Eminem's Recovery album was validated even further Wednesday night as the Recording Academy nominated the resurgent rapper's return album for 10 awards, including the heavy hitters: album, song and record of the year.
Recovery will be set against Drake, The Roots, B.o.B. and Jay-Z for Best Rap Album, a contest that will prove rather dramatic given the resurgent success of all artists nominated in the category.
Best Alternative Music Album pits Arcade Fire against Band Of Horses, The Black Keys, Broken Bells and Vampire Weekend, while Best Rock Album sees Muse, Jeff Beck, Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers and Neil Young vying for the spot that fifth nominee Pearl Jam’s Backspacer will likely claim.
True to tradition, the Album Of The Year category is a complete catastrophe, aligning Lady Antebellum, Katy Perry and a slightly more deserving Lady Gaga against Arcade Fire and Eminem.
Them Crooked Vultures received a deserved nod with New Fang in the Best Hard Rock Performance category, up against 90s showcase Ozzy Osbourne, Alice In Chains, Soundgarden and the Stone Temple Pilots.
One of the biggest (deserved) surprises of the night was Cee-Lo, whose Fuck You was nominated for Record Of The Year, Song Of The Year, Best Urban/Alternative Performance and Best Short Form Music Video.
One inexcusably glaring omission was Janelle Monáe, who was completely shut out of the Best New Artist category despite an incredible debut album. Up for nomination are Drake, Florence & The Machine, Mumford & Sons, Esperanza Spalding and Justin fucking Bieber. Luckily, she did pick up two nominations: Best Urban/Alternative Performance and Best Contemporary R&B Album.
The nominees were announced as part of an hourlong CBS special from Club Nokia in Los Angeles that featured performances by nominees such as Mars, Katy Perry, Justin Bieber, Train and Miranda Lambert.
Eminem's Recovery is best-selling album of the year so far, with more than three million copies sold. The record and spawned top hits like "Love the Way You Lie" featuring Rihanna, which was nominated for song and record of the year. Check out our review of the album.
Full list of 2011 Grammy nominees:
Album of the Year:
The Suburbs – Arcade Fire
Recovery – Eminem
Need You Now – Lady Antebellum
The Fame Monster – Lady Gaga
Teenage Dream – Katy Perry
Song of the Year:
“Beg, Steal or Borrom” – Ray LaMontagne
“Forget You” – Cee Lo
“The House That Built Me” – Miranda Lambert
“Love a Way You Lie” – Eminem feat. Rihanna
“Need You Know” – Lady Antebellum
Record of the Year:
“Love a Way You Lie” – Eminem feat. Rihanna
“Nothin’ On You” – Bruno Mars
“Forget You” – Cee Lo
“Empire State of Mind” – Jay-Z feat. Alicia Keys
“Need You Now” – Lady Antebellum
Best New Artist:
Justin Bieber
Drake
Florence + The Machine
Mumford & Sons
Esperanza Spalding
Best Rock Album:
Emotion & Commotion – Jeff Beck
The Resistance – Muse
Backspacer – Pearl Jam
Mojo – Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers
Le Noise – Neil Young
Best Solo Rock Vocal Performance:
Run Back To Your Side – Eric Clapton
Crossroads – John Mayer
Helter Skelter – Paul McCartney
Silver Rider – Robert Plant
Angry World – Neil Young
Best Rock Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals:
Ready To Start – Arcade Fire
I Put A Spell On You – Jeff Beck & Joss Stone
Tighten Up – The Black Keys
Radioactive – Kings Of Leon
Resistance – Muse
Best Hard Rock Performance:
A Looking In View – Alice In Chains
Let Me Hear You Scream – Ozzy Osbourne
Black Rain – Soundgarden
Between The Lines – Stone Temple Pilots
New Fang – Them Crooked Vultures
Best Rock Song:
Angry World – Neil Young
Little Lion Man – Mumford & Sons
Radioactive- Kings Of Leon
Resistance – Muse
Tighten Up – The Black Keys
Best Alternative Music Album:
The Suburbs – Arcade Fire
Infinite Arms – Band Of Horses
Brothers – The Black Keys
Broken Bells – Broken Bells
Contra – Vampire Weekend
Best Rap Album:
The Adventures Of Bobby Ray – B.o.B
Thank Me Later – Drake
Recovery – Eminem
The Blueprint 3 – Jay-Z
How we Got Over – The Roots
