Northwest stacked with Grammy nominees

Artists with Northwest connections may win big this year at the Grammys, as there are plenty of local nominees.

Bellingham indie band Death Cab for Cutie is up for awards in two categories — Best Alternative Music Album (Vocal or Instrumental) for "Narrow Stairs," and Best Rock Song for "I Will Possess Your Heart."

Pearl Jam lead singer Eddie Vedder is nominated for Best Solo Rock Vocal Performance, for "Rise." Last year, Vedder also pocketed a Grammy nod, for Best Song Written for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media for "Guaranteed," from the film "Into the Wild."

Flight of the Conchords — on Seattle-based label Sub Pop Records — may also be up for an encore. The funny duo, made up of Bret McKenzie and Jemaine Clement, won last year for Best Comedy Album. The New Zealand rockers are nominated again for comedy album, for "Flight of the Conchords."

The soundtrack for Academy Award-winning indie film "Juno" — featuring songs by Olympia singer-songwriter Kimya Dawson — is nominated for Best Compilation Soundtrack Album for Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media.

The Northwest has always been a hotbed of jazz. This year, there are two jazz nominees from the area. Seattle guitarist Bill Frisell is up for Best Jazz Instrumental Album, Individual or Group for "History, Mystery." (In 2005, he won Best Contemporary Jazz Album for his album "Unspeakable.") Also, Chris Walden — on Seattle-based jazz and classical label Origin Records — is nominated for Best Orchestral Performance and Best Classical Contemporary Composition for "Symphony No. 1: The Four Elements."

In world music, Winston Ma, of First Impression Music from Redmond, was nominated for "Best Instrumental Soloist Performance" for "Red Cliff Capriccio," a guzheng solo.

And "Force of Nature," by Led Kaapana & Mike Kaawa, is up for Best Hawaiian Music Album (Vocal or Instrumental). It was recorded at Triple Door and Kenyon Hall in Seattle, and Rick Chinn of Sammamish was part of the production team.

Local classical and operatic music are among the nominees as well. Gerard Schwarz's work as conductor with the Seattle Symphony on "The Shoe Bird" is up for the Best Musical Album for Children. And Seattle lutenist and conductor Stephen Stubbs is nominated for Best Opera Recording for "Lully: Psyché," with fellow conductor Paul O'Dette and others from the Boston Early Music Festival Orchestra and the Boston Early Music Festival Chorus. Stubbs was also nominated last year and in 2005.

On the artistic side, Seattle artist Don Clark, from the Queen Anne firm Invisible Creature, was nominated for Best Recording Package for the album "Hawk Nelson Is My Friend!" This is the firm's fourth Grammy nomination. "Nouns," released by Sub Pop, was also nominated in that category.

Finally, "Young Frankenstein: The Musical," the Broadway show that debuted in Seattle, is up for Best Musical Show Album.

Some winners will be announced during the Grammy show, airing at 8 tonight on CBS. Check www.grammy.com for a complete list.

Marian Liu: 206-464-3825 or mliu@seattletimes.com