If, as has been said, one can gauge the health of the industry by the quality of the Grammys, it's far past time to write the obituary of popular music as a means of mass communication.

In all seriousness, how are the Grammy Awards truly relevant in this day and age? Maybe in the pre-iTunes era, when everyone had the same outlet for music — making mixtapes courtesy of timing the pause button just right from the radio and showing up on record release Tuesdays. I'm not playing the I-hate-all-music-that's-popular über snob card, but isn't that who profits the most from payola nominations? It's a foregone conclusion that those nominated aren't really the best out there. It's just weird that in spite of the biz limping on into the sunset, the Grannies still managed to stick around in existence. And nothing is ever groundbreaking, edgy, or God forbid — has some f-bombs thrown in for good measure. I think they also send nominee ballots to Mormon clergy and Murder She Wrote fan club members.

This year's edition continues the tradition of much ado about nothing. I'm thrilled that Mary J. Blige is getting the mainstream respect that's been long overdue and I'm sure they'll be more additions to the mantle since it's official that she's having her best year ever with a field leading 8 nods. Let's just hope James Blunt wins Best New Artist and subsequently disappears. There's nothing the voters love more than a fresh faced ingenue who taps into easygoing soul, so score a huge win for Corinne Bailey Rae. The old geezers at NARAS are getting the Dance/Electronica categories almost right this year. I'm totally tickled pink to see Goldfrapp and Pet Shop Boys on the same ballot. Also pumping my fist on the love shown to Gnarls Barkley, Lupe Fiasco & Kelis. But for every step forward, I've learned to brace myself for the inevitable five steps backward and one sideways. Pharrell's shiteous In My Mind alongside The Roots' Game Theory for Best Rap Album? Surely you jest. Chris Brown instead of the totally deserving Ne-Yo as the Best New Artist of 2006? He's a cute kid and his MJ impersonation is admirable, but come the fuck on. Or better yet, how can voters justify the blatant omission of KT Tunstall? In a year rife with Johnny-come-latelys, the smoky voiced Scot was a welcome addition to the post-Lilith crew of female singer/songwriters. And isn't it time to redefine what a "new artist" is already? It can be titled the Shelby Lynne amendment. I heart Imogen Heap to death, however.... when you've released an album in '98 and were a member of a group that cut a disc in 2002, your record release hymen was broken long, long ago.

Largely overlooked this year were Nelly Furtado, whose inescapable hit "Promiscuous" was banished to the Pop Collaboration by a Duo or Group category, and Bob Dylan, whose Modern Times had been expected to be vie for Album of the Year, but has to settle for a nomination for Best Contemporary Folk/Americana Album.

Biggest upset has to be that Timbaland was snubbed for Producer Of The Year. I guess laminating ghetto passes for former mouseketeers doesn't always have its privileges.

A round up of the major contenders in the big 5 are listed after the jump.

Album of the Year:

Dixie Chicks, Taking The Long Way

Gnarls Barkley, St. Elsewhere

John Mayer, Continuum

Red Hot Chili Peppers, Stadium Arcadium

Justin Timberlake, FutureSex/LoveSounds

Record of the Year:

Mary J. Blige, Be Without You

James Blunt, You're Beautiful

Dixie Chicks, Not Ready To Make Nice

Gnarls Barkley, Crazy

Corinne Bailey Rae, Put Your Records On

Song of the Year:

Be Without You, (performed by Mary J. Blige), written by Blige, Johnta Austin, Bryan-Michael Cox and Jason Perry

Jesus, Take the Wheel, (performed by Carrie Underwood), written by Brett James, Hillary Lindsey and Gordie Sampson

Not Ready To Make Nice, (performed by the Dixie Chicks), written by Martie Maguire, Natalie Maines, Emily Robison and Dan Wilson

Put Your Records On, (performed by Corinne Bailey Rae), written by John Beck, Steve Chrisanthou and Bailey Rae

You're Beautiful, (performed by James Blunt), written by Blunt, Amanda Ghost and Sacha Skarbe

Best New Artist:

James Blunt

Chris Brown

Imogen Heap

Corinne Bailey Rae

Carrie Underwood

Labels: award shows, Grammys, Mary J. Blige, nominations

Samuel L. Jackson took an awful lot of flack when he chastised entertainers who turn their attention to the silver screen in attempts to broaden their marketing appeal in more than one field. But when I read stories like this one, it's clear that he wasn't back on the crack pipe when venting those frustrations in the press.

In a move that will certainly make or break her future in box office vehicles to come, according to the Hollywood Reporter, the Queen of Hip-Hop Soul, Mary J. Blige has signed on to headline an MTV Films biopic of... are you ready to keep a straight face after the "run that by me one mo' gin?" shock value marinates?

Nina Simone.

The MTV Films/Paramount Pictures project will chronicle Simone's ascent to stardom and her relationship with Paris-based manager Clifton Henderson.

Simone, known as the high priestess of soul, rose to fame in the '60s with signature jazz ballads and such powerful protest songs as "Mississippi Goddam" and "To Be Young, Gifted, and Black," an anthem of the civil rights movement. In 1974, the chanteuse went into exile, eventually ending up in Paris, where she died in 2003. The film will be produced by Interscope Records Chairman Jimmy Iovine along with Lauren Lloyd, Gene Kirkwood and Eminem's manager, Paul Rosenberg. A director has not been named, but the screenplay will be penned by television writer Cynthia Mort ("Will & Grace," "Roseanne").

Since I have a pocket full of Nina stored on the Nano and already had the misfortune of seeing MJB's ill-fated debut in Prison Song (the god awful vanity piece starring Q-Tip and constantly rerun on BET as an example of "Black Star Power"), I'm truly disturbed at this piece of casting. A legend like this jazz diva personified deserves to have an actress with the chops to truly bring the essence of her story to life. One choice that immediately springs to mind is the criminally underrated Heather Headley. Not only does she look the part (and reps my T&T massive always!), but also has a Best Actress Tony to back up her impressive pipes. But Hollywood's lust for a marquee name over the lesser known but infinitely able strikes again. The prospects of having classics like Four Women and I Loves You Porgy reduced to lung shredding dramatics and a Bad Boy remix to House Of The Rising Sun as a bonus soundtrack cut makes me want to barf. If La Nina hadn't already passed on, I'm sure the news alone would be enough to resurrect her corpse and cause cognitive heart failure.

May the ghost of Ms. Simone cast a spell on the preproduction so this train wreck in the making never ventures past the cutting room floor.

Labels: Mary J. Blige, movies, Nina Simone