Kanye West Leads Grammy Nominations With 7, Bruno Mars & Adele score 6 nominations each

Nominations have been announced for the 54th Annual Grammy Awards, which will be handed out in Los Angeles on February 12 and aired live on CBS.

Kanye West came away with a leading seven nominations, including a bid for song of the year for his all-star song “All of the Lights.” However, the album from which it came — My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, heralded by many critics as the best album of 2010 — was not in the best album category, and all of his other nominations were relegated to the rap fields.

Adele scored six Grammy nominations on Wednesday, including for record, song and album of the year, but the owner of the 2011’s best-selling album with 21 wasn’t the night’s top nominee — and that wasn’t the evening’s only surprise.

Bruno Mars and the Foo Fighters tied Adele with six nominations each, including in the album of the year category. Lil Wayne had five nods and critical-darling folky act Bon Iver scored four nominations, with two in the prestigious record and song of the year categories. But dubstep star Skrillex may have been the night’s biggest surprise, getting five nominations, including a bid for best new artist.

“It feels incredible. Me and these guys, we locked ourselves in the studio not too far from here and worked on this album, especially ‘Grenade,'” Mars said after the nominations were announced. “That’s the song we worked the hardest on. That’s like our trophy right there. Of all the songs we’ve been fortunate enough to be a part of this year, we were most proud of that one.

Other nominees in the record of the year category included Bon Iver’s ballad “Holocene”; Mars’ ballad “Grenade”; Mumford & Sons’ “The Cave”; and Katy Perry’s inspirational anthem “Firework.” For song of the year, which honors the writers of the tune, contenders included “The Cave,” “Grenade, “Holocene” and Lady Gaga’s “You and I.”

The best album category was as noteworthy for who was excluded as it was for who was nominated. Lady Gaga garnered her third straight nod in the category for Born This Way, while veteran rockers the Foo Fighters were nominated for Wasting Light, along with Mars’ debut album, Doo-Wops & Hooligans, and Rihanna’s steamy dance album Loud.

Shut out were perceived favorites like 85-year-old Bennett, who became the oldest person to score a No. 1 debut when his Duets II album was released earlier this year, and the megawatt collaboration of Jay-Z and West with the heavily hyped Watch The Throne.

The biggest snub may have been to Swift, who won in the category in 2010 and was considered by some critics to be a favorite for Speak Now, which has sold 3.7 million copies. She did get three nominations, however, including for best country album.

(Another blonde diva, Beyonce, merited just two nominations in lesser categories).

Their competition also includes Bon Iver, Jay-Z rap protege J. Cole, Skrillex and rapper-singer Nicki Minaj, who scored four nominations in total.

For a complete list of nominees, visit www.grammys.com.