Beyonce, Kings & Swift Are Top Grammy Grabbers

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BEYONCE, KINGS OF LEON and TAYLOR SWIFT were the toast of the music world on Sunday night (31Jan10) after taking home the 52nd annual Grammy Awards’ biggest prizes.

Beyonce was the Los Angeles event’s biggest winner, claiming six of the 10 honours she was nominated for.

These included Song of the Year, Best R&B Song and Best Female R&B Vocal Performance awards for Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It).

Swift took home her first four Grammys, including the coveted Album of the Year award, and Kings of Leon’s Use Somebody anthem earned the rockers prizes for Record of the Year, Best Rock Song and Best Rock Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals.

The Black Eyed Peas and Jay-Z were also triple winners at the Grammys, as was the San Francisco Symphony, thanks to its Mahler: Symphony No. 8; Adagio From Symphony No. 10 album.

The event’s winners were overshadowed by a clutch of terrific performances from acts like Green Day, Pink, Dave Matthews Band, Beyonce and the Black Eyed Peas.

Elton John and Lady Gaga collaborated to open the show and there were further match-ups for Jamie Foxx, T-Pain and Slash, Mary J. Blige and Andrea Bocelli, Eminem, Drake and Lil Wayne and Taylor Swift and Fleetwood Mac star Stevie Nicks.

But the event’s highlight was a star-studded tribute to Michael Jackson; Celine Dion, Jennifer Hudson, Usher, Smokey Robinson and Carrie Underwood teamed up to perform the King of Pop’s Earth Song.

The stunning collaboration was accompanied by a 3-D version of the Earth Song video Jackson planned to use as a backdrop during his This Is It concerts last summer (09).

Stars like Beyonce, Rihanna and will.i.am were among the audience members who donned special 3-D glasses to fully appreciate the spectacular musical moment.

They ended the song with their backs to the crowd, staring at images of Jackson, which were flashed onto the big screen behind them, as the audience rose to its feet to applaud the performance, which presenter Lionel Richie called “unbelievable”.

Following the show stopper, Jackson’s children Prince and Paris took the Staples Center stage to honour their father, a recipient of one of the night’s Lifetime Achievement Awards.

In his first public speaking appearance, Prince thanked God for “watching over us these past seven months” and “our grandma and grandpa for their love and support”.

Both Jackson children ended their brief acceptance speeches with the words “We love you daddy”.

The winners of the 2010 Grammys are:

Record Of The Year: Use Somebody - Kings of Leon

Song Of The Year: Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It) - Beyonce

Best New Artist: Zak Brown Band

Album Of The Year: Fearless - Taylor Swift

Best Female Pop Vocal Performance: Halo - Beyonce

Best Male Pop Vocal Performance: Make It Mine - Jason Mraz

Best Pop Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals: I Gotta Feeling - The Black Eyed Peas

Best Pop Collaboration With Vocals: Lucky - Jason Mraz & Colbie Caillat

Best Pop Instrumental Performance: Throw Down Your Heart - Bela Fleck

Best Pop Instrumental Album: Potato Hole - Booker T. Jones

Best Pop Vocal Album: The E.N.D. - The Black Eyed Peas

Best Dance Recording: Poker Face - Lady Gaga

Best Electronic/Dance Album: The Fame - Lady Gaga

Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album: Michael Buble Meets Madison Square Garden - Michael Buble

Best Solo Rock Vocal Performance: Working On A Dream - Bruce Springsteen

Best Rock Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals: Use Somebody - Kings of Leon

Best Hard Rock Performance: War Machine - AC/DC

Best Metal Performance: Dissident Aggressor - Judas Priest

Best Rock Instrumental Performance: A Day In The Life - Jeff Beck

Best Rock Song: Use Somebody - Kings of Leon

Best Rock Album: 21st Century Breakdown - Green Day

Best Alternative Music Album: Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix - Phoenix

Best Female R&B Vocal Performance: Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It) - Beyonce

Best Male R&B Vocal Performance: Pretty Wings - Maxwell

Best R&B Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals: Blame It - Jamie Foxx & T-Pain

Best Traditional R&B Vocal Performance: At Last - Beyonce

Best Urban/Alternative Performance: Pearls - India.Arie & Dobet Gnahore

Best R&B Song: Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It) - Beyonce

Best R&B Album: Blacksummers’ Night - Maxwell

Best Contemporary R&B Album: I Am… Sasha Fierce - Beyonce

Best Rap Solo Performance: D.O.A. (Death Of Auto-Tune) - Jay-Z

Best Rap Performance By A Duo Or Group: Crack A Bottle - Eminem, Dr. Dre & 50 Cent

Best Rap/Sung Collaboration: Run This Town - Jay-Z, Rihanna & Kanye West

Best Rap Song: Run This Town - Jay-Z, Rihanna & Kanye West

Best Rap Album: Relapse - Eminem

Best Female Country Vocal Performance: White Horse - Taylor Swift

Best Male Country Vocal Performance: Sweet Thing - Keith Urban

Best Country Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals: I Run To You - Lady Antebellum

