Grammy Awards 2011

Chamari Senanayake

The 53rd annual Grammy awards, the biggest night in music industry took place at Los Angeles Staples Centre on February 13. This was the place King of Pop Michael Jackson’s memorial was also held.

The Grammy Awards (originally called the Gramophone Awards) are presented annually by the ‘National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences’ of the United Sates for outstanding achievements in the music industry.

The awards ceremony features performances by prominent artists, and some of the awards of more popular interest are presented in a widely-viewed televised ceremony.

As the opening number, Christina Aguilera led five-pack of female performers paid tribute to the singing sensation Aretha Franklin.

Lady Gaga arrived for the Grammys in a bizarre way concealed in a giant egg and on stage the egg opened and Lady Gaga emerged to sing, shimmy and shake her new song ‘Born this way.’

But she was ousted by Cee Lo Green, Gwyneth Paltrow and Jim Henson Co.’s puppets (some from Sesame Street), who gave a hilarious performance of “Forget You.”

Teen sensation Justin Bieber gave a three performance: Strumming “Baby” on guitar, battling ninjastic dancers with Jaden Smith on “Never Say Never” and a great performance of “Oh My God.”

Legendary Bob Dylan joined two bands, Mumford & Sons and The Avett Brothers, and gave a high-energy performance that amused the audience.

Lady Antebellum was the big winner at the Grammys with five awards, including record and song of the year for the band’s yearning crossover ballad “Need You Now,” but rockers Arcade Fire won Sunday’s biggest prize, album of the year, for their highly acclaimed “The Suburbs.” Eminem was nominated in 10 leading awards, including record, song, and album of the year, but he took home just two, both in the rap categories, for best album and solo performance.

The Grammys give out 109 awards but most of those are handed out before the live telecast in a ceremony, and only the most popular awards are always given on the live show.

Essential info

* Album of the Year: The Suburbs, Arcade Fire

* Record of the Year: “Need You Now,” Lady Antebellum

* Rap Album: Recovery, Eminem

* New Artist: Esperanza Spalding

* Song of the Year: “Need You Now,” Lady Antebellum

Pop Category:

* Pop Vocal Album: Lady Gaga, The Fame Monster

* Pop Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocals: Train, “Hey, Soul Sister (Live)”

* Traditional Pop Vocal Album: Michael Bublé, Crazy Love

* Female Pop Vocal Performance: Lady Gaga, “Bad Romance,” The Fame Monster

* Male Pop Vocal Performance: Bruno Mars, “Just The Way You Are,” Doo-Wops & Hooligans

* Pop Collaboration With Vocals: “Imagine,” Herbie Hancock, Pink, India.Arie, Seal, Konono No 1, Jeff Beck & Oumou Sangare, The Imagine Project

* Pop Instrumental Performance: “Nessun Dorma,” Jeff Beck, Emotion & Commotion

* Pop Instrumental Album: Take Your Pick, Larry Carlton & Tak Matsumoto

R&B Category:

* Female R&B Vocal Performance: Fantasia, “Bittersweet,” Back to Me

* Male R&B Vocal Performance: Usher, “There Goes My Baby,” Raymond V Raymond R&B Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocals: Sade, “Soldier of Love,” Soldier of Love

* Traditional R&B Vocal Performance: John Legend & The Roots, “Hang On In There,” Wake Up!

* R&B Song: John Legend & The Roots, “Shine,” Wake Up!

* R&B Album: Wake Up!, John Legend & The Roots

* Contemporary R&B Album: Raymond V Raymond, Usher

Rap Category:

* Rap Song: Jay-Z & Alicia Keys, “Empire State of Mind,” The Blueprint 3

* Rap/Sung Collaboration: Jay-Z & Alicia Keys, “Empire State of Mind,” The Blueprint 3

* Rap Performance by a Duo or Group: Jay-Z & Swizz Beatz, “On to the Next One,” The Blueprint 3

* Rap Solo Performance: Eminem, “Not Afraid,” Recovery

* Urban/Alternative Performance: “F*** You,” Cee Lo Green

Rock Category:

* Rock Album: Muse, The Resistance

* Solo Rock Vocal Performance: Paul McCartney, “Helter Skelter,” Good Evening New York City

* Rock Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocals: The Black Keys, “Tighten Up,” Brothers

* Rock Song: “Angry World,” Neil Young, Le Noise

* Hard Rock Performance: New Fang, “Them Crooked Vultures,” Them Crooked Vultures

* Metal Performance: “El Dorado,” Iron Maiden, The Final Frontier

* Rock Instrumental Performance: Jeff Beck, “Hammerhead,” Emotion & Commotion

Country Category:

* Country Album: Lady Antebellum, Need You Now

* Female Country Vocal Performance: Miranda Lambert, “ The House That Built Me,” Revolution

* Male Country Vocal Performance: Keith Urban, “‘Til Summer Comes Around”

* Country Song: “Need You Now,” Dave Haywood, Josh Kear, Charles Kelley & Hillary Scott, songwriters (Lady Antebellum) (Need You Now)

* Country Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocals: Lady Antebellum, “Need You Now”

* Country Instrumental Performance: Marty Stuart, “Hummingbyrd” (Ghost Train: The Studio B Sessions)

* New Age Album: Miho: Journey to the Mountain, Paul Winter Consort

* Contemporary Jazz Album:The Stanley Clarke Band, The Stanley Clarke Band

* Jazz Vocal Album:Eleanora Fagan (1915-1959): To Billie With Love From Dee Dee, Dee Dee Bridgewater

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