For the 51st annual Grammy Awards, the Recording Academy went with a live, primetime announcement/mini-concert. But you want to know who got nominated, don't you? While putting American Idol's star judge Simon Cowell up for Record of the Year (he produced "Bleeding Love" for Leona Lewis along with Clive Davis and Ryan "Alias" Tedder) certainly contains some comedic value because you wonder if he'll show up in a tight black V-neck or a tight black tuxedo, we do have some other actual comedy honors to share with you as well. Although there are some truly outrageous and ridiculous nominations among the dozens of categories, too (but that's for me to analyze in another forum).
Best Comedy Album nominees from 2007-2008
Lewis Black, "Anticipation"
Flight of the Conchords, "Flight of the Conchords"
Kathy Griffin, "For Your Consideration"
George Carlin, "It's Bad For Ya"
Harry Shearer, "Songs of the Bushmen"
Didn't Flight of the Conchords win last year for their EP, which is just a shorter version of this album? If you want to get all technical about it, then, yes. So cross them off the list. And do not be surprised for a posthumous honor to go to Carlin.
In Best Spoken Word Album, Steve Martin's "Born Standing Up" goes up against Stephen Colbert's "I Am America (And So Are You)" and David Sedaris ("When You Are Engulfed in Flames")! Also in this category: Sidney Poitier ("Life Beyond Measure") and the trio of Beau Bridges, Cynthia Nixon and Blair Underwood (reading Al Gore's "An Inconvenient Truth"). As much as Colbert has been the man of the moment for the past two years, Martin really should get this, wouldn't you agree?
Freestyle Love Supreme can celebrate some more, as Lin-Man and King Sherman's "In The Heights" soundtrack is up for Best Muscial Show Album (against Gypsy, The Little Mermaid, South Pacific and Young Frankenstein).
John C. Reilly singing "Walk Hard" got nominated for Best Song Written for Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media (also earning Judd Apatow a nomination as co-writer). They're up against John Mayer, Peter Gabriel, Carrie Underwood, and Amy Adams.
Wayne Brady received a nod for Best Traditional R&B Vocal Performance in "A Change is Gonna Come" (presumably not improvised), where he faces competition from the Rev. Al Green and Anthony Hamilton, Linda Jones with Helen Bruner and Terry Jones, Raphael Saddiq, and Jazmine Sullivan.
Weezer's ode to YouTube sensations in the video for "Pork & Beans" is up for, you guessed it, Best Short Form Music Video (against Erykah Badu's "Honey," Gnarls Barkley's "Who's Gonna Save My Soul," "Another Way to Die" by Alicia Keys and Jack White, and Radiohead's "House of Cards").
And if we're stretching, we should give shouts out to multiple Grammy winner John Mayer, friend of stand-up comedy who also likes to get onstage at the Comedy Cellar a few times a year, for earning five more nods; acknowledge funny musicians They Might Be Giants, who will compete for Best Musical Album for Children ("Here Come the 123s"); cite comedy supporter Aimee Mann for her nomination in packaging; and mention that folksinger Tom Paxton's Grammy-nominated album is called "Comedians & Angels."
Related: Read the full list of nominees for Grammy Awards from the Oct. 1, 2007 to Sept. 30, 2008 cycle.
Took me time to read all the comments, but I enjoyed the article.
good work
Colbert’s book title: I Am America (And So Can You!)