December 04, 2009

By By Richard Smirke, London

As the only U.K. act to be nominated in one of the main Grammy Award categories, Columbia-signed alt-rock band the Ting Tings is primed to benefit most when the awards ceremony takes place next month in Los Angeles, says its U.K. label.

"For a British artist to be nominated for a Grammy is always a significant achievement, but in 2009 this feels all the more significant as fewer British artists have made a big impact in America this year," says Columbia Label Group U.K. managing director Mike Smith.

The band is up for the best new artist award alongside the Zac Brown Band, Keri Hilson, MGMT and Silversun Pickups. In contrast to last year's Grammy Awards -- where U.K. acts dominated the major categories with XL Recordings artist Adele winning best new artist and Coldplay taking home three awards, including best rock album and song of the year -- the Ting Tings' is the sole British name in the major award categories.

That is a tribute to the band's "incredible talent, originality and drive," says Smith, who praises Columbia in America for "consistently delivering innovative campaign ideas with a true understanding of the artists' integrity and creative standpoint."

"We are now in an amazing position to launch the second Ting Tings' album in 2010, which looks set to catapult the band to even greater worldwide success," he tells Billboard.biz.

Despite the absence of U.K. acts in the major categories, there is still a high number of Brits among the nominees, including Adele, who is up for best female pop vocal performance for "Hometown Glory," from her debut studio set "19" (XL/Columbia); Seal, nominated for best male pop vocal performance for "If You Don't Know Me By Now" from "Soul" (143/Warner Bros.) and Imogen Heap, who receives two nods -- best pop instrumental performance for "The Fire," taken from her RCA Records/Megaphonic Records set "Ellipse," and best engineered album, non-classical.

Other notable British nominees include: Eric Clapton and Steve Winwood's "Can't Find My Way Home" (Reprise) battling Coldplay's "Life In Technicolor II" (Parlophone/Capitol) in the best rock performance category; Pet Shop Boys for best electronic/dance album for "Yes" (Astralwerks); and Depeche Mode best alternative album with "Sounds of the Universe" (Mute/Capitol).

"There's fewer nominations than last year [but] it's still a good showing for 2010," insists Geoff Taylor, chief executive of U.K. labels body the BPI, adding that this is, after all, "a cyclical business."

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