Sullivan hits it big with 5 Grammy nods

The Recording Academy just made it easier for her. It nominated her for five Grammys, including best new artist. Her nominations match veterans like John Mayer and Alison Krauss. She’s only 21. “It’s surreal,” she said after the nominations ceremony at the Nokia Theatre. “I can’t believe they actually liked the project and liked me as an artist.” Besides the best new artist nomination — which pits her against the Jonas Brothers, U.K. songstresses Adele and Duffy and country act Lady Antebellum — Sullivan’s CD, “Fearless,” was nominated for best contemporary R&B album. She was also nominated for best female R&B vocal for “Need U Bad,” best traditional R&B vocal for “In Love With Another Man,” and best R&B song for “Bust Your Windows.” Pretty good for a singer who was dropped by her first record label. As a teenager, Sullivan was signed to Jive Records, she said. After two years, the label scrapped her album and cut her loose. “My story is one of perseverance — keeping yourself up and learning from your mistakes,” she said. “I did all these things and I started really focusing on my writing. [1] Like Ne-Yo, Sullivan’s debut was released in September featuring the hit single “Need U Bad” and current single “Bust Your Windows”. Earning her first major award nod, Sullivan was nominated for Best New Artist where she is accompanied by the Jonas Brothers, Duffy, Adele, and Lady Antebellum. Jazmine Sullivan’s remaining nominations, not including Best Contemporary R&B Album, stem from three records: “Need U Bad,” “In Love With Another Man,” and “Bust Your Windows,” which are nominated for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance, Best Traditional R&B Vocal Performance and Best R&B Song respectively. Former ‘Dreamgirls’ star Jennifer Hudson, who ironically released her debut in September along with Ne-Yo and Sullivan, picked up four nominations.