Vince Gill photo courtesy of MCA Nashville.
January 30, 2008 — Two country artists, Vince Gill and Carrie Underwood, are featured on the 2008 Grammy® Nominees CD, an annual album that compiles music by some of the most important finalists in the Recording Academy's annual competition.
Released yesterday, this year's model includes Carrie's performance of "Before He Cheats," which is up for Song of the Year; and Vince's collaboration with Sheryl Crow on "What You Give Away," pulled from his project These Days, in the running for Album of the Year. They appear along with 19 tracks from artists representing other genres, including Amy Winehouse, Foo Fighters, Herbie Hancock, Maroon 5 and U2.
Carrie is slated to perform on the Grammys Feb. 10, as the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences airs its 50th annual presentation from the Staples Center in Los Angeles. Vince declined an offer to do a truncated version of one of his songs.
In contrast to other recent awards shows, the Grammys received a waiver yesterday from the Writers Guild, allowing producers to use members of the striking union in developing the show.