Idols and their Grammy nominations

It was a slow week for Jordin Sparks as Tattoo only rises up one place to #11 on this week's Billboard HOT 100 singles chart.

The nominations for the 50th annual Grammy Awards came out this week. Ever since Kelly Clarkson won the Grammy for best pop vocal performance female in 2005, the Idols and the Grammys have gone hand in hand. Last year, the Supreme Miss American Idol, Carrie Underwood, was named the Best New Artist and this year she has even more nominations than last year.

Carrie is the only Idol this year to have a presence in Four top categories. Before He Cheats is up for Song of the Year, so if it wins, Carrie won't actually get the award since it will be awarded to the song writers. Before He Cheats is also up for Country Song of the Year.

Carrie is once again nominated in the same category she won last year: Best Country Female Vocal Performance. While I'd love to see Carrie win again, she is up against the Grammy winner for Best New Artist 1997, Leann Rimes, and I would love to see Leann win something again also.

I can't believe I didn't know this, but Carrie has a duet with Brad Paisley called Oh Love on his latest album, 5th Gear. This duet is nominated for Best Country Collaboration . Makes me wanna go out and buy a Brad Paisley album...

Carrie will continue to be the only Miss American Idol who has ever won the Grammy for Best New Artist. There was some speculation that Season Five Miss American Idol third runner-up Chris Daughtry might get a nomination in that category, but it didn't happen. He still managed to pull off three nominations in the Rock categories: Best Group Performance, Best Album, and Best Song for It's Not Over.

Season Three Miss American Idol, Fantasia, is continuing her record of have more critical praise than high sales as she has managed to snag three nominations all in the R&B categories. She is up for Best R&B Female Vocal Performance and her sophomore album is up for Best Contemporary R&B Album. One of the big hits from that album, When I See You, spent 8 weeks at #1 on the Billboard R&B singles chart and now it is nominated for Best R&B Song of the Year.

Even though her third album, My December, tanked, Kelly Clarkson snuck in a Grammy nomination of her own this year. She will be competing against Carrie Underwood in the Best Country Collaboration category with her duet of Because of You with Reba McIntire.

While many people will say this year's Grammys will be all about Kanye West and Amy Winehouse, I still think the Idols are more interesting and entertaining. :)