Grammy Awards
sure to disappoint

By Nicole Donner

One of the most prestigious events in music history has stooped to a new low with its predictable nominations list for the 2006 Grammy Awards.

Most artists deserve the earned pat on the back while others need to gather their things and leave the building before somebody gets hurt by the mobs of angry music fans that will come raging into the Staples Center.

With competition for Album of the Year being Gwen Stefani, U2, Kanye West and Paul McCartney, the nominees hardly represent 2005’s year of music. I believe categories that choose to award artists no matter the genre should do that; choose artists from different genres and create more diversity in the competition.

As Mariah Carey struts down the red carpet in her, dare I call it, skirt and stiletto heels, many new faces will be making their first appearances at the award show, some welcomed and some not so welcomed.

Gorillaz, who have been on the hip-hop scene for years, are nominated this year for Record of the Year with their song “Feel Good Inc.”

After years of the music industry ignoring Keane’s unique take on music and performance, the band is nominated for their first Grammy this year in the Best New Artist category with . . . WHAT!? Fall Out Boy? Well, maybe if there was a “One Hit Wonder” category, maybe, but not as Best New Artist.

Granted, Fall Out Boy’s trendy hit “Sugar (We’re Going Down Swinging)” was good the first 20 times I heard it on the radio, but their nomination for this award seems ludicrous and out of place. With their small following of myspacers and emo kids, the band had success on a smaller music circuit.

The Grammys have a history of awarding artists we’ll never hear from again with Best New Artist: Paula Cole, Shelby Lynn and Evanescence. Well, maybe we’ll luck out and Fall Out Boy will fall in line with the rest. Sorry, boys.

Though I can continue to complain about the artists that were recognized for all the wrong reasons, we have to remember the artists who did make great music in a year where little to no lasting music was made.

Coldplay released “X&Y” in June 2005 and though small in its sales, many critics have credited the album to having a simplistic genius that few entertainers can obtain in today’s music scene.

Yet, “X&Y” received a Grammy nomination for Best Rock Album when its true spot lies in the Record of the Year category.

Like a phoenix from her American Idol ashes, Kelly Clarkson had much success with her album “Break Away.” Though few like to admit it, many people have had at least one of Clarkson’s five radio hits stuck in their head sometime in 2005. She managed to break away from her American Idol, goody-goody roots and plant her mainstream pop, goody-goody roots.

Though with major success over the year, Miss Clarkson has only received two nominations though she deserves quite more.

Shame on you, Recording Academy members and everyone else involved with creating this poor excuse for a nomination list. The master and picking the cream of the crop, you are now scraping the bottom of the barrel. Listen to the music and not record sales.