Mariah Carey	Kanye West	John Legend

Mariah Carey's multi-platinum comeback album, The Emancipation of Mimi, and its smash single "We Belong Together," helped the pop singer score three of the most coveted Grammy nominations: Album of the Year, Song of the Year and Record of the Year. The hit ballad also picked up mentions for Best R&B Song and Best Female R&B Vocal Performance, while Mimi added Best Contemporary R&B Album to Carey's haul.

Presenters for the 48th Annual Grammy Awards nominations included BMI songwriter/artists John Legend, CeCe Winans, Mariah Carey, Nickelback's Chad Kroeger and Patti LaBelle. Photo by S. Lovekin/WireImage

Rapper Kanye West continued his red hot streak, also earning nominations in the Album and Record of the Year categories with his sophomore release Late Registration and the hit "Gold Digger," respectively. He will compete against himself for the Album of the Year title as a producer on Carey's disc. As a songwriter, West will battle for the Best Rap Song crown with his "Diamonds from Sierra Leone," as well as Best R&B Song as a co-writer on the Alicia Keys track "Unbreakable."

Black Eyed Peas	Brooks & Dunn

Soul singer John Legend is up for Best New Artist, Best R&B Album for his debut Get Lifted, and Best Male R&B Vocal Performance and Song of the Year for "Ordinary People," which he also co-wrote. Legend joins his mentor Kanye West and rapper Common on the Best Rap/Sung Collaboration ticket with "They Say."

Casting Crowns	Common

Coming in with six nominations was Will.i.am of the Black Eyed Peas who, as a songwriter, has a shot at Song of the Year and Best R&B Song as co-writer of Legend's "Ordinary People" and Best Rap Song for the Peas' hit "Don't Phunk with My Heart." The band is also up for Best Rap and Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal.

Death Cab for Cutie	Foo Fighters

In addition to Best Rap/Sung Collaboration, Common earned three other mentions, including Best Rap Album for Be. Four nods also went to Foo Fighters, Gorillaz, Billy Childs and BMI producer/songwriters the Neptunes, who have production credits on two Album of the Year nominees -- Carey's The Emancipation of Mimi and Gwen Stefani's Love. Angel. Music. Baby.

The Game	Gorillaz	John Williams

Earning three nominations apiece were Sheryl Crow, with Best Female Pop Vocal Performance ("Good is Good"), Best Pop Vocal Album (Wildflower) and Best Country Collaboration with Vocals for the single "Building Bridges," featuring Brooks & Dunn and Vince Gill; Eminem (Best Rap Solo Performance, Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group and Best Rap Album); and film composer John Williams, up for Best Score for Star Wars Episode III - Revenge of the Sith, as well as for Best Instrumental Composition for both "Anakin's Betrayal" (from Revenge of the Sith) and "The Ferry Scene" (from the War of the Worlds soundtrack).

Maroon 5	Norah Jones	Sheryl Crow

Double nominees included rappers The Game and T.I., songwriter Marcus Hummon, singer Norah Jones and gospel diva CeCe Winans.

Other BMI songwriters and artists collecting Grammy nominations were Christina Aguilera, Dallas Austin, Casting Crowns, Eric Clapton (PRS), Death Cab for Cutie, Paquito D'Rivera, Danny Elfman, Fall Out Boy, Osvaldo Golijov, Dave Holland Big Band, Intocable, Keane (PRS), Maroon 5, Sugarland, Ying Yang Twins, and BMI Icons Charlie Daniels and Brian Wilson.

Sugarland		T.I.

The 48th Annual Grammy Awards will be held in Los Angeles on February 8.

