Nelly Furtado Music - Canadian singer Nelly Furtado gets four Grammy nominations for debut record

Canadian singer Nelly Furtado gets four Grammy nominations for debut record

JIM HOLT

Canadian Press

Friday, January 04, 2002

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. (CP) - Singer Nelly Furtado bagged four Grammy nominations Friday, a major accomplishment for the rookie Canadian artist.

Furtado was well behind Irish rockers U2, who received a leading eight nominations, including record, album and song of the year. But the 23-year-old Victoria native was more than pleased with the reception for her debut album Whoa Nelly! "I'm super surprised, I'm super happy and I'm looking forward to the Grammys," said an elated Furtado, on hand at a ceremony at the Beverly Hilton Hotel to announce nominees for the 44th annual awards, to be held in Los Angeles on Feb. 27.
"Whoa, Nelly!" was the repeated cry of photographers trying to get Furtado's attention after the announcement. The singer bounced from live TV spot to live TV spot - CBS, the E! Network and MTV - with a crush of reporters behind her.
Asked what her nominations meant for a Canadian, Furtado said: "It's incredible, it's just incredible. It means a lot to be respected, particulary for songwriting."
Furtado used her thumb and index fingers to form a triangle, explaining as quickly as she could how the nominations comment on the entire process she went through creating her hit song I'm Like a Bird.
"To be nominated for best pop album, best pop vocal and for song of the year makes it a perfect triangle," Furtado said.
The singer-songwriter received nods in the best new artist, best pop vocal album, best female pop performance and song of year categories.
U2's album All That You Can't Leave Behind was virtually assured multiple nominations since its first single, Beautiful Day, won record and song of the year at the Grammys last year. The album was released during the 2001 qualifying period.
India Arie earned seven nominations for her debut album Acoustic Soul, including album, record and song of the year as well as best new artist.
"I don't know what to do," Arie told the news conference. "My spirit is flying and I want to jump and shout."
Piano songstress Alicia Keys had six bids, including best new artist, and record and song of the year for her single Fallin'.
Other multiple nominees included classical conductor Pierre Boulez with six, and country singer Alison Krauss, R&B vocalist Brian McKnight and rap-rockers OutKast with five each.
T-Bone Burnett, Train, Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler and Lucinda Williams also had four nominations.
Diversity reigned in the album of the year category, where nominees included Bob Dylan for Love and Theft, India Arie's rhythmic Acoustic Soul, and the potent rap of OutKast's Stankonia in addition to U2's All That You Can't Leave Behind and the bluegrass compilation soundtrack to the film O Brother, Where Art Thou?
Keys' Fallin', U2's Walk On and Arie's Video compete in the record of the year against OutKast's Ms. Jackson and Train's Drops of Jupiter.
U2's Stuck In A Moment You Can't Get Out Of, Arie's Video, Keys' Fallin', Train's Drops of Jupiter and Furtado's I'm Like a Bird face off in the song of the year field, which honours the writers.
Besides Keys and Arie, Furtado, singer David Gray and alternative rockers Linkin Park were nominated for best new artist.
Among U2's eight nominations, the band competes against itself in the best rock song category with two singles, Elevation and Walk On.
This year the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences announced the new category for best rap/sung collaboration that honours songs that combine vocal melodies with staccato rap cadences.
Nominees in the first-time category include Eve and Gwen Stefani for Let Me Blow Ya Mind, Ja Rule and Case for Livin' It Up, Jagged Edge and Nelly for Where The Party At, Ludacris and Nate Dogg for Area Codes and Mystic and Planet Asia for "W.
Best country album nominees included Willie Nelson for his Rainbow Connection and the contemporary artist cover album Timeless-Hank Williams Tribute. Other nominees: Tricia Yearwood's Inside Out, Tim McGraw's Set This Circus Down and Diamond Rio's One More Day.
In the best country song category, singer Jamie O'Neal had two songwriting nominations, There Is No Arizona and When I Think About Angels. Other nominees included Lonestar's I'm Already There, Diamond Rio's One More Day and The Lucky One by Alison Krauss and the band Union Station.
Nominees for best rap album included OutKast for Stankonia, Eve for Scorpion, Ja Rule for Pain is Love, Jay-Z for The Blueprint and Ludacris for Back For The First Time.