Best Country Collaboration With Vocals: I Told You So - Carrie Underwood & Randy Travis

Best Country Instrumental Performance: Producer’s Medley - Steve Wariner

Best Country Song: White Horse - Taylor Swift

Best Country Album: Fearless - Taylor Swift

Best New Age Album: Prayer For Compassion - David Darling

Best Contemporary Jazz Album: 75 - Joe Zawinul & The Zawinul Syndicate

Best Jazz Vocal Album: Dedicated To You: Kurt Elling Sings The Music Of Coltrane And Hartman - Kurt Elling

Best Improvised Jazz Solo: Dancin’ 4 Chicken - Terence Blanchard

Best Jazz Instrumental Album, Individual or Group: Five Peace Band Live - Chick Corea & John McLaughlin Five Peace Band

Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album: Book One - New Orleans Jazz Orchestra

Best Latin Jazz Album: Juntos Para Siempre - Bebo Valdes And Chucho Valdes

Best Gospel Performance: Wait On The Lord - Donnie McClurkin Featuring Karen Clark Sheard

Best Gospel Song: God In Me - Erica Campbell, Tina Campbell & Warryn Campbell, songwriters (Mary Mary Featuring Kierra ‘KiKi’ Sheard)

Best Rock Or Rap Gospel Album: Live Revelations - Third Day

Best Pop/Contemporary Gospel Album: The Power Of One - Israel Houghton

Best Southern/Country/Bluegrass Gospel Album: Jason Crabb - Jason Crabb

Best Traditional Gospel Album: Oh Happy Day - Various

Best Contemporary R&B Gospel Album: Audience Of One - Heather Headley

Best Latin Pop Album: Sin Frenos - La Quinta Estacion

Best Latin Rock, Alternative or Urban Album: Los De Atras Vienen Conmigo - Calle 13

Best Tropical Latin Album: Ciclos - Luis Enrique

Best Regional Mexican Album: Necesito De Ti - Vicente Fernandez

Best Tejano Album: Borders Y Bailes - Los Texmaniacs

Best Norteno Album: Tu Noche Con… Los Tigres Del Norte - Los Tigres Del Norte

Best Banda Album: Tu Esclavo Y Amo - Lupillo Rivera

Best Americana Album: Electric Dirt - Levon Helm

Best Bluegrass Album: The Crow / New Songs For The Five-String Banjo - Steve Martin

Best Traditional Blues Album: A Stranger Here - Ramblin’ Jack Elliott

Best Contemporary Blues Album: Already Free - The Derek Trucks Band

Best Traditional Folk Album: High Wide & Handsome: The Charlie Poole Project - Loudon Wainwright III

Best Contemporary Folk Album: Townes - Steve Earle

Best Native American Music Album: Spirit Wind North - Bill Miller

Best Hawaiian Music Album: Masters Of Hawaiian Slack Key Guitar, Volume 2 - Various

Best Zydeco Or Cajun Music Album: Lay Your Burden Down - Buckwheat Zydeco

Best Reggae Album: Mind Control: Acoustic - Stephen Marley

Best Traditional World Music Album: Douga Mansa - Mamadou Diabate

Best Contemporary World Music Album: Throw Down Your Heart: Tales From The Acoustic Planet, Vol. 3 Africa Sessions - Bela Fleck

Best Musical Album For Children: Family Time - Ziggy Marley

Best Spoken Word Album For Children: Aaaaah! Spooky, Scary Stories & Songs - Buck Howdy

Best Spoken Word Album: Always Looking Up - Michael J. Fox

Best Comedy Album: A Colbert Christmas: The Greatest Gift Of All! - Stephen Colbert

Best Musical Show Album: West Side Story - David Caddick & David Lai, producers (Leonard Bernstein, composer; Stephen Sondheim, lyricist) (New Broadway Cast with Matt Cavenaugh, Josefina Scaglione & Others)

Best Compilation Soundtrack Album For Motion Picture, Television Or Other Visual Media: Slumdog Millionaire - Various Artists

Best Score Soundtrack Album For Motion Picture, Television Or Other Visual Media: Up - Michael Giacchino

Best Song Written For Motion Picture, Television Or Other Visual Media: Jai Ho (From Slumdog Millionaire) - Gulzar, A.R. Rahman & Tanvi Shah, songwriters

Best Instrumental Composition: Married Life (From Up) - Michael Giacchino

Best Instrumental Arrangement: West Side Story Medley - Bill Cunliffe, arranger (Resonance Big Band)

Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocalist(s): Quiet Nights - Claus Ogerman, arranger (Diana Krall)

Best Recording Package: Everything That Happens Will Happen Today - Stefan Sagmeister, art director (David Byrne & Brian Eno)