BMI's 2006 Grammy Award Nominees:

8 NOMINATIONS
Mariah Carey
John Legend
Kanye West

6 NOMINATIONS
William Adams

4 NOMINATIONS
Billy Childs
Common
Foo Fighters
Gorillaz (PRS)
The Neptunes

3 NOMINATIONS
Yolanda Adams
The Black Eyed Peas
Sheryl Crow
De La Soul
Eminem
Herbie Hancock
Faith Hill
Alison Krauss & Union Station
John Williams

2 NOMINATIONS
Bobby Boyd
Brooks & Dunn
Andrew Coleman
Andrew Dawson
Dixie Chicks
The Game
Michael Giacchino
Jeff Hanna
Marcus Hummon
Norah Jones
Delbert McClinton
Donnie McClurkin
Joel Moss
Willie Nelson
Al Schmitt
Fat Man Scoop
T.I.
The White Stripes
CeCe Winans

MORE NOMINEES
Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra with Arturo O'Farrill
Christina Aguilera
Trey Anastasio
Audio Adrenaline
Audioslave
John August
Dallas Austin
Ramon Ayala y Sus Bravos Del Norte
Marcia Ball
Ray Barretto
Steve Berkowitz
Big & Rich
Terence Blanchard
Eddie Blazonczyk's Versatones
Blue Highway
Printz Board
William Bolcom
Peter Boyer
Solomon Burke
Burning Spear (PRS)
Sam Bush
Gary Calamar
Caribbean Jazz Project featuring Dave Samuels Orishas (SACEM)
Kurt Carr
Casting Crowns
Christopher Cerf
Steven Curtis Chapman
Cherryholmes
The Chieftains (IMRO)
Willy Chirino
Eric Clapton (PRS)
Dorinda Clark-Cole
Conjunto Progreso
Ry Cooder
Stewart Copeland
The Crabb Family
Robert Cray
Bill Cunliffe
Rivers Cuomo
Daft Punk (PRS)
Charlie Daniels
Day of Fire
Death Cab for Cutie
Deep Dish
Mos Def
Jack De Johnette
The Del McCoury Band
Ani DiFranco
Jerry Douglas
Dave Douglas
Paquito D'Rivera
John Du Prez (PRS)
Jerry Duplessis
Nokie Edwards
Danny Elfman
Ahmet Ertegun
Bill Evans
Fall Out Boy
Sammy Figueroa
Béla Fleck
Floetry
David Foster
Jamie Foxx
Aretha Franklin
Kirk Franklin
Carlos Franzetti
Larry Gatlin
Joachim Garraud (SACEM)
Gilberto Gil
Vince Gill
Jimmie Dale Gilmore
Osvaldo Golijov
The Grascals
Grits
Buddy Guy
Merle Haggard
John Hammond
Raiatea Helm
Dave Holland Big Band
Israel Houghton
Van Hunt
Eric Idle (PRS)
Intocable
Jamiroquai (PRS)
Jars of Clay
The Jazz Chamber Trio
Rodney Jerkins
Eric Johnson
George Jones
The Jordanaires
Ledward Ka'apana
Keane (PRS)
John P. Kee
Garison Keillor
Toby Keith
R. Kelly
B.B. King
Kitaro
Kraftwerk (GEMA)
Ladysmith Black Mambazo (SAMRO)
Las 3 Divas
La Secta Allstar
The Last Poets
La Tropa F
Donald Lawrence
Ricky Lewis
The Light Crust Doughboys
Lil Wayne
Harold Lily
Aaron Lindsey
Linkin Park
Little Joe
Los Lonely Boys
Los Pleneros de la 21
Andre Lyon
Maroon 5
Joeworn Martin
Martina McBride
Delbert McClinton
Vicky McGehee
Tim McGraw
Sarah McLachlan (SOCAN)
Meat Beat Manifesto
Pat Metheny Group
Luis Miguel
Mingus Big Band
Ministry
Keb Mo
Molotov
Rick Moranis (SOCAN)
Mudvayne
Martha Munizzi
Walter Murphy
Meshell Ndegeocello
North Mississippi Allstars
The Oak Ridge Boys
Claus Ogerman (GEMA)
Walter Ostanek (SOCAN)
George Pajon, Jr.
Eddie Palmieri
John Prine
Queens of the Stone Age
Rascal Flatts
Joshua Redman Elastic Band
Sonny Rollins
The Royal Jesters
Eddie Santiago
Marvin Sapp
Seal (PRS)
José Serebrier
Shakira
Wayne Shorter Quartet
Ron Sluga
Omar Sosa
Luciana Souza
Jimmy Sturr
Sugarland
Tierney Sutton
System of a Down
Ali Farka Touré (BUMDA)
Tiempo Libre
Turtle Island String Quartet
Keith Urban
Bebo Valdés
Marcello Valenzano
Louie Vega
Rhonda Vincent & the Rage
Brian Wilson
BeBe Winans
George Winston
Paul Winter Consort
Hugh Wolff
David Yazbek
Ying Yang Twins

