Lil Wayne Leads All Grammy Nominees With 8 Nods

The Grammy nominations have been announced, and the frontrunner is Lil Wayne, arguably the hottest artist of the year.

Weezy’s popularity, coupled with the success of his latest album, Tha Carter III, helped him earn a total of eight Grammy nominations — among them is the coveted Album of the Year award.

The New Orleans rapper is also up for Best Rap Album, Best Rap Performance, Best Rap Solo Performance, Best Rap Collaboration, and Best Rap Song with two songs.

Rockers Coldplay earned seven, while urban artists Jay-Z, Kanye West and Ne-Yo nabbed six nods each.

The 51st annual Grammy Awards ceremony is scheduled for February 8, and will be broadcast live on CBS. The Grammy special that aired Wednesday night (December 3) was a one-hour concert special where nominations in key categories were announced, instead of the usual early morning news conference.

The evening began with Mimi (aka Mariah Carey) performing a jazzy version of Please Come Home for Christmas,” while tossing small teddy bears into the audience.

Several other performances took place between nominee announcement, including ones from Christina Aguilera, “American Idol” Taylor Swift, the Foo Fighters, and B.B. King.

Then, before the night ended, one of the Grammy’s top categories was announced: Record of the Year. Not surprising, M.I.A.’s “Paper Planes” was announced. The UK has her hands full though, and is up against the likes up Leona Lewis, Coldplay, Adele, and Robert Plant and Alison Krauss.

The Grammy nominees is as follows:

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

Best New Artist
– Adele
– Duffy
– Jonas Brothers
– Lady Antebellum
– Jazmine Sullivan

Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group
– Big Boi (featuring Raekwon and Andrew 3000), “Royal Flush”
– Jay-Z and T.I. (featuring Lil Wayne and Kanye West), “Swagger Like Us”
– Lil Wayne (featuring Jay-Z), “Mr. Carter”
– Ludacris (featuring T.I.), “Wish You Would”
– Young Jeezy (featuring Kanye West), “Put On”

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

Song of the Year – Estelle (featuring Kanye West), “American Boy”
– Adele, “Chasing Pavements”
– Jason Mraz, “I’m Yours”
– Sara Bareilles, “Love Song”
– Coldplay, “Viva la Vida”

Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocals
– Coldplay, “Viva la Vida”
– The Eagles, “Waiting in the Weeds”
– Gnarls Barkley, “Going On”
– Maroon 5, “Won’t Go Home Without You”
– OneRepublic, “Apologize”

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

Producer of the Year, Non-Classical
– Danger Mouse
– Nigel Godrich
– Johnny Karkazis
– Rick Rubin
– Will.I.Am

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 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 Dance Recording
– Daft Punk, “Harder Better Faster Stronger”
– Hot Chip, “Ready for The Floor”
– Lady Gaga and Colby O’Donis, “Just Dance”
– Madonna, “Give It 2 Me”
– Rihanna, “Disturbia”
– Sam Sparro,”Black & Gold”

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 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 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/Sung Collaboration
– Estelle (featuring Kanye West), “American Boy”
– Flo Rida (featuring T-Pain), “Low”
– John Legend & Andre 3000, “Green Light”
– Lil Wayne featuring T-Pain, “Got Money”
– Lupe Fiasco (featuring Matthew Santos), “Superstar”

Best Rap Song
– Lil Wayne, “Lollipop”
– Flo Rida (featuring T-Pain), “Low”
– Snoop Dogg, “Sexual Eruption”
– Lupe Fiasco (featuring Matthew Santos), “Superstar”
– Jay-Z & T.I. (featuring Kanye West & Lil Wayne), “Swagger Like Us”

Source: BallerStatus