The nominees for the 52nd annual Grammy Awards were announced Wednesday night (December 2) in Los Angeles, with a star-studded telecast/concert headlined by Nick Jonas (and his brand-new band the Administration), the Black Eyed Peas and Maxwell, but that paled in comparison to the names that scored noms.

Beyoncé, Lady Gaga, Taylor Swift, Jay-Z, Eminem, Drake, the Kings of Leon and Green Day were just some of the artists who landed early Grammy nods Wednesday night -- the full list of nominees was posted on Grammy.com following the telecast -- setting the stage for a very big night Sunday, January 31.

Leading the pack of early nominees were a trio of ladies, Beyoncé, Gaga and Swift, who each landed nominations for Album, Record and Song of the Year. The Black Eyed Peas' massive "I Gotta Feeling" picked up a pair of nods, for Record of the Year and Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals. Beyoncé nabbed the most noms with 10, followed by Swift with eight; BEP, Maxwell and Kanye West with six; and David Guetta, Jay-Z and Lada Gaga with five.

The Kings of Leon's "Use Somebody" scored noms for Record and Song of the Year; the Best Rap Solo Performance category pits Jay, Eminem and Drake against one another; and Green Day will face off against U2 and the Dave Matthews Band in the Best Rock Album field.

Hosted by LL Cool J -- who kicked the night off with a medley that mixed his biggest hits ("Mama Said Knock You Out," "I Need Love") with some soon-to-be-nominated songs (Gaga's "Poker Face," B's "Single Ladies") -- the telecast also featured big-ticket performances from BEP, who did "Feeling," accompanied by a video featuring Adam Lambert, Timbaland and Chris Daughtry singing along to the chorus, and Nick Jonas, who unveiled his new project the Administration and growled his way through a strummy, rootsy tune called "Who I Am," while his brothers Kevin and Joe looked on approvingly.

Maxwell, who scored a Song of the Year nom for his "Pretty Wings," paid tribute to the late Michael Jackson with a stirring, soulful rendition of "The Lady in My Life," off his iconic Thriller album, which won an astonishing eight Grammy awards in 1984.

The 52nd annual Grammy Awards will be broadcast live from the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Sunday, January 31.

Grammy nominees announced during Wednesday night's telecast:

Album of the Year

» Beyoncé, I Am ... Sasha Fierce

» The Black Eyed Peas, The E.N.D.

» Lady Gaga, The Fame

» Dave Matthews, Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King

» Taylor Swift, Fearless

Record of the Year

» Beyoncé, "Halo"

» The Black Eyed Peas, "I Gotta Feeling"

» Kings of Leon, "Use Somebody"

» Lady Gaga, "Poker Face"

» Taylor Swift, "You Belong With Me"

Song of the Year

» Beyoncé, "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)"

» Taylor Swift, "You Belong With Me"

» Lady Gaga, "Poker Face"

» Maxwell, "Pretty Wings"

» Kings of Leon, "Use Somebody"

Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocals

» The Black Eyed Peas, "I Gotta Feeling"

» Bon Jovi, "We Weren't Born to Follow"

» The Fray, "Never Say Never"

» Hall & Oates, "Sara Smile"

» MGMT, "Kids"