Lil' Wayne heads Grammy nominees Lil' Wayne's Tha Carter III sold 1m copies in its first week in the US US rapper Lil' Wayne has been nominated for eight Grammy awards, including album of the year for Tha Carter III. British rock band Coldplay followed close behind with seven nominations, while rappers Kanye West and Jay-Z, and R&B singer Ne-Yo each received six. Lil' Wayne, Coldplay and Ne-Yo will compete for the prestigious album of the year award, along with Radiohead and Robert Plant with Alison Krauss. Coldplay, Adele, M.I.A. and Leona Lewis are nominees for record of the year. The winners will be announced at a ceremony on 8 February. Special concert For the first time in the 50-year history of the Grammy Awards, the 2009 nominations were announced during a special live concert on US television. The 2009 nominations were announced during a special live concert on US TV It featured performances by Celine Dion, Christina Aguilera, and John Mayer, who did a duet with the veteran blues singer, BB King. In addition to Lil' Wayne for Tha Carter III, those nominated for the prestigious album of the year award were Coldplay for Viva La Vida; Radiohead for In Rainbows; Ne-Yo for Year of the Gentleman; and Robert Plant's with Alison Krauss for Raising Sand. In the other coveted category of record of the year, the nominees were Adele for Chasing Pavement; M.I.A. for Paper Planes; Coldplay for Viva La Vida; Leona Lewis for Bleeding Love; and Robert Plant and Alison Krauss for Please Read the Letter. Katy Perry, who had one of the year's biggest hits with I Kissed A Girl, missed out on being shortlisted for record of the year and best new artist. But she was delighted to be nominated for best female pop vocal performance. "I can't believe it, but this year I won't be watching the Grammys in my jammies!," she said in a statement. Low ratings Coldplay continued their spectacular run of success in the US Pop act The Jonas Brothers scored a best new artist nomination, a category which also includes R&B newcomer Jazmine Sullivan, who is celebrating five nominations. The 2008 event was dominated by Amy Winehouse, who bagged five awards including song and record of the year. She was unable to collect them in person due to visa problems, and made her acceptance speeches and live performances from London via satellite. Winehouse's tally was ahead of Kanye West who won four prizes, while rock star Bruce Springsteen went home with three. The US TV broadcast of the Grammys attracted 17.2 million viewers, making it one of the least-watched awards shows in its history.