He had one of the biggest opening sales weeks of 2008, and now, rapper Lil Wayne is the year's most-nominated Grammy contender.

Wayne and his latest LP, Tha Carter III, lead the pack with a total of eight nominations. Jay-Z, Ne-Yo and Kanye West followed each earned six nods, while new comer Jazmine Sullivan received. Rappers Lupe Fiasco and T.I. are up for four.

The 51st annual Grammy Awards will be broadcast live on CBS this coming February 8.  What aired on CBS on Wednesday night (Dec 3) was a well-produced, one-hour live concert special, hosted by two-time Grammy winner LL Cool J and Taylor Swift, and it was the first of its kind in Grammy history.

In the past, nominees were revealed in the wee hours of the morning, during a simulcast that aired across several television networks' morning programs — it was a ratings booster not just for one channel, but a handful. This year, CBS wanted the nominations all to themselves, so Wednesday night's prime-time program felt more like an awards show instead of a press conference held inside Los Angeles' Nokia Theatre.

The full list of 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 Rock Album

Coldplay, Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends

Kid Rock, Rock N Roll Jesus

Kings of Leon, Only by the Night

Metallica, Death Magnetic

The Raconteurs, Consolers of the Lonely

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 Electronic/Dance Album

Brazilian Girls, New York City,

Daft Punk, Alive 2007,

Cyndi Lauper, Bring Ya to The Brink

Kylie Minogue, X

Moby, Last Night

Robyn, Robyn

Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocals

AC/DC, "Rock N Roll Train"

Coldplay, "Violet Hill"

The Eagles, "Long Road Out of Eden"

Kings of Leon, "Sex on Fire"

Radiohead, "House of Cards"

Best Hard Rock Performance

Disturbed, "Inside the Fire"

Judas Priest, "Visions"

The Mars Volta, "Wax Simulacra"

Mötley Crüe, "Saints of Los Angeles"

Rob Zombie, "Lords of Salem"

Best Metal Performance

DragonForce, "Heroes of Our Time"

Judas Priest, "Nostradamus"

Metallica, "My Apocalypse"

Ministry, "Under My Thumb"

Slipknot, "Psychosocial"

Best Alternative Music Album

Beck, Modern Guilt

Death Cab for Cutie, Narrow Stairs

Gnarls Barkley, The Odd Couple

My Morning Jacket, Evil Urges

Radiohead, In Rainbows

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"