GRAMMY.com

The GRAMMY Awards honor recordings in 108 categories across 31 fields, from rap to classical. To help readers get a better sense of the nominees and the wealth of recordings they’ve created over the past year, GRAMMY.com has prepared these field Roundups, which give quick details on the nominees in an easy-to-read format.

Christina Aguilera and Pink, who shared a GRAMMY in 2001 for the all-star collaboration "Lady Marmalade" (which also featured Lil' Kim and Mya), are competing against each other this year for BEST FEMALE POP VOCAL PERFORMANCE. Aguilera is nominated for "Ain't No Other Man"; Pink for "Stupid Girls." Aguilera won in this category in 2003 with her smash "Beautiful." Another past winner in the category, Sheryl Crow, is represented with "You Can Close Your Eyes." Crow won in 1994 for her breakthrough hit, "All I Wanna Do." The other nominees are Natasha Bedingfield's "Unwritten" and KT Tunstall's "Black Horse And The Cherry Tree."

John Mayer, a two-time winner for BEST MALE POP VOCAL PERFORMANCE for "Your Body Is A Wonderland" and "Daughters," is nominated again with "Waiting On The World To Change." The track is from Continuum, which is competing for both Album Of The Year and Best Pop Vocal Album. Paul McCartney receives his 65th career nomination for "Jenny Wren," a track from his 2005 album, Chaos And Creation In The Backyard. John Legend, who won three GRAMMYs last year, including Best New Artist, is represented with "Save Room." James Blunt, a finalist for Best New Artist this year, is nominated with "You're Beautiful." The fifth contender is Daniel Powter, for "Bad Day."

The Black Eyed Peas, who won GRAMMYs the last two years running for Best Rap Performance By A Duo Or Group, are nominated this year for BEST POP PERFORMANCE BY A DUO OR GROUP WITH VOCAL for "My Humps." The track is from Monkey Business, which also spawned the Peas' win last year. Death Cab For Cutie is nominated for "I Will Follow You Into The Dark," a track from Plans, which was nominated last year for Best Alternative Music Album. The other contenders are the Fray's "Over My Head (Cable Car)," Keane's "Is It Any Wonder?" and the Pussycat Dolls' "Stickwitu."

Sting and Mary J. Blige, who shared the award for BEST POP COLLABORATION WITH VOCALS three years ago for "Whenever I Say Your Name," are competing against each other this year with new duet projects. Sheryl Crow & Sting are nominated with "Always On Your Side," a track from Crow's album Wildflower. Mary J. Blige & U2 are in the running with their treatment of U2's 1992 hit "One." Tony Bennett & Stevie Wonder are nominated for "For Once In My Life," which Bennett introduced in 1967 and Wonder turned into a smash the following year. The other contenders are Shakira & Wyclef Jean for "Hips Don't Lie" and Nelly Furtado & Timbaland for "Promiscuous."

Enya, a three-time winner of the GRAMMY for Best New Age Album, is nominated for BEST POP INSTRUMENTAL PERFORMANCE with "Drifting." She is vying to become only the second woman (following Sarah McLachlan) to win in this category, which has been awarded every year since the GRAMMYS began in 1958. Enya is squaring off against four past category winners. George Benson, nominated for his version of Al Jarreau’s 1983 hit "Mornin'," and the Brian Setzer Orchestra, nominated for the Rodgers & Hammerstein classic "My Favorite Things," are both two-time category champs. Béla Fleck & The Flecktones, nominated for "Subterfuge," and Bruce Hornsby, a finalist with "Song H," have each won once in the category.

Larry Carlton, who, with Steve Lukather, took the GRAMMY for BEST POP INSTRUMENTAL ALBUM five years ago for No Substitutions — Live In Osaka, is back in the running with Fire Wire. Carlton is facing four artists who are looking to win their first GRAMMYS. Peter Frampton, who was nominated for Album Of The Year in 1976 for his blockbuster Frampton Comes Alive, is represented with Fingerprints. The other candidates are Gerald Albright's New Beginnings, Fourplay's X and Spyro Gyra's Wrapped In A Dream.

Justin Timberlake and Christina Aguilera are the only finalists for BEST POP VOCAL ALBUM who have been nominated for the award before. The two stars faced off three years ago with Justified and Stripped, respectively. (Timberlake won the award.) They are back with their latest releases, FutureSex/LoveSounds and Back To Basics. Elvis Costello & Allen Toussaint, who have been pop music innovators for decades, are nominated for their collaboration, The River In Reverse. The other finalists are James Blunt's Back To Bedlam and John Mayer's Continuum.

Madonna, who won for BEST DANCE RECORDING in 1998 for "Ray Of Light," is nominated again in the category with "Get Together." Madonna has been a pop and dance icon since the early '80s. Two other finalists also date back to the '80s: Depeche Mode, nominated for "Suffer Well," emerged in 1981; and Pet Shop Boys, represented with "I'm With Stupid," broke through in 1986. Justin Timberlake & Timbaland are nominated for "Sexy Back," a track from Timberlake's album, FutureSex/LoveSounds. The fifth contender is "Ooh La La" by the English duo Goldfrapp.

Three of those five dance acts are also vying for BEST ELECTRONIC/DANCE ALBUM. Madonna is nominated for Confessions On A Dance Floor, her return to the strong dance sensibility of her early hits; Pet Shop Boys for Fundamental; and Goldfrapp for Supernature. They face Oakenfold's A Lively Mind, the latest album by Paul Oakenfold, the veteran English DJ/artist/producer. Oakenfold was a finalist in this category in 2004 with Creamfields. The fifth nominee is Zero 7's The Garden.

Tony Bennett, who has won for BEST TRADITIONAL POP VOCAL ALBUM a record nine times, is back in the running with Duets: An American Classic. He faces one of his duet partners on the album, Michael Bublé, who is nominated with Caught In The Act. Bublé was in the finals last year with It's Time. Motown legend Smokey Robinson, who, like Bennett, is a GRAMMY Lifetime Achievement Award winner, is nominated for Timeless Love. Bette Midler, a finalist three years ago for her tribute to Rosemary Clooney, is back with Bette Midler Sings The Peggy Lee Songbook. The fifth nominee is Sarah McLachlan, nominated for her holiday album, Wintersong.