Beyonce became the most decorated female on Grammy night as she collected six trophies, including song of the year for her anthem “Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It),” but it was another diva – Taylor Swift – who nabbed the top honor, album of the year, for her best-selling “Fearless.”
Swift, who won a total of four awards, jumped around like the 20-year-old kid that she is when beat out Beyonce, the Dave Matthews Band, Lady Gaga and the Black Eyed Peas for the honor.
“Oh wow – thank you so much! I just hope that you know how much this means to me…. that we get to take this back to Nashville,” said Swift, whose “Fearless” was last year’s best-selling album of any genre.
Although Beyonce also lost out on record of the year, which went to the Kings of Leon‘s “Use Somebody,” the multihyphenate entertainer still owned the most awards of the evening.
Beyonce, who in 2004 won five Grammys on the strength of her debut album “Dangerously in Love,” a mark tied by the likes of Alicia Keys, Norah Jones and Lauryn Hill, Amy Winehouse and Alison Krauss, reached that milestone again Sunday en route to the new record. She is the first to reach that mark twice.
She shared the song of the year trophy with three writers for “Single Ladies” and also won best R&B contemporary album for “I Am … Sasha Fierce.”
“This has been such an amazing night for me and I’d love to thank the Grammys,” Beyonce said after winning best female pop vocal for “Halo.”
Many participants in the program wore red cross buttons in support of Haiti earthquake relief. Mary J. Blige joined Andrea Bocelli in a rousing rendition of “Bridge Over Troubled Water,” which was not only designed to mark the 40th anniversary of the song’s Grammy wins, but to raise money for the people of Haiti.
The show also included a special 3-D tribute to Michael Jackson featuring a video clip he made of “Earth Song” as Usher, Carrie Underwood, Celine Dion, Jennifer Hudson and Smokey Robinson sang along.
Major winners
Record of the Year: “Use Somebody,” Kings of Leon
Album of the Year: “Fearless,” Taylor Swift
Song of the Year: “Single Ladies (Put A Ring On it),” Beyonce Knowles
Pop Vocal Album: “The E.N.D.”, The Black Eyed Peas
Female Pop Vocal Performance: “Halo,” Beyonce Knowles
Male Pop Vocal Performance: “Make It Mine,” Jason Mraz
Rock Album: “21st Century Breakdown,” Green Day
Rock Song: “Use Somebody,” Kings of Leon
R&B Album: “BLACKsummers’night, “Maxwell
R&B Song: “Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It),” Beyonce Knowles
Rap Album: “Relapse,” Eminem
Rap Song: “Run This Town,” Jay-Z, Rihanna and Kanye West
Country Album: “Fearless,” Taylor Swift
Female Country Vocal Performance: “White Horse,” Taylor Swift
Male Country Vocal Performance: “Sweet Thing,” Keith Urban,
Source: Baltimore Sun
