Chris Martin has said he is inspired by Kanye West’s confidence.

The Coldplay frontman said the rapper’s innovative techniques made him want to write better music.

And he said he admired the fact that West ignores his critics.

He said: “That’s what I really admire about Kanye. Because for all the flak he gets, I feel so inspired by his confidence.

“He knows that there’s been all this history of music, but he still believes he can do something that no one else has done.

“That, for me, is a liberating idea.”

Martin, 32, who appeared in Kanye’s Homecoming video, said the band still wanted to write new music – but they may take a break from performing gigs.

He told a US newspaper: “We spend an awful lot of time creating. Maybe it’s because we’re about to turn 33, but I just feel hungry to write all the time.

“I think at the end of this tour, we may not tour for a while. We may put out a record without quite so much fanfare.

“I think the next one will be quite stripped-down and based upon this story idea which I can’t talk about because it might be bad.”

Record of the Year
Chasing Pavements, Adele
Viva La Vida, Coldplay
Bleeding Love, Leona Lewis
Paper Planes, M.I.A.
Please Read the Letter, Robert Plant & Alison Krauss

Album of the Year
Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends, Coldplay
Tha Carter III, Lil Wayne
Year of the Gentleman, Ne-Yo
Raising Sand, Robert Plant & Alison Krauss
In Rainbows, Radiohead

Song of the Year
American Boy, Estelle feat. Kanye West
Chasing Pavements, Adele
I’m Yours, Jason Mraz
Love Song, Sarah Bareilles
Viva La Vida, Coldplay

Best Male Pop Vocal Performance
Kid Rock, All Summer Long,
John Mayer, Say
Paul McCartney, That Was Me
Jason Mraz, I’m Yours
Ne-Yo, Closer
James Taylor, Wichita Lineman

Best Female Pop Vocal Performance
Adele, Chasing Pavements
Sara Bareilles, Love Song
Duffy, Mercy
Leona Lewis, Bleeding Love
Katy Perry, I Kissed a Girl
Pink, So What

Best New Artist
Adele
Duffy
Jonas Brothers
Lady Antebellum
Jazmine Sullivan

Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals
Coldplay, Viva La Vida
Eagles, Waiting in the Weeds
Gnarls Barkley, Going On
Maroon 5, Won’t Go Home Without You
One Republic, Apologize

Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals
Alicia Keys & John Mayer, Lesson Learned
Madonna, Justin Timberlake & Timbaland, Four Minutes
Robert Plant & Alison Krauss, Rich Woman
Rihanna & Maroon 5, If I Never See Your Face Again
Jordin Sparks & Chris Brown, No Air

Best Pop Instrumental Album
Sax For Stax, Gerald Albright
Greatest Hits Rerecorded Volume One, Larry Carlton
Jingle All The Way, Béla Fleck & The Flecktones
The Spice Of Life, Earl Klugh
A Night Before Christmas, Spyro Gyra

Best Pop Instrumental Performance
Steve Cropper & Felix Cavaliere, Love Appetite
Eagles, I Dreamed There Was No War
Fourplay, Fortune Teller
Stanley Jordan, Steppin’ Out
Marcus Miller, Blast!

Best Pop Vocal Album
Detours, Sheryl Crow
Rockferry, Duffy
Long Road Out Of Eden, Eagles
Spirit, Leona Lewis
Covers, James Taylor

Best Dance Recording
Harder Better Faster Stronger, Daft Punk
Ready for the Flow, Hot Chip
Just Dance, Lady Gaga & Colby O’Donis
Give It 2 Me, Madonna
Disturbia, Rihanna
Black & Gold, Sam Sparro

Best Electronic or Dance Album
New York City, Brazilian Girls
Alive 2007, Daft Punk
Bring Ya to the Brink, Cyndi Lauper
X, Kylie Minogue
Last Night, Moby
Robyn, Robyn

Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album
Still Unforgettable, Natalie Cole
The Sinatra Project, Michael Feinstein
Noël, Josh Groban
In The Swing Of Christmas, Barry Manilow
Rufus Does Judy At Carnegie Hall, Rufus Wainwright

Best Solo Rock Vocal Performance
John Mayer, Gravity
Paul McCartney, I Saw Her Standing There
Bruce Springsteen, Girls in Their Summer Clothes
Eddie Vedder, Rise
Neil Young, No Hidden Path

Best Metal Performance
DragonForce, Heroes Of Our Time
Judas Priest, Nostradamus
Metallica, My Apocalypse
Ministry, Under My Thumb
Slipknot, Psychosocial

Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals
AC/DC, Rock N Roll Train
Coldplay, Violet Hill
Eagles, Long Road Out of Eden
Kings of Leon, Sex on Fire
Radiohead, House of Cards

Best Hard Rock Performance
Disturbed, Inside The Fire
Judas Priest, Visions
The Mars Volta, Wax Simulacra
Mötley Crüe, Saints of Los Angeles
Rob Zombie, Lords of Salem

Best Rock Instrumental Performance
David Gilmour, Castellorizon
Metallica, Suicide & Redemption
Nine Inch Nails, 34 Ghosts I-IV
Rush, Hope (Live For The Art Of Peace)
Zappa Plays Zappa, Peaches En Regalia

Best Rock Song
Girls in Their Summer Clothes, Bruce Springsteen
House Of Cards, Radiohead
I Will Possess Your Heart, Death Cab For Cutie
Sex On Fire, Kings of Leon
Violet Hill, Coldplay

Best Rock Album
Viva La Vida Or Death And All His Friends, Coldplay
Rock N Roll Jesus, Kid Rock
Only By The Night, Kings of Leon
Death Magnetic, Metallica
Consolers Of The Lonely, The Raconteurs

Best Alternative Music Album
Modern Guilt, Beck
Narrow Stairs, Death Cab for Cutie
The Odd Couple, Gnarls Barkley
Evil Urges, My Morning Jacket
In Rainbows, Radiohead

Best Urban/Alternative Performance
Kenna, Say Goodbye to Love
Maiysha, Wanna Be
Chrisette Michele feat. will.i.am, Be OK
Janelle Monae, Many Moons
Wayna feat. Kokayi, Lovin You (Music)

Best R&B Song
Bust Your Windows, Jazmine Sullivan
Customer, Raheem DeVaughn
Heaven Sent, Keyshia Cole
Miss Independent, Ne-Yo
Spotlight, Jennifer Hudson

Best R&B Album
Love & Life, Eric Benet
Motown: A Journey Through Hitsville USA, Boyz II Men
Lay It Down, Al Green
Jennifer Hudson, Jennifer Hudson
The Way I See It, Raphael Saadiq

Best Contemporary R&B Album
Growing Pains, Mary J. Blige
Back Of My Lac’, J. Holiday
First Love, Karina
Year Of The Gentleman, Ne-Yo
Fearless, Jazmine Sullivan

Best Male R&B Vocal Performance
Eric Benét, You’re The Only One
Chris Brown, Take You Down
Ne-Yo, Miss Independent
Trey Songz, Can’t Help But Wait
Usher, Here I Stand

Best Female R&B Vocal Performance
Beyoncé, Me, Myself And I
Keyshia Cole, Heaven Sent
Jennifer Hudson, Spotlight
Alicia Keys, Superwoman
Jazmine Sullivan, Need U Bad

Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals
Boyz II Men, Ribbon In The Sky
Anthony David feat. India.Arie, Wordsl
Al Green feat. John Legend, Stay With Me (By The Sea)
Jennifer Hudson feat. Fantasia, I’m His Only Woman
Raphael Saadiq feat. Stevie Wonder & CJ Hilton, Never Give You Up

Best Traditional R&B Vocal Performance
Wayne Brady, A Change Is Gonna Come
Al Green feat. Anthony Hamilton, You’ve Got The Love I Need

(Linda Jones) With Helen Bruner & Terry Jones, Baby I Know
Raphael Saadiq, Love That Girl
Jazmine Sullivan, In Love With Another Man

Best Rap Solo Performance
Jay-Z, Roc Boys (And The Winner Is)…
Lil Wayne, A Milli
Lupe Fiasco, Paris, Tokyo
Nas, N.i.-.-.e.r. (The Slave And The Master)
Snoop Dogg, Sexual Eruption

Best Rap Performance By A Duo Or Group
Big Boi feat. Raekwon And Andre 3000, Royal Flush
Jay-Z & T.I. feat. Kanye West & Lil Wayne, Swagga Like Us
Lil Wayne feat. Jay-Z, Mr. Carter
Ludacris feat. T.I., Wish You Would
Young Jeezy feat. Kanye West, Put On

Best Rap/Sung Collaboration
Estelle feat. Kanye West, American Boy
Flo Rida feat. T-Pain, Low
John Legend & Andre 3000, Green Light
Lil Wayne feat. T-Pain, Got Money
Lupe Fiasco feat. Matthew Santos, Superstar

Best Rap Song
Lollipop, Lil Wayne feat. Static Major
Low, Flo Rida feat. T-Pain
Sexual Eruption, Snoop Dogg
Superstar, Lupe Fiasco feat. Matthew Santos
Swagga Like Us, Jay-Z & T.I. feat. Kanye West & Lil Wayne

Best Rap Album
American Gangster, Jay-Z
Tha Carter III, Lil Wayne
The Cool, Lupe Fiasco
Nas, Nas
Paper Trail, T.I.

