Artists with local ties score at the Grammys

LOS ANGELES — Three nominees with Northwest links won Grammys Sunday.

The Foo Fighters, classical violinist James Ehnes and comedy recording group Flight of the Conchords — part of the artist roster of Seattle-based Sub Pop Records — all picked up awards.

A number of other Northwest-connected nominees, however, went home without awards, most notably Eddie Vedder and Chris Cornell. Both songwriters were contenders for Best Song Written for Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media: Vedder for "Guaranteed," from the soundtrack to "Into the Wild," and Cornell for "You Know My Name," from "Casino Royale." The award went to Siedah Garrett and Henry Krieger, for "Love You I Do" from "Dreamgirls."

The Foo Fighters won Best Rock Album for "Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace," and Best Hard Rock Performance for "The Pretender," a track from the album. Those marked the fifth and sixth career Grammys for the band founded by former Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl.

Violinist Ehnes, a native of Manitoba who was appointed associate artistic director of the Seattle Chamber Music Society last May, won Best Instrumental Soloist Performance (with Orchestra) for his recording of violin concertos by Barber, Korngold and Walton with conductor/composer Bramwell Tovey and the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra.

Flight of the Conchords — Jemaine Clement and Bret McKenzie of New Zealand — won Best Comedy Recording for "The Distant Future," a six-track EP that features material that has achieved cult popularity through the duo's HBO show.

Another Sub Pop recording, The Shins' "Wincing the Night Away," was up for Best Alternative Music Album, but lost to The White Stripes' "Icky Thump."

Issaquah-based acoustic guitarist Eric Tingstad, who won a 2003 Grammy for Best New Age Album with collaborator and oboist Nancy Rumbel (also of Issaquah), saw his album "Southwest" lose out this year to the Paul Winter Consort's "Crestone."

Other nominees who didn't claim prizes:

• Don Clark, co-owner of Seattle-based design shop Invisible Creature, was up for Best Recording Package for his work as art director on "Secrets Make You Sick," the second recording by Chicago rock band The Fold, released by Seattle-based Tooth & Nail Records.

• Stephen Stubbs, a Seattle-born lutenist, conductor and faculty member of the Seattle Academy of Baroque Opera, was nominated for Best Opera Recording as a co-conductor (with Paul O'Dette) on the recording "Lully: Thésée."

• Black Lodge, a Yakima-based Native American drum and vocal group, received its sixth career nomination for "Watch This Dancer!" in the Best Native American Album category.

• And Tucker Martine, a long-time Seattle producer/engineer/musician who moved to Portland last year, was nominated for Best Engineered Album (Non-Classical) for his work on "Floratone," featuring Seattleites Bill Frisell and percussionist Matt Chamberlin.

• Barsuk Records of Seattle also had a nominee in the Best Recording Package category. Craig Thompson, a graphic novelist, served as art director/illustrator for the album "Friend and Foe" by Menomena.