Rapper Eminem, newcomer Bruno Mars and Lady Gaga tops the 2011 Grammy nominations list released yesterday.

Last night I was on a conference call with 2 industry insiders who were tickled to death that good music is making a comeback. Pop star Rihanna earned 3 Grammy nods, while R&B Diva Monica received 2 nominations.


Canadian stars Justin Bieber and Drake are nominated for best new artist, along with U.K. acts Florence & the Machine and Mumford & Sons, and jazz artist Esperanza Spalding.

Surprisingly, troubled singer chris brown is nominated for 3 Grammys for Best Contemporary R&B Album (Graffiti), Best Rap Collaboration (“Deuces”) and Best R&B Performance By A Duo Or Group (“Take My Time” with Tank). He won’t win but his Stans point to the 3 Grammy nods as proof that brown is back. We’ll see.

LL Cool J helped Stevie wonder announce the nominees at the Grammy Nominations Concert Live in LA yesterday.

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From Billboard.com:

It looks like Eminem’s triumphant 2010 comeback will extend into next year, as the rapper has earned a leading 10 nominations for the 53rd Annual Grammy Awards including album of the year (for “Recovery”) and record and song of the year (for “Love the Way You Lie,” featuring Rihanna).

Following Eminem’s lead in Grammy nominations is newcomer Bruno Mars, who received a surprising seven nods despite the fact that the release date of his solo debut album, “Doo-Wops & Hooligans,” fell outside of the Grammy eligibility period by one week. Mars is nominated for his collaborations with other artists as a member of the songwriting/production team the Smeezingtons, including Cee Lo Green’s “F***k You” (nominated for both record and song of the year) and B.o.B.’s “Nothin’ On You” (also nominated for record of the year).

Tied with six Grammy nominations apiece are Jay-Z, Lady Antebellum and Lady Gaga. Jay-Z is nominated for record of the year for “Empire State of Mind,” his New York-dedicated duet with Alicia Keys, while Lady Antebellum and Lady Gaga are both nominated for album of the year, for “Need You Now” and “The Fame Monster,” respectively.

Photos: Wireimage/Getty