Best Female Country Vocal Performance
Martina McBride, For These Times
LeAnn Rimes, What I Cannot Change
Carrie Underwood, Last Name
Lee Ann Womack, Last Call
Trisha Yearwood, This Is Me You’re Talking To

Best Male Country Vocal Performance
Trace Adkins, You’re Gonna Miss This
Jamey Johnson, In Color
James Otto, Just Got Started Lovin’ You
Brad Paisley, Letter To Me
George Strait, Troubadour

Best Country Song
Dig Two Graves, Randy Travis
I Saw God Today, George Strait
In Color, Jamey Johnson
Stay, Sugarland
You’re Gonna Miss This, Trace Adkins

Best Country Album
That Lonesome Song, Jamey Johnson
Sleepless Nights, Patty Loveless
Troubadour, George Strait
Around The Bend, Randy Travis
Heaven, Heartache and the Power of Love, Trisha Yearwood

Jay-Z and Coldplay are coming together to bring us a concert. However, if you want to see that pairing, you’re going to have to wait until the fall of 2009. According to new reports, Jay-Z will be rocking out with Coldplay as their special guest on three new UK stadium shows. The shows will take place some time in September. Ticket prices are said to start at 40 pounds or $60. If you remember, Jay-Z has been having trouble with getting gigs in the UK because of his asking price. I guess this collaboration can be treated as a two for one deal.

Ne-Yo wants to duet with Marilyn Manson. The R’n’B star wants to team up with the goth shock rocker on a track and intends to approach him in the near future.

Ne-Yo, 25, revealed: “I’m trying to get hold of Marilyn Manson about an idea I have. Ne-Yo goes rock!”

The singer – who had a UK number one hit single in June with his singer ‘Closer’ – has also revealed he would love to collaborate with Coldplay frontman Chris Martin.

He added: “When I got told ‘Closer’ had beaten Coldplay to number one in the UK, I couldn’t believe it. I am THE Coldplay fan, so that was really cool. I’d love to do something with them – me and Chris Martin that would be cool.”

Ne-Yo – real name Shaffer Chimere Smith – is currently exploring the British scene, after being given an MP3 player loaded with tracks by UK artists. He said: “I’ve been discovering a lot of new stuff. You wouldn’t think they were my kind of thing but I really like The Feeling. I like some of Duffy’s stuff, but not all of it. If she can escape the ‘I’m a blonde Amy Winehouse’ thing she’ll be OK. People are saying that in the US, because of the style of music and the fact she’s from the UK.”

Coldplay’s album Viva La Vida has to date been the No.1 selling album in 36 countries around the world, including in the U.S., where it held the top spot for two weeks, and in the U.K. where the album has been No.1 for the last four weeks.

Coldplay’s previous album, the 10 million-selling X&Y, reached No.1 in 32 countries in 2005.

In a number of countries, including the U.K., France, Germany and Japan, first week sales of Viva La Vida exceeded those of X&Y, and Viva La Vida has already been certified gold or platinum in 31 countries including platinum in the USA, Germany and Australia and double platinum in the U.K. and Canada.

In many countries Viva La Vida held the top spot on the album chart in its second week, including in the USA, U.K., Australia, Canada, Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Holland, Ireland, Italy, Norway, Portugal, Sweden, Switzerland and New Zealand.

Viva La Vida set the record for the highest first week album sales ever on the iTunes Store worldwide, in addition to being the biggest album pre-order in iTunes’ history. In the U.S., 288,000 week one sales were digital downloads, the biggest ever first week sales tally for a digital album, and with 394,000 digital albums sold in the first three weeks, Viva La Vida is the all time best selling digital album in the States. U.S. over the counter sales for Viva La Vida across all formats have now exceeded 1.1 million according to Nielsen SoundScan.

In the U.K. Viva La Vida is the fastest-selling album of the year with over the counter sales of more than 600,000 since its release on 12 June, while in Germany the album is already the biggest selling release of the year as well as the fastest.

Coldplay will launch their North American tour with two sold out dates in Los Angeles on July 14th and 15th.