U2 could be the prestige winner in this year's Grammys, with nominations for album of the year and best rock vocal performance by a duo or group with vocal (for The Joshua Tree); and song of the year and record of the year (for ''I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For").
"I guess these Paddies did all right for themselves," said Larry Mullen, drummer and founder of the Irish rock band, through his publicist, Paul Wasserman.
The Grammys will be awarded March 2 in New York. Comedian Billy Crystal will host a live telecast on CBS-TV.
The most mentions went to opera singer Kathleen Battle with five. She was nominated for best classical vocal soloist performance and sings on four of the five nominees for best opera recording.
Both Jackson and Springsteen were nominated for best male pop vocal performance. Jackson's Bad album was nominated for album of the year and the title track also was nominated for best male rhythm-and-blues vocal performance. Jackson shared a nomination for producer of the year with Quincy Jones.
Springsteen also picked up a nomination for best rock vocal performance, female or male, for his work on the Tunnel of Love album, and best rock instrumental performance for "Paradise by the 'C.' "
Harris was nominated for best female country vocal performance for the album Angel Band. Her album Trio with Dolly Parton and Linda Ronstadt was nominated for best album and best country vocal performance by a duo or group. ''You Are," which she recorded with Glen Campbell, was nominated for best country duet vocal performance.
U2's competition for record of the year - the best single - includes a pair of veterans who earned Grammys last year: Paul Simon for "Graceland" and Steve Winwood for "Back in the High Life," along with Vega for "Luka" and Los Lobos for "La Bamba."
Simon won in 1987 for the album Graceland, and Winwood won in 1987 for his single "Higher Love."
Vega, a New York cult figure until breaking in nationally with "Luka," also was nominated for song of the year and best female pop vocal performance. She never before had been nominated for a Grammy.
Whitney Houston, who scored three No. 1 hits last year, was nominated for female pop vocal performance, album of the year and best female R&B vocal performance.
The National Association of Recording Arts and Sciences, which has more than 6,000 members, chose the nominees for recordings in 71 categories released during the year from Oct. 1, 1986, to Sept. 30, 1987. Nominated in the category of best new artist were Terence Trent D'Arby, Jody Watley and the groups Breakfast Club, Cutting Crew and Swing Out Sister.
The best jazz instrumental performance category includes an interesting matchup between brothers Branford and Wynton Marsalis. Branford was nominated for his Cottontail album, Wynton for Marsalis Standard Time - Volume I.
Anchoring a series of news conferences held across the country to announce the nominees, veteran record producer Milt Gabler began the New York proceedings by saying that five records had been added to the NARAS Hall of Fame.
He listed them as "Charlie Parker with Strings" by the jazz saxophonist; ''Hound Dog" by Elvis Presley; "Maybelline" by Chuck Berry; "Stardust" by Artie Shaw, and a recording of Richard Wagner's Tristan und Isolde.
Two categories - best female rock vocalist and best jazz vocal performance by a group or duo - were dropped this year due to a lack of potential nominees.