Evanescence

The White Stripes

Goth-rock band Evanescence picked up two awards, including the coveted Best New Artist Grammy as well as Best Hard Rock Performance for their breakthrough hit, "Bring Me To Life." A pair of posthumous awards went to the late Warren Zevon, whose children accepted statuettes for Best Rock Performance by Duo or Group (with Bruce Springsteen) and Best Contemporary Folk Album for his final recording, The Wind.

Michael Brecker

Alison Krauss & Union Station

Rapper Eminem's Oscar-winning theme song "Lose Yourself" from the movie 8 Mile earned him the Best Rap Performance and Best Rap Song titles; songwriter Jeff Bass also earned a Grammy as co-writer on the track.

The Neptunes

Wayne Shorter

Other winners included The White Stripes and jazz greats Wayne Shorter and Michael Brecker, who earned two nods each, as well as Café Tacuba, Christina Aguilera, Vince Gill, Sam Cook, Pink, Foo Fighters, and The Neptunes, who were crowned as Producers of the Year.

BMI's Grammy Award Winners

Christina Aguilera
Best Female Pop Vocal Performance

Audio Adrenaline
Best Rock Gospel Album

Jeff Bass
Best Rap Song

Steve Berkowitz
Best Historical Album

The Blind Boys of Alabama
Best Traditional Soul Gospel Album

Michael Brecker
Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album
Best Instrumental Arrangement

Randy Brecker
Best Contemporary Jazz Album

Caf� Tacuba
Best Latin Rock/Alternative Album

Michel Camilo
Best Latin Jazz Album

Ry Cooder
Best Pop Instrumental Album

Sam Cooke
Best Long Form Music Video

Chick Corea
Best Jazz Instrumental Solo

Ani DiFranco
Best Album Package

Reggie Dozier
Album of the Year

Eminem
Best Rap Song
Best Male Rap Solo Performance

Evanescence
Best New Artist
Best Hard Rock Performance

Foo Fighters
Best Rock Album

Aretha Franklin
Best Traditional R&B Vocal Performance

Vince Gill
Best Male Country Vocal Performance

Jimmy Gonzalez y El Grupo Mazz
Best Tejano Album

Buddy Guy
Best Traditional Blues Album

Rich Harrison
Best R&B Song

Bishop T.D. Jakes
Best Gospel Choir or Chorus Album

Etta James
Best Contemporary Blues Album

k.d. lang (SOCAN)
Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album

Alison Krauss
Best Country Collaboration with Vocals
Alison Krauss & Union Station
Best Country Instrumental Performance
Best Bluegrass Album

Donnie McClurkin
Best Contemporary Soul Gospel Album

Pat Metheny
Best New Age Album

The Neptunes
Producer of the Year, Non-Classical

Pink
Best Female Rock Vocal Performance

Neal Pogue
Album of the Year

Eugene Record
Best R&B Song

Don Rollins
Best Country Song

Wayne Shorter
Best Jazz Instrumental Album
Best Instrumental Composition

Sting (PRS)
Best Pop Collaboration With Vocals

Jimmy Sturr
Best Polka Album

"Weird Al" Yankovic
Best Comedy Album

Jack White (The White Stripes)
Best Rock Song
Best Alternative Music Album

Warren Zevon
Best Rock Performance by Duo or Group
Best Contemporary Folk Album

Warren Zevon

Evanescence

The White Stripes

Rock band Evanescence also topped this year's list, picking up five nominations including Best New Artist and Best Rock Album for their multi-platinum breakthrough release, Fallen. Other five-time nominees were rapper Eminem and the late Warren Zevon. Also receiving multiple nods were Willie Nelson, Jack White of The White Stripes (three with his band and one individual), and classical composer Jose Serebrier with four each and Christina Aguilera with three, including Best Female Pop Vocal Performance for her smash hit, "Beautiful."

