Carey revels in 8 Grammy nods

NEW YORK — First Mimi was emancipated; now Mariah Carey is being celebrated.

Carey, who just a couple of years ago was considered a dimming star, was reaffirmed as one of music's brightest Thursday as she was nominated for eight Grammy awards, including album of the year for "The Emancipation of Mimi."

Vanguard rapper/producer Kanye West equaled Carey's accomplishment with eight nominations, as did his protege, John Legend. Other multiple nominees included U2, Bruce Springsteen and Gwen Stefani.

Nominated in the best gospel choir- or chorus-album category was Gladys Knight's "One Voice," in which she leads the Saints Unified Voices choir. The album was released last January on Knight's own Many Roads Records label.

Critics and fans have focused on Mariah Carey's amazing career turnaround, but she doesn't like to call it a comeback. Instead, the 35-year-old diva, who received her only Grammys in 1991 for best new artist and best pop vocal performance, sees her newfound success as a validation of the kind of music she's wanted to do all along.

"A lot of times in my career, I was never allowed to release my favorite songs as the singles. Sometimes they would be my favorite songs, but sometimes no," Carey told The Associated Press after the nominations were announced. "This is like an album of my favorite songs, and so that's what feels great, because as an artist, you want people to hear your best work."

Besides album of the year, Carey's other nominations included record and song of the year for the heartbreak ballad "We Belong Together," and best female pop vocal for the club hit "It's Like That."

West, who last year led all nominees with ten including album of the year, was nominated in that category again this year for "Late Registration." His Ray Charles-inspired hit, "Gold Digger," was nominated for record of the year and he also was cited for being a producer on Carey's album.

West could also revel in the good fortune of Legend, whose nominations included best new artist, along with Ciara, Fall Out Boy, Sugarland, and Keane. U2 received five nominations, including album of the year for the best-selling "How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb" and song of the year for "Sometimes You Can't Make It on Your Own."

Paul McCartney was also nominated in the album of the year category for "Chaos and Creation in the Backyard." The album garnered the former Beatle his best reviews in decades; it also marked his first Grammy nomination in 26 years.