> T.I.: "I really appreciate this, " says the rapper-actor, reached at his lakefront Jonesboro home where he is on house arrest for felony charges. The artist born Clifford Harris is up for rap solo performance and rap song, for "Big Things Poppin' (Do It), " and rap album, for "T.I. vs T.I.P."

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"I wasn't expecting to be nominated, just given current circumstances. And when you've been in one space it's hard to rate your heat; you know, really see how hot you are. So again, I really appreciate the notice. I'll just keep thanking God and the fans for the support and all of their prayers. And we shall continue to press on."

> Casting Crowns guitarist Juan DeVevo: "It was pretty incredible, " says DeVevo, about learning of the band's three nominations. "We were just hanging out, doing some shopping at Lenox [Square], and Mark's wife [Melanie Hall, wife of Crowns singer and songwriter Mark Hall] sent us a text message telling us we got three nominations. Since then, we've been texting back and forth. I don't know if we have unlimited texting, but we should."

> DJ Toomp: "I knew this would happen, " says the hip-hop producer, also reached at Lenox Square. Thanks to his work with top nominee Kanye West, he is up for album of the year, for "Graduation"; and he is competing with himself for best rap song, for West's "Can't Tell Me Nothing" and "Good Life." "I definitely programmed it. I told Kanye, 'You know we're going to get a Grammy?'"

The artist born as Aldrin Davis added that he also found out Thursday that one of his songs will be placed on Mariah Carey's upcoming CD. "It's a huge day!"

> Ne-Yo: "This is great!" exclaimed the R&B singer-songwriter, whose nominations include record of the year for Beyonce's "Irreplaceable" and contemporary R&B album for his own "Because of You."

After a black-tie, Brazilian-themed fund-raiser for his Compound Foundation Wednesday night at the Biltmore, he was on a plane Thursday morning to Los Angeles for People magazine's Grammy-nomination party.

"I'm going to be a little too busy here to really, fully enjoy the news, " he added, having just touched down at the airport. "Maybe I'll take my people out for some dinner and drinks later. Whatever we do, it's a great situation . . . and to be up against Tricky [Stewart] and the Dream for [Rihanna's] 'Umbrella' is just really bugged out. I mean, they're family. Tricky and Dream, we're all Atlanta."