This year's Grammy awards belonged to Irish band U2, who bagged all the five awards that they were nominated for. The philanthropic group, led by Bono, bagged the best album and song of the year awards for
How To Dismantle an Atomic Bomb and
Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own respectively, leaving behind hot favorite Mariah Carey, who was nominated in eight categories.
The glittering ceremony at Staples Center in Los Angeles saw U2 walk away with the best rock album for
How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb, the best rock performance by a group for
Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own and the best rock song for
City of Blinding Lights awards as well. With 22 Grammies under its belt, U2 now occupies the sixth position on the list of greatest Grammy winners. “If you think this is going to go to our head, it's too late,” Bono said. He, however, complimented Carey with “You sing like an angel.”
Carey's comeback vehicle
The Emancipation of Mimi bagged the best contemporary R&B album. She also secured the best R&B song and best female R&B vocal performance for the song
We Belong Together. A surprise win was that of Green Day, which won the best record of the year award for its
Boulevard of Broken Dreams.
Rapper Kanye West, who was nominated in eight categories, won three – best rap album for
Late Registration, best rap solo performance for
Gold Digger and best rap song for
Diamonds From Sierra Leone, which he sang with D Harris. He vowed to bag the album of the year award in the future. “I'm going to keep on delivering albums of the year that are so undeniable to the point where you are finally going to let a rapper come up and accept this award,” West said.
Newcomer John Legend made his presence felt at the Grammies with his haul of three awards – best new artist, best male R&B vocal performance for
Ordinary People, and best R&B album for
Get Lifted. Another new artist,
American Idol winner Kelly Clarkson walked off with the best pop vocal album award for
Breakaway, spiking former Beatle Paul McCartney, and best female pop vocal performance award for
Since U Been Gone, beating Mariah Carey. “I don't know what's going on, but thank you Jesus and God and everyone else that supported my career,” she said tearfully.
Alison Krauss and her band Union Station also showed an impressive lineup with three awards – best country album for
Lonely Runs Both Ways, best country performance by a group with vocal for
Restless, and best country instrumental performance for
Unionhouse Branch.
Motown's legendary musician Stevie Wonder made a comeback with two awards, one for best R&B performance by a duo with vocals for
So Amazing, which he sang with Beyonce Knowles, and another for best male pop vocal performance for
From the Bottom of My Heart. Other winners included The Black Eyed Peas, Keith Urban, Jay-Z, Bruce Springsteen, Faith Hill and Tim McGraw, Mark Knopfler, and Bob Marley's son Damien Marley.
Among those who were nominated but went home empty-handed were Paul McCartney, 50 Cent, Alicia Keys, Gwen Stefani and Kylie Minogue, who is recovering from cancer therapy.
