fiasco's Food & Liquor

· Ludacris - Release Therapy

· Pharrell - In My Mind

· The Roots - Game Theory

· T.I. - King

[This story was originally published at 12:53 p.m. ET on 12.7.2006]

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