THE 2012 GRAMMY NOMINATIONS

 Bruno Mars and his doo-wop/pop sensibilities were all over the radio in 2011, and now he has six Grammy nominations to prove it.

 Adele was the perfect combination of pop, soul and flat-out talent for 2011. "Rolling in the Deep" was the smash hit of the year, and enough to get her six total nominations including Record of the Year and Album of the Year.

 The Foo Fighters seem to only get better with age, as Dave Grohl and crew earned an Album of the Year nomination for 'Wasting the Light.'

 Though he might not be a household name just yet, J. Cole's strong solo release this year was enough to get him a Best New Artist nod.

 Kanye West was the Grammy nominations leader, earning seven in total, including Song of the Year for "All of the Lights.

 Katy Perry's string of hits from her 'Teenage Dream' album is impressive, but "Firework" is the one that nabbed her a Record of the Year nomination

 For the third year in the row, Lady Gaga scored an Album of the Year nomination for her smash hit 'Born This Way.'

 Rihanna earned herself an Album of the Year nomination for her latest release, 'Loud.'

2011 was the year that Nicki Minaj burst onto the scene, so it's only right she scored a Best New Artist nomination.