Gaga Back In The Grammy Race?

Lady Gaga fans were no doubt greatly dismayed last week to learn that despite releasing a debut album that has remained close to the top of the sales charts for more than a year and shattering records with a string of hit singles, the singer was out of the running for a Best New Artist Grammy. It turns out, however, that there’s still hope.

At last night’s American Music Awards in Los Angeles, Grammy president Neil Portnow told Entertainment Weekly’s Whitney Pastorek that Gaga’s name might be among the nominees for that honor when they’re announced Dec. 2 from L.A.s Club Nokia during “The Grammy Nominations Concert Live!”

Photo: AP Photo

The singer brings her A-game to Nokia Theatre L.A. Live for the 2009 American Music Awards, delivering a hair-raising performance that included H.R Geiger-inspired costumes, shattered glass panes and liquor bottles and live flames.

The revelation came in response to Pastorek’s question about whether the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences “might consider a rule change to let the year’s biggest breakout act compete for the prestigious prize.”

“Yes,” Pornow said. “The awards and nominations committee meets to review the rules every year.

“We change the rules frequently. We recognize the situation is not perfect, and we are looking at ways to figure it out.”

This year’s Grammy Awards ceremony, which will once again return to L.A.’s Staples Center, has been moved up to Jan. 31 and will air live on CBS beginning at 8 p.m. EST/PST.

The change of date means that the eligibility period for the 52nd annual ceremony was shortened by one month, running from Oct. 1, 2008, through Aug. 31, 2009.