Grammy Nominations Concert: Katy Perry And Justin Bieber Perform, Earn Nods

Even though the Grammy Awards are still more than two months away, Eminem should probably start getting his acceptance speech ready. Or, more specifically, acceptance speeches.

Em landed three huge nominations during Wednesday night's (December 1) Grammy Nominations Concert at the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles — Record and Song of the Year for his massive hit "Love the Way You Lie" and an Album of the Year nod for the equally big Recovery — making him the early favorite to take home the hardware February 13, when the Grammys will be handed out.

Another early favorite is Cee Lo, whose "F--- You" scored noms for both Record and Song of the Year and — of course — country juggernauts Lady Antebellum, who matched Eminem with nominations for Record, Song and Album of the Year.

Both Eminem and Lady Antebellum were expected by most to pick up nominations in the so-called "big four" categories, but that doesn't mean the Grammy nominations special was without its fair share of surprises. Katy Perry's Teenage Dream picked up a nod for Best Album, along with Lady Gaga's The Fame Monster and, in the night's most unexpected twist, indie stalwarts the Arcade Fire and their disc The Suburbs.

All of those categories figure to be close, but the Grammy for Best New Artist appears to be a race between two Canadian heartthrobs: Justin Bieber and Drake, who are the presumptive favorites in a field that also includes Florence and the Machine, Mumford & Sons and Esperanza Spalding.

Bieber — who appeared live via satellite from London — couldn't contain his excitement (or find the right words, for that matter) after learning he'd been nominated, telling the night's host, LL Cool J, that "It feels amazing ... I can't believe I'm in this position! I don't know what to say!"

Of course, the nominations were just half of the show. In true Grammy tradition, the telecast also featured a host of high-profile performances. Perry kicked things off with a holiday-themed take on "California Gurls" (meaning she wore some ornaments in her hair) and was followed by Bruno Mars, who strummed his way through "Just the Way You Are," backed by a trilling string section and a pianist.

Train performed their massive "Hey, Soul Sister" — which, rather shockingly, was shut out of the Big Four — Bieber reappeared for an acoustic version of "My Favorite Girl," and Mars teamed up with B.o.B to put a lilting spin on "Nothin' on You," which picked up a nomination for Record of the Year.

Grammy nominees announced during Wednesday night's telecast:

Album of the Year
» Eminem, Recovery
» Arcade Fire, The Suburbs
» Lady Antebellum, Need You Now
» Lady Gaga, The Fame Monster
» Katy Perry, Teenage Dream

Record of the Year
» B.o.B (featuring Bruno Mars), "Nothin' on You"
» Eminem (featuring Rihanna), "Love the Way You Lie"
» Cee Lo, "F--- You"
» Jay-Z (featuring Alicia Keys), "Empire State of Mind"
» Lady Antebellum, "Need You Now"

Song of the Year
» Ray LaMontagne, "Beg Steal or Borrow"
» Cee Lo, "F--- You"
» Miranda Lambert, "The House That Built Me"
» Eminem (featuring Rihanna), "Love the Way You Lie"
» Lady Antebellum, "Need You Now"

Best New Artist
» Justin Bieber
» Drake
» Florence and the Machine
» Mumford & Sons
» Esperanza Spalding

What did you think of the performances on the Grammy Nominations Concert? Let us know in the comments!