After fifty long years of award giving, the big wigs over at the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences have finally gotten it right. The official list of nominees for the 51st annual Grammy Awards has been announced, and to the delight of many true music fans, includes several non-top-40 artists. While some of your favorite teeny-boppers are still on the list, they are much less noticeable than in prior years. Leading the pack this year with nominations for Album of the Year are New Orleans syrup-sipper Lil Wayne, Mr. Paltrow's band Coldplay, ex-Zeppelin Robert Plant and his project with Alison Krauss, Ne-Yo (?), and perhaps the most deserving of the bunch, Radiohead. All five Album of the Year award nominees are also up for several other categories in their respective genres.

Check out our other favorites that made it to this year's nomination list after the jump

Lil Wayne @ Voodoo Experience 2008

Gnarls Barkley (Best Pop Performance, Best Alternative Album)
Bela Fleck & the Flecktones (Best Instrumental Album, Best Country Instrumental)
Daft Punk (Best Dance Recording, Best Electronic/Dance Album)
Hot Chip (Best Dance Recording)
Brazilian Girls (Best Electronic/Dance Album)
Eddie Vedder (Best Solo Rock Vocal Performance)
Kings Of Leon (Best Rock Performance, Best Rock Song, Best Rock Album)
The Mars Volta (Best Hard Rock Performance)
David Gilmour (Best Rock Instrumental)
Nine Inch Nails (Best Rock Instrumental)
Zappa Plays Zappa (Best Rock Instrumental)
Death Cab For Cutie (Best Rock Song, Best Alternative Album)
The Raconteurs (Best Rock Album)
Beck (Best Alternative Album)
My Morning Jacket (Best Alternative Album)
Jay-Z (Best Rap Solo Performance, Best Rap Album)
Lupe Fiasco (Best Rap Solo Performance, Best Rap Album)
Nas (Best Rap Solo Performance, Best Rap Album)
Snoop Dogg (Best Rap Solo Performance)
Del McCoury Band (Best Bluegrass Album)
Earl Scruggs with Family & Friends (Best Bluegrass Album)
Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder (Best Bluegrass Album)
Chick Corea & Gary Burton (Best Jazz Instrumental)
Bill Frisell (Best Jazz Instrumental)
Charlie Louvin (Best Southern, Country or Bluegrass Gospel Album)
Blind Boys of Alabama (Best Traditional Gospel)
Grupo Fantasma (Best Latin Rock or Alternative Album)
Buddy Guy (Best Traditional Blues Album)
John Lee Hooker Jr. (Best Traditional Blues Album)
B.B. King (Best Traditional Blues Album)
Dr. John & The Lower 911 (Best Contemporary Blues Album)
Taj Mahal (Best Contemporary Blues Album)
Soloman Burke (Best Contemporary Blues Album)
Irma Thomas (Best Contemporary Blues Album)
Burning Spear (Best Reggae Album)
Lee "Scratch" Perry (Best Reggae Album)
Mickey Hart's Global Drum Project (Best Contemporary World Music Album)
Flight of the Conchords (Best Comedy Album)
Lewis Black (Best Comedy Album)
George Carlin (Best Comedy Album)
Harry Shearer (Best Comedy Album)
No Age (Best Recording Package)
Thievery Corporation (Best Recording Package)
Danger Mouse (Producer of the Year)
Nigel Godrich (Producer of the Year)
Rick Rubin (Producer of the Year)

Well, there you have it. I saved you all the trouble of perusing the massive list on the official Grammy website. Now all we have to do is hope some of these names actually win a few awards. I guess we can only wait and see...

-Eggs