Lady Antebellum's yearning crossover ballad ‘Need You Now’ has captured record and song of the year honours at the Grammy Awards, two of the country trio's leading five trophies on a night that was short on awards but heavy on spectacle performances.
The ceremony also had a huge upset, as Esperanza Spalding - a jazz bassist and singer who sold a fraction of favourite Justin Bieber's music - beat the 16-year-old pop phenomenon, and also Florence & the Machine, Mumford & Sons and Drake for best new artist.
She is the first jazz artist to ever win the category.
"I take this honour to heart so sincerely and I'll do my damnedest to make great music for all of you. It's such an honour and God bless," said a shocked Spalding, who released her third album, The Chamber Music Society, last year.
The evening's other top winners included Jay-Z, John Legend, and Lady Gaga, who each had three trophies; Muse, who won best rock album; and Train, whose ‘Hey, Soul Sister (Live)’, one of the year's top songs, captured best pop performance by a duo or group with vocals.
"Thanks, Justin Bieber, for not being a duo or group,” joked frontman Pat Monahan.
Eminem entered the evening as the top nominee with 10, but it was looking to be a major disappointment for the rapper, who had only won best rap solo performance and rap album as the evening drew to a close. The rapper had 2010's best-selling album with Recovery and the critically acclaimed album marked a rebirth for the Eminem.
The Grammys give out 109 awards - but most of those are doled out before the live telecast in a ceremony before the CBS show. Instead of focusing on the awards, the Grammy show emphasised performances with extravagant showcases to the that featured the year's most celebrated artists, along with emerging acts and true legends.
Lady Gaga entered the Staples Centre, where the Grammys were held, in dramatic fashion, encased in an egg as dancers carried her to the stage. When she "hatched”, she seemed to have turned into Madonna, circa 1987, as she sashayed across the stage to her new song ‘Born This Way’.
But the singer, normally the most outrageous performer on any bill, was out-Gaga'd by Cee Lo Green, Gwyneth Paltrow and Jim Henson Co's puppets, who gave a hilarious performance of ‘Forget You’ that would have done Elton John proud.
Decked out in feathers of seemingly every hue, Green - who was nominated for record and song of the year for the dirty version of the song, ‘F**k You’, crooned alongside a sassy gaggle of puppets and Paltrow, who performed ‘Forget You’ on the Fox TV show Glee. The actress, who recently played a singer in the movie Country Song and is slated to sing on the Oscars telecast, perhaps should seriously consider joining hubby Chris Martin of Coldplay as a regular recording artist.
It was easily the show stopper in a night of performances that included a tribute to Aretha Franklin, a retro performance from Bruno Mars, a dazzling number by newcomer Janelle Monae that was James Brown-esque, a collaboration with Mumford & Sons, the Avett Brothers and a very raspy Bob Dylan.