Willie Nelson

Eminem

Warren Zevon

The 46th Annual Grammy Awards will be held on Sunday, February 8, 2004, at Staples Center in Los Angeles and will be broadcast on CBS from 8-11:30 p.m. on the East and West Coasts.

BMI's Grammy Nominees

SIX NOMINATIONS
Pharrell Williams

FIVE NOMINATIONS
Eminem
Evanescence
Chad Hugo
Warren Zevon

FOUR NOMINATIONS
Willie Nelson
José Serebrier
The White Stripes

THREE NOMINATIONS
Christina Aguilera
Jeff Bass
Michael Brecker
Chick Corea
Anthony Hamilton
Alison Krauss
Lil' Kim
Shania Twain

TWO NOMINATIONS
Audioslave
Black Eyed Peas
Jorge Calderón
Ry Cooder
Foo Fighters
Fountains of Wayne
Aretha Franklin
Rich Harrison
Heather Headley
Bishop T.D. Jakes
Toby Keith
R. Kelly
k.d. lang (SOCAN)
The Matrix
Martina McBride
Aaron Neville
Nickelback (SOCAN)
Pink
Neal Pogue
Earl Scruggs
Wayne Shorter
Snoop Dogg
Sting (PRS)
Union Station
Doc Watson
will.i.am
John Williams
Lucinda Williams

ONE NOMINATION
Mirwais Ahmadzaï
Akwid
Allman Brothers Band
Audio Adrenaline
Marcia Ball
Luther Barnes & the Sunset Jubilaires
Buju Banton (PRS)
Mark Batson
Steve Berkowitz
Eddie Blazonczyk's Versatones
Carla Bley Big Band
Blind Boys of Alabama
Blue Highway
Michelle Branch
Randy Brecker
Brooks & Dunn
David Bowie (PRS)
Joe Budden
Jimmy Buffett
Martin Buttrich (GEMA)
Café Tacuba
Michel Camilo
Cam'Ron
Caribbean Jazz Project
Rosanne Cash
Stanley Clarke
Eddy "The Chief" Clearwater
The Crabb Family
The Crusaders
Sam Cooke
Adrian Cosentini
Diamond Rio
Ani DiFranco
Reggie Dozier
Jimmy Douglass
Eagles
Fred Ebb
Kurt Elling
Scotty Emerick
The Flaming Lips
Floetry
Bill Frisell
Kenny G
Vince Gill
Gorillaz (PRS)
Percy Gray, Jr.
Buddy Guy
Eddie Gonzalez
Jimmy Gonzalez y El Grupo Mazz
Pat Green
Stephan Haeri
William Hamilton
Roy Hargrove
Faith Hill
Dave Holland Quintet
Eric Idle (PRS)
India
Intocable
Jane's Addiction
Etta James
Keith Jarrett
Jars of Clay
Norah Jones
The Jordanaires
John Kander
Peter Kater
John P. Kee
Garrison Keillor
Kitaro (JASRAC)
Korn
Dave Koz
Nathaniel Kunkel
Patti LaBelle
Amel Larrieux
Glenn Lewis
Mark Levine
Linkin Park
The Light Crust Doughboys
Lonestar
Irving Lorenzo
Patty Loveless
Luis Miguel
Timo Maas (GEMA)
Marilyn Manson
Masters at Work
Donnie McClurkin
Del McCoury Band
Tim McGraw
Sarah McLachlan (SOCAN)
Jim McNeely
Joel McNeely
Pat Metheny
Bette Midler
Ismael Miranda
Molotov
Joel Moss
Newsboys
Bob Norberg
Les Nubians (SACEM)
The Oak Ridge Boys
Walter Ostanek (SOCAN)
Joe Pace
Dolly Parton
Nicholas Payton
Ray Price
Queens of the Stone Age
Eugene Record
Relient K
Don Rollins
Roomful of Blues
The Roots
Scott Rouse
David Sanborn
Pete Seeger
The Sensational Nightingales
Thomas Z. Shepard
Brian Setzer Orchestra
Sean Smith
Luciana Souza
Los Straitjackets
Micheal Strange, Jr.
Jimmy Sturr
Howard Tate
Susan Tedeschi
Télépopmusik (SACEM)
Jacky Terrasson
Los Tigres Del Norte
Los Tucanes De Tijuana
Caetano Veloso
Rhonda Vincent
Redd Volkaert
Muddy Waters
Charlie Wilson
Gerald Wilson Orchestra
Kim Wilson
Vickie Winans
George Winston
Wayne Wonder
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
"Weird Al" Yankovic
Yerba Buena
Maury Yeston
Yellowjackets

