Beyonce Wins Six Grammys

To me, the Grammy Awards is for people who really like music, not just popular music. The award show honors contemporary, classical, blues and even spoken word. At times, artists who've worked for 30 or 40 years garner awards instead of their younger counterparts. As expected, a few veterans were honored at the 52nd Grammy Awards on January 31, 2010-including Bruce Springsteen for Best Solo Rock Vocal Performance. Very few awards were given out on television. It was like watching a series of mini concerts-some good, some bad, some really ugly.

Beyonce walked away with six Grammy Awards, including Song of the Year; however, she wasn't the only one in her house to bring home awards. Husband Jay-Z brought home three Grammys. Taylor Swift won four Grammy Award, including Album of the Year. Probably the biggest surprise, Kings of Leon won Record of the Year.

I don't know what performances at the Grammy Awards deserve attention-Beyonce mixing "If I Were a Boy" with an Alanis Morisette song, the news that Green Day goes to Broadway, the Michael Jackson tribute, Pink's Cirque de Soleil act, Mary J. Blige and Andrea Bocelli Haiti Relief "Bridge Over Troubled Waters," or Bon Jovi's first-ever Grammy performance. While a few performances where worth the wait, there were a few letdowns.

The 52^nd Grammy Awards opened with a performance by Lady Gaga and Elton John. After performing one of her songs and a dancer placing her in fire, she and Elton John played opposite one another on pianos, looking as if the fire singed them. It was a natural pairing of two eclectic singers in the music industry. As over the top as Lady Gaga is, I was actually surprised that her performance seemed more subdued than others I've witnessed.

"American Idiot" by Green Day is about to become a Broadway play. It was interesting hearing the song performed by Broadway singer. Honestly, this was one of the best performances of the night in my book. Green Day and the Broadway singers reminded me of the time I saw Rent. I love the mix of rock and stage music. I look forward to when the act hits the road. On top of this, Green Day won Best Rock Album for "21^st Century Breakdown."

The much-anticipated Michael Jackson 3-D tribute was a letdown, to say the least. The "What About Us" song was beautiful, with Celine Dion, Jennifer Hudson, Usher, Carrie Underwood and Smokey Robinson accompanying a recording of Michael Jackson. Two of Jackson's children accepted a Lifetime Achievement Award on his behalf. Honestly, I thought the tribute would have a little more dancing. Because I didn't have 3-D glasses, it was like watching an old, out-of-focus television.

Overall, the 52^nd Grammy Awards focused on music rather than awards. I have mixed feelings about this year's show. On the other hand, you didn't have to hear a lot of long-winded speeches.

The list of winners includes:

Record of the Year - Kings of Leon: Use Somebody

Album of the Year - Taylor Swift: Fearless

Song of the Year - Single Ladies (Put a Ring On It)

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

Best Female Pop Vocal Performance - Beyonce: Halo

Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals - The Black Eyed Peas: I Gotta Feeling

Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals - Kings of Leon: Use Somebody

Best Hard Rock Performance - AC/DC: War Machine

Best Metal Performance - Judas Priest: Dissident Aggressor

Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals - Jason Mraz and Colbie Caillat: Lucky

Best New Artist - Zac Brown Band

Best Rock Song - Kings of Leon: Use Somebody

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

Best Dance Recording - Lady Gaga: Poker Face

Best Electronic/Dance Album - Lady Gaga: The Fame

Best Solo Rock Vocal Performance - Bruce Springsteen: Working on a Dream

Best Rock Album - Green Day: 21^st Century Breakdown

Best Alternative Music Album - Phoenix: Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix

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

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

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

Best R&B Album - Maxwell: Blacksummers' Night

Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals - Jamie Foxx and T-Pain: Blame It

Best R&B Song - Single Ladies (Put a Ring On It)

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

Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group - Eminem, Dr. Dre & 50 Cent: Crack a Bottle

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

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

Best Rap Album - Eminem: Relapse

Best Country Album - Taylor Swift: Fearless

Best Female Country Vocal Performance - Taylor Swift: White Horse

Best Male Country Vocal Performance - Keith Urban: Sweet Thing

Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals - Lady Antebellum: I Run To You

Best Country Collaboration with Vocals - Carrie Underwood & Randy Travis

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

Best Country Song - Taylor Swift: White Horse

Best Gospel Performance - Donnie McClurkin et. al: Wait on the Lord

Best Latin Pop Album - La Quinta Estacion: Sin Frenos

Best Americana Album - Levon Helm: Electric Dirt

Best Bluegrass Album - Steve Martin: The Crow

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

Best Contemporary World Music Album - Bela Fleck: Throw Down Your Heart

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

Best Classical Album - Mahler: Symphony No. 8; Adagio from Symphony No. 10

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

Best Musical Show Album - West Side Story

Best Orchestral Performance - Ravel: Daphnis Et. Chloe

Best Classical Crossover Album - Yo-Yo Ma & Friends: Songs of Joy and Peace

Best Classical Contemporary Composition - Jennifer Higdon: Percussion Concerto

Best Classical Vocal Performance - Verismo Arias

Best Small Ensemble Performance - David Lang: The Little Match Girl Passion

Best Chamber Music Performance - Intimate Letters: Emerson String Quartet

Best Instrumental Soloist Performance (Without Orchestra) - Journey to the New World

Best Instrumental Soloist(s) Performance (With Orchestra) - Prokofiev: Piano Concertos Nos. 2 & 3

Best Choral Performance - Mahler: Symphony No. 8; Adagio from Symphony No. 10

Best Opera Recording - Britten: Billy Budd

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

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

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

Best Rock Instrumental Performance - Jeff Beck: A Day in the Life

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

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

Best New Age Album - David Darling: Prayer for Compassion

Best Contemporary Jazz Album - Joe Zawinul & the Zawinul Syndicate

Best Jazz Vocal Album - Kurt Elling: Dedicated to You: Kurt Elling Sings the Music of Coltrane and Hartman

Best Improvised Jazz Solo - Terence Blanchard

Source:

http://www.grammy.com/