The main list of nominees is as follows (winners
highlighted in red):
Record Of The Year:
B.o.B featuring Bruno Mars – ‘Nothin' on
You’
Eminem featuring Rihanna – ‘Love the Way You
Lie’
Cee Lo Green – ‘F**k You’
Jay-Z and Alicia Keys – ‘Empire State of
Mind’
Lady Antebellum – ‘Need You Now’
Song Of The Year:
Lady Antebellum – ‘Need You Now’
Eminem featuring Rihanna – ‘Love The Way You
Lie’
Miranda Lambert – ‘The House That Built Me’
Cee Lo Green – ‘F**k You’
Ray LaMontagne And The Pariah Dogs – ‘Beg Steal Or
Borrow’
Best New Artist:
Justin Bieber
Drake
Florence + The Machine
Mumford & Sons
Esperanza Spalding
Album Of The Year:
Arcade Fire – The Suburbs
Eminem – Recovery
Lady Antebellum - Need You Now
Lady Gaga - The Fame Monster
Katy Perry - Teenage Dream
Best Female Pop Vocal Performance:
Sara Bareilles – ‘King Of Anything’
Beyonce – ‘Halo’ (Live)
Norah Jones – ‘Chasing Pirates’
Lady Gaga – ‘Bad Romance’
Katy Perry – ‘Teenage Dream’
Best Male Pop Vocal Performance:
Michael Buble – ‘Haven't Met You Yet’
Michael Jackson – ‘This Is It’
Adam Lambert – ‘Whataya Want From Me’
Bruno Mars – ‘Just The Way You Are’
John Mayer – ‘Half Of My Heart’
Best Female Country Vocal
Performance:
Jewel – ‘Satisfied’
Miranda Lambert – ‘The House That Built Me’
LeAnn Rimes – ‘Swingin'’
Carrie Underwood – ‘Temporary Home’
Gretchen Wilson – ‘I'd Love To Be Your
Last’
Best Pop Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals:
Glee Cast – ‘Don't Stop Believin'’ (Regionals
Version)
Maroon 5 – ‘Misery’
Paramore – ‘The Only Exception’
Sade – ‘Babyfather’
Train – ‘Hey, Soul Sister’ (Live)
Best Pop Collaboration With Vocals:
B.o.B, Eminem & Hayley Williams – ‘Airplanes, Part
II’
Herbie Hancock, Pink, India.Arie, Seal, Konono No 1, Jeff Beck &
Oumou
Sangare – ‘Imagine’
Elton John & Leon Russell – ‘If It Wasn't For
Bad’
Lady Gaga & Beyonce – ‘Telephone’
Katy Perry & Snoop Dogg – ‘California Gurls’
Best Pop Vocal Album:
Justin Bieber - My World 2.0
Susan Boyle - I Dreamed A Dream
Lady Gaga - The Fame Monster
John Mayer - Battle Studies
Katy Perry - Teenage Dream
Best Country Song:
George Strait – ‘The Breath You Take’
Zac Brown Band – ‘Free’
Miranda Lambert – ‘The House That Built Me’
Gretchen Wilson – ‘I'd Love To Be Your
Last’
The Band Perry – ‘If I Die Young’
Lady Antebellum – ‘Need You Now’
Best Country Album:
Dierks Bentley - Up On The Ridge
Zac Brown Band - You Get What You Give
Jamey Johnson - The Guitar Song
Lady Antebellum - Need You Now
Miranda Lambert - Revolution
Best Rock Song:
Neil Young – ‘Angry World’
Mumford & Sons – ‘Little Lion Man’
Kings Of Leon – ‘Radioactive’
Muse – ‘Resistance’
The Black Keys – ‘Tighten Up’
Best Rock Album:
Jeff Beck - Emotion & Commotion
Muse - The Resistance
Pearl Jam – Backspacer
Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers – Mojo
Neil Young - Le Noise
Best R&B Song:
Fantasia – ‘Bittersweet’
Jaheim – ‘Finding My Way Back’
El DeBarge – ‘Second Chance’
John Legend & The Roots – ‘Shine’
Kem – ‘Why Would You Stay’
Best R&B Album:
Raheem DeVaughn - The Love & War Masterpeace
Fantasia - Back To Me
Jaheim - Another Round
John Legend & The Roots - Wake Up!
Monica - Still Standing
Best Rap Song:
Jay-Z and Alicia Keys – ‘Empire State Of
Mind’
Eminem and Rihanna – ‘Love The Way You Lie’
Eminem – ‘Not Afraid’
B.o.B and Bruno Mars – ‘Nothin' On You’
Jay-Z and Swizz Beatz – ‘On To The Next
One’
Best Rap Album:
B.o.B - The Adventures Of Bobby Ray
Drake - Thank Me Later
Eminem – Recovery
Jay-Z - The Blueprint 3
The Roots - How I Got Over
Best Compilation Soundtrack Album For Motion Picture,
Television Or Other Visual Media:
Crazy Heart, Various Artists
Glee: The Music, Volume 1, Glee Cast
Treme, Various Artists
True Blood-Volume 2, Various Artists
The Twilight Saga: Eclipse, Various Artists
AP