Best Boxed Or Special Limited Edition Package: Neil Young Archives Vol. I (1963-1972) - Gary Burden, Jenice Heo & Neil Young, art directors (Neil Young)

Best Album Notes: The Complete Louis Armstrong Decca Sessions (1935-1946) - Dan Morgenstern, album notes writer (Louis Armstrong)

Best Historical Album: The Complete Chess Masters (1950-1967) - Andy McKaie, compilation producer; Erick Labson, mastering engineer (Little Walter)

Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical: Ellipse - Imogen Heap, engineer (Imogen Heap)

Producer Of The Year, Non-Classical: Brendan O’Brien

Best Remixed Recording, Non-Classical: When Love Takes Over (Electro Extended Remix) - David Guetta, remixer (David Guetta Featuring Kelly Rowland)

Best Surround Sound Album: Transmigration - Michael Bishop, surround mix engineer; Michael Bishop, surround mastering engineer; Elaine Martone, surround producer (Robert Spano, Atlanta Symphony Orchestra & Choruses)

Best Engineered Album, Classical: Mahler: Symphony No. 8; Adagio From Symphony No. 10 - Peter Laenger, engineer (Michael Tilson Thomas & San Francisco Symphony)

Producer Of The Year, Classical: Steven Epstein

Best Classical Album: Mahler: Symphony No. 8; Adagio From Symphony No. 10 - Michael Tilson Thomas, conductor; Ragnar Bohlin, Kevin Fox & Susan McMane, choir directors; Andreas Neubronner, producer; Peter Laenger, engineer/mixer; Andreas Neubronner, mastering engineer (Laura Claycomb, Anthony Dean Griffey, Katarina Karneus, Quinn Kelsey, James Morris, Yvonne Naef, Elza van den Heever & Erin Wall; San Francisco Symphony; Pacific Boychoir, San Francisco Girls Chorus & San Francisco Symphony Chorus)

Best Orchestral Performance: Ravel: Daphnis Et Chloe - James Levine, conductor (Boston Symphony Orchestra; Tanglewood Festival Chorus)

Best Opera Recording: Britten: Billy Budd - Daniel Harding, conductor; Ian Bostridge, Neal Davies, Nathan Gunn, Jonathan Lemalu, Matthew Rose & Gidon Saks; John Fraser, producer (London Symphony Orchestra; Gentlemen Of The London Symphony Chorus)

Best Choral Performance: Mahler: Symphony No. 8; Adagio From Symphony No. 10 - Michael Tilson Thomas, conductor; Ragnar Bohlin, Kevin Fox & Susan McMane, choir directors (Laura Claycomb, Anthony Dean Griffey, Elza van den Heever, Katarina Karneus, Quinn Kelsey, James Morris, Yvonne Naef & Erin Wall; San Francisco Symphony; Pacific Boychoir, San Francisco Symphony Chorus & San Francisco Girls Chorus)

Best Instrumental Soloist(s) Performance (with Orchestra): Prokofiev: Piano Concertos Nos. 2 & 3 - Vladimir Ashkenazy, conductor; Evgeny Kissin (Philharmonia Orchestra)

Best Instrumental Soloist Performance (without Orchestra): Journey To The New World - Sharon Isbin (Joan Baez & Mark O’Connor)

Best Chamber Music Performance: Intimate Letters - Emerson String Quartet

Best Small Ensemble Performance: Lang, David: The Little Match Girl Passion - Paul Hillier, conductor; Ars Nova Copenhagen & Theatre Of Voices

Best Classical Vocal Performance: Verismo Arias - Renee Fleming (Marco Armiliato; Jonas Kaufmann; Orchestra Sinfonica Di Milano Giuseppi Verdi; Coro Sinfonica Di Milano Giuseppi Verdi)

Best Classical Contemporary Composition: Higdon, Jennifer: Percussion Concerto - Jennifer Higdon

Best Classical Crossover Album: Yo-Yo Ma & Friends: Songs Of Joy And Peace -Yo-Yo Ma

Best Short Form Music Video: Boom Boom Pow - Black Eyed Peas

Best Long Form Music Video: The Beatles Love: All Together Now - Various

Lifetime Achievement Award: Leonard Cohen

Lifetime Achievement Award: Michael Jackson

Lifetime Achievement Award: Loretta Lynn

Lifetime Achievement Award: Bobby Darin

Lifetime Achievement Award: Clark Terry

Lifetime Achievement Award: David ‘Honeyboy’ Edwards

Lifetime Achievement Award: Andre Previn

Trustees Award: Walter C. Miller

Trustees Award: Florence Greenberg

Trustees Award: Harold Bradley

Presidents Merit Award: Doug Morris

Presidents Merit Award: Placido Domingo

Presidents Merit Award: Ken Ehrlich

MusiCares Person of the Year: Neil Young