Mariah, Kanye and Legend lead in Grammy nods

2005 is looking more and more like it’s going to be known as the year of Mariah. R&B/pop songstress Mariah Carey has earned herself eight of today’s newly-announced Grammy nominations, including album of the year for "The Emancipation of Mimi" and song and record of the year for "We Belong Together." Her eight nods tie her with Kanye West and John Legend for the most nominations this year. Legend was nominated for best new artist and West was nominated for album and song of the year for “Late Registration� and “Gold Digger,� respectively.

Both Legend and Carey were quick to express gratitude to the Recording Academy for their recognition. "I feel incredible," Legend said, while Mariah exclaimed, "This year has been such a blessing…I'm grateful for the nominations and I'm really grateful for the fact that people are responding to the music I've made."

U2 and Gwen Stefani each received five nominations. 50, Bruce Springsteen and Stevie Wonder were also rewarded with several nods. The Grammy will take place on February 8 in Los Angeles.