Fontana Artists Earn 30 Grammy Award Nominations

Fontana Artists Earn 30 Grammy Award Nominations

George Carlin, Spyro Gyra, Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder, Shaggy and Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Among Those Recognized

LOS ANGELES, Dec. 5 /PRNewswire/ -- Fontana, the independent distribution arm of Universal Music Group (UMG), the world's leading music company, has received 30 Grammy Award nominations, the most in company history. The announcement was made today by Ron Spaulding, Executive Vice President & General Manager of Fontana.

The nominations were spread out among artists from Fontana's many partner record labels and ranged from Best Contemporary Jazz Album -- Lifecyle by Yellowjackets featuring Mike Stern (Heads Up International) to Best Gospel Performance -- "Shall We Gather At The River" by Take 6 (Heads Up International). The nominations were led by Fontana partner label Heads Up International, which received ten, while Telarc received seven.

"These nominations are a great achievement for Fontana and for all of our partners and artists," stated Spaulding. "It is a direct reflection of the tremendous depth of artistry within our partner companies and also of the incredible dedication of the Fontana team."

"This year has been a remarkable year for us and I am very proud of our team," commented Jim Urie, President & CEO of Universal Music Group Distribution. "Fontana remains committed to providing the most extensive services to our partners and artists in our industry, bar none."

Other major categories represented are Best Pop Instrumental Album -- A Night Before Christmas by Spyro Gyra (Heads Up International); Best Bluegrass Album -- Honoring The Fathers Of Bluegrass: Tribute To 1946 And 1947 by Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder (Skaggs Family Records); Best Reggae Album -- Intoxication by Shaggy (VP Records); Best Traditional World Music Album -- Ilembe: Honoring Shaka Zulu by Ladysmith Black Mambazo (Heads Up International); and Best Comedy Album -- It's Bad For Ya by George Carlin (Eardrum Records).

About Fontana

Fontana Distribution, the independent arm of Universal Music Group Distribution (UMGD), provides unparalleled sales and marketing support, as well as back office services, for a diverse roster of labels and their artists. Fontana distributes more than 100 labels including Vagrant Records, Telarc, Eagle Rock, VP Records, American Gramaphone, Six Degrees, Nitro, SMC, Trustkill, Delicious Vinyl, ESL, Modular, Ministry of Sound, Ipecac, Strange Music, Music World, VH1 Classic Records, MySpace Records and many others. In addition, Fontana distributes select projects from Universal Music Group labels worldwide. For more information, please visit http://www.fontanadistribution.com/.

Source: Universal Music Group

CONTACT: Maria Ho-Burge, +1-917-331-2569, for Universal Music Group

Web site: http://www.fontanadistribution.com/

-------
Profile: intent