Idol Update, Part 3: The Grammys and a "Dreamgirls" Controversy

The Grammy nominations were announced today and Carrie Underwood received three nominations: Best Female Country Vocal Performance and Best Country Song for “Jesus Take the Wheel” and Best New Artist. “Jesus Take the Wheel” also received a nomination for Song of the Year, which goes to the songwriters. Carrie’s competition in the Best New Artist category is James Blunt, Imogen Heap, Chris Brown and Corinne Bailey Rae. Since the Grammys like to avoid the mainstream, I don’t think her chances are very good to win that one, but since Best New Artist usually turns out to be a curse, she probably wouldn’t want it anyway…

There’s apparently a small controversy surrounding the “Dreamgirls” award nominations. One expert is already criticizing the decision to put Jennifer Hudson in the Supporting Actress categories (so the studio can push Beyonce for the Lead Actress categories), since Jennifer is apparently the heart of the movie. Personally, I think it’s an excellent move for Jennifer since the Actress category is so loaded with talent this year and she has an excellent shot at winning (!) in the supporting category. However, it’s important to note that the Academy Awards do not have to follow the studio recommendations and could put Jennifer in whichever category they choose. The Golden Globe nominations will be announced December 14th…

Meanwhile, Fantasia tells “Entertainment Weekly” this week that she was hurt when Jennifer beat her out for the part. Fantasia called her and said, “Heifer, you took my part!” (What a lovely nickname for a friend!). Having seen Fantasia’s acting abilities, I’d say it was an easy choice…