Eminem in the lead for Grammy nominations

The 38-year-old rapper was followed by Bruno Mars with seven nominations, while Lady Gaga, Jay-Z and country group Lady Antebellum all netted six nominations.

UK acts include Florence and the Machine, Mumford and Sons and Susan Boyle.

Prizes in 109 musical categories will be handed out at a ceremony in Los Angeles on 13 February.

The nominations seal Eminem’s solid comeback, who spent the past few years struggling with drugs problems.

He returned with the album Relapse in 2009, before releasing the follow-up Recovery this year. He is also shortlisted for song of the year for Love The Way You Lie, his collaboration with Rihanna.

The coveted album of the year award sees him up against Arcade Fire, country-pop band Lady Antebellum, Lady Gaga and Katy Perry.

Hawaiian-born singer Bruno Mars, who performed twice during the nominations announcement concert, notched up seven nominations.

Scottish Susan Boyle, who topped the album charts in the UK and the US twice in the past 12 months, will take on Katy Perry and Lady Gaga in the pop vocal album category.

"Up against wonderful artists like Lady Gaga and Katy Perry, I don't expect to win for a moment but how fantastic just to be recognised like this with a nomination on my first album," she said.

In the vocal performance category, Michael Jackson has picked up a posthumous nomination for This Is It.