2012 Grammy Nominees Revealed

The list of major Grammy nominees was unveiled during a star-studded concert event.

Lady Gaga opened and closed the fourth annual "Grammy Nominations Concert Live: Countdown to Music's Biggest Night," but the real stars of the show were multiple nominees Adele and Bruno Mars. 

The 23-year-old British singer-songwriter and the 26-year-old R&B star both scooped up nominations in three of the four announced categories: Record of the Year, Song of the Year, and Album of the Year. Adele will be walking in with a total of six nominations overall when the Grammys are held in February, while Mars will boast five. 

Adele did not attend the event, as she is still recovering from the throat surgery she underwent earlier in the month. 

Amid all the talk of Adele and Bruno Mars however, was the surprisingly quiet but still dominant Kanye West. The rapper/producer's name was barely mentioned during the concert event (except in the Song of the Year category) , but overall West snagged a pack-leading seven nominations.

The hour-long concert event was hosted by LL Cool J, who also participated (alongside Common, Lupe Fiasco, and Rick Ross) in a tribute to rap legend Grandmaster Flash's iconic 1982 single "The Message," which is being honored with an induction into the Grammy Hall of Fame. 

A Goth-looking Lady Gaga kicked off the evening in skull face paint, singing her new single "Marry the Night" amid smoke-spewing pipes. She sarcastically urged the initially static crowd to "Stand up. Have a good time." 

In addition to Lady Gaga, who heard her name called for "Album of the Year," the concert featured performances by Sugarland, The Band Perry, and country star Jason Aldean (who sang - and rapped! -alongside hip hop star Ludacris). Rihanna performed her new single "We Found Love" via satellite from the O2 Arena in London. 

Usher also performed, leading an abbreviated version of the award show's "In Memoriam" segment. The singer appeared alongside Valerie Simpson of Ashford & Simpson fame and Mike Stoller of songwriting duo Lieber & Stoller - both of whom lost their musical partners (Nick Ashford and Jerry Lieber) this year - for an emotional tribute. 

The complete list of nominees has been posted on Grammys.com, with Adele, Bruno Mars, Lady Gaga, Bon Iver, and Mumford and Sons clearly dominating the ballot in all major categories. 

Record of the Year

"Rolling in the Deep" - Adele 

"Holocene"  - Bon Iver

"Grenade" - Bruno Mars

"The Cave" - Mumford and Sons

"Firework" - Katy Perry

Song of the Year

"All of the Lights" - Kanye West, Rihanna, Kid Cudi, and Fergie

"The Cave" - Mumford and Sons

"Grenade" - Bruno Mars

"Holocene" - Bon Iver

"Rolling in the Deep" - Adele

Best New Artist

The Band Perry

Bon Iver

J. Cole

Nicki Minaj

Skrillex

Album of the Year

"21" - Adele

"Wasting Light" - Foo Fighters

"Born This Way" - Lady Gaga

"Doo Wop & Hooligans" - Bruno Mars

"Loud" - Rihanna

The 54th Annual Grammy Awards will be handed out live February 12, 2012 at 8 PM ET on CBS.

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