If we could have offered anyone any advice on how to win a Grammy yesterday – it would have been; be female, be feirce and if possible, try to be Beyonce, circa Single Ladies (Put a Ring On It).
Yes, Mrs. Z / Ms. Knowles was nominated for a staggering 10 awards, and walked away with six - including Song of The Year, Best R’n'B song (both for Single Ladies), Best R’n'B albun, Best R’n'B vocal and even Best Traditional R’n'B performance at President Obama’s inauguration. Add to that some pretty spectacular outfits (including a nude Stephane Rolland dress, black studded rock thing for her performance of If I Were A Boy and nude, gem encrusted mini dress) and the evening really did belong to Beyonce.
She did however lose out to the Kings of Leon for Record of the Year, who beat off Lady Gaga, Taylor Swift and The Black Eyed Peas with Use Somebody. The song was also named Best Rock Song – trumphing over Bruce Springsteen, U2 and Green Day – and they also won Best Rock Performance with vocals.
American sweetheart and one time member of TSquared (when she was dating Taylor Launter) Taylor Swift won four awards, including the much coverted Album of The Year (just one question – where was Kanye?).
In a series of most outlandish performances, Pink took to the ceiling in a skin coloured body suit to perform ‘Glitter In the Air’ – but Lady GaGa stole the show with her opening performance with Elton John of Poker Face, which surprisingly featured pyrotechnics and ‘dramatic’ choreography. Elton John appeared on stage as her song Speechless melted into Your Song, which featured duelling pianos covered in clawed hands and glitter painted faces. Her debut album The Fame picked up Best Dance / Electronic album and Poker Face took Best Dance Recording.
Perhaps the bigger shock win of the night however went to Imogen Heap for Best Engineer- the second woman to ever win the award. Well done Imogen.
The award ceremony even managed to veer into the realm of controversy with Michael Jackson’s children Paris and Prince accepting the Lifetime Achievement award on behalf of their father, who died last June.
11 year old Paris told the audience ‘Daddy was going to perform this year. He couldn’t perform last year. Thank you, and we love you Daddy’.
Their acceptance followed a 3D tribute featuring Carrie Underwood, Jennifer Hudson, Celine Dion, Smokey Robinson and Usher accompanying a recording of Jackson’s Earth Song.
And the winners are…
BEST NEW ARTIST – Zac Brown Band
BEST FEMALE POP VOCAL PERFORMANCE – Halo – Beyoncé
BEST MALE POP VOCAL PERFORMANCE – If You Don’t Know Me By Now – Seal
BEST POP PERFORMANCE BY A DUO OR GROUP WITH VOCALS – I Gotta Feeling – The Black Eyed Peas
BEST POP VOCAL ALBUM – The E.N.D. – The Black Eyed Peas
BEST DANCE RECORDING – Poker Face – 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 ALBUM – 21st Century Breakdown – Green Day
BEST RAP SONG – Run This Town – Jeff Bhasker, Shawn Carter, Robyn Fenty, Kanye West & Ernest Wilson, songwriters (Jay-Z, Rihanna & Kanye West)
BEST FEMALE COUNTRY VOCAL PERFORMANCE- White Horse – Taylor Swift
BEST MALE COUNTRY VOCAL PERFORMANCE – Sweet Thing – Keith Urban
Picture courtesy of AFP/Getty Images
