James Blunt has led the British invasion of the Grammys after notching up five nominations.
Despite the continued popularity of “You’re Beautiful,” the 32-year-old singer-songwriter said getting multiple nominations was “a real surprise.”
His nominations included record of the year, song of the year, new artist and pop vocal album.
He added: “The Grammys is a pretty phenomenal institution. It’s a huge honor,” he said. “It should be a great night.”
The show was stolen by Mary J Blige who picked up eight nominations, and LA’s Red Hot Chili Peppers who landed six nominations for the music industry’s biggest awards.
Other British acts included Corrine Bailey Rae who was nominated no in three categories, the Arctic Monkeys who received two nominations.
Collecting three nominations was “brilliant,” Rae said.
“It’s a great end to the year, to go home for Christmas knowing my name is on a list of people I’ve admired for a long time,” the 27-year-old said.
“The fact that I was on the stage with Mary J. Blige, I think it’s amazing, it’s hilarious. It’s really a big moment, when the weirdness of all of it comes home.”
Besides Rae, other nominees for best new artist included teen R&B singer Chris Brown, Imogen Heap, Blunt, and former “American Idol” winner Carrie Underwood.
Gnarls Barkley, a duo of producer Danger Mouse and rapper/singer Cee-Lo, were surprisingly shut out. However, they did receive a total of four nominations.
The 49th annual Grammy Awards will take place at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Feb 11.
Congrats James!