Ani DiFranco answers to all of these diverse adjectives, which is why she is one of the most intriguing figures in pop music. In recent years she’s landed on the covers of Ms. and Spin. Today, most alternative rock hipsters are well aware of her image and music.

What makes DiFranco even more noteworthy is that she’s been able to forge a profitable and highly reputable career without the help of a major record label or even a well-known independent record company. From the beginning, the do-it-yourself Buffalo, N.Y. native has stuck with her idealistic vow to retain total control over her music and career.

DiFranco makes albums to her exact specifications and puts them out at a frequent pace that wouldn’t be allowed at most mainstream pop record companies. Since 1989, she has released 14 of her albums on her own Righteous Babe Records label, a company deeply admired by many of her fans for its grassroots orientation and integrity.

There is little doubt that DiFranco would be a far bigger star if she were affiliated with a corporate record label. After making albums for 10 years, she still receives virtually no commercial radio exposure. This is a principal reason why the gifted 29-year-old artist didn’t garner her first gold record until last year when her 1997 live album, Living On Clip, surpassed the 500,000 sales mark.

But DiFranco - who has also produced albums by Janis Ian, Dan Bern and Utah Phillips - cares little about becoming a mega-star. She would much rather make uncompromising music and champion the cause of the non-commercial artist, which is why Righteous Babe receives countless demos from like-minded musicians. Though Righteous Babe only includes one other artist (Utah Phillips), DiFranco says she is looking to expand the label’s roster of acts.

“I don’t believe in the major-label system,” DiFranco told Guitar Player magazine last June. “I don’t think it’s conducive to art, and I think it hurts more musicians than it helps. Probably one-tenth of one percent of the people who get record deals actually get the big push. On the other hand, if you love to play music, there’s nothing wrong with an open mic night, or a gig at a coffeehouse or corner bar. They’re not very glamorous, but those places are where real music happens. I think MTV is full of commercials and bars are full of music.”

DiFranco has come a long way since she performed her first gig 20 years ago at the age of nine. In the 10 years leading up to the release of her self-titled debut album at the age of 19, she wrote over a 100 songs. By the age of 21, she was touring nationally as a solo acoustic act. She would play gigs anywhere she could find them and sell her albums out of the trunk of her Volkswagen.

Through hard work and talent, DiFranco gradually developed a strong cult following. Armed with potent urban folk songs embracing feminist/progressive values and a compelling physical image (shaven head, tattoos and body piercing), she was a hard-to-forget artist for those who saw her perform on stage.

Inevitably, major record companies began showing interest in DiFranco. But there was no way that she was going to cash in her chips with her burgeoning Righteous Babe label, which currently employs 17 people and occupies several 4th floor offices on Buffalo’s Main Street.

DiFranco claims not to possess any great traditional business acumen. She gives the veteran members of the Righteous Babe staff a great deal of credit for the label’s success, which she defines in musical and human terms rather than in financial terms.

“I’m not a good person in terms of maximizing profits,” she once told a journalist. “But I think we run a really good business in the way we treat people and what our priorities are.”