Ray Charles nominated for 7 Grammy Awards

The late Ray Charles has been nominated for seven prestigious Grammy Awards.The musician, who died earlier this year aged 73, is in the running with his duets album 'Genius Loves Company' which, ironically, was the biggest selling album of his career.Meanwhile, Rapper Kanye West, scooped the highest number of nominations - 10 - for the chart-topping debut album he recorded after surviving a near-fatal car crash. Joss Stone, the 17-year-old British beauty, who this year has taken both the UK and America by storm, is up for three gongs.Dubbed the white Aretha Franklin, the singer won votes for her critically-acclaimed hit album 'Mind, Body and Soul'.R&B singers Alicia Keys and Usher picked up eight nominations each, while the California punk-rock band Green Day scored six.Norah Jones, the country music legend Loretta Lynn, funk musician Prince and music producer and engineer Al Schmitt each earned five nominations.

West, who looks set to sweep the board at the 2005 Los Angeles on February 13, said: "Ten nominations, that's amazing. That's like a perfect score. I'm at a loss for words."