Grammys shared among many on music’s big night
US: Indie pop band fun., rockers The Black Keys and
Australian-Belgian singer Gotye shared the top prizes Sunday at the
Grammys, in an eclectic year for the music industry’s biggest awards
show.
The New York-based fun. won Song of the Year for “We Are Young” as
well as best new artist at the 55th Grammy Awards held at the Staples
Center amid tight security as Los Angeles police hunt a former cop
wanted for multiple murders.
British rockers Mumford & Sons took Album of the Year with “Babel,”
while Gotye won Record of the Year for “Somebody That I Used to Know,”
featuring Kimbra. “I feel like it’s my 21st birthday,” said fun.
frontman Nate Ruess, noting that he was actually 30 years old and that
the band had been going for 12 years, but had nothing against being
named best new artist.
The night saw several pairings of the music world’s younger and older
generations: Sting singing with reggae legend Bob Marley’s children;
Elton John with fellow Brit Ed Sheeran; and Prince handing a prize to
Gotye.
Overall The Black Keys won the most Grammys, with four -- best rock
performance, best rock song and best rock album for the band, and
producer of the year, non-classical, for singer Dan Auerbach. Gotye took
home three trophies -- Record of the Year, best pop duo/group
performance and best alternative album -- as did Jay-Z and Kanye West,
who triumphed for best rap performance, rap/sung collaboration and rap
song.
Taylor Swift opened the show as a ringmaster in white hot pants and a
spangly top hat, with a circus-themed performance of her hit “We Are
Never Ever Getting Back Together.” On a night when performers and
presenters were warned not to show too much skin, Jennifer Lopez
provided the first fashion moment of the telecast, baring a toned leg
and shoulder in an asymmetrical black Anthony Vaccarello gown. “As you
can see, I read the memo!” she joked when she came on stage to present
the first award of the night with Pitbull, referring to the leaked
letter from broadcasters CBS about the dress code.
British songstress Adele -- who scored a clean sweep with six Grammys
last year -- won that first prize, for best solo performance for a live
rendition of her hit “Set Fire to the Rain.” “My good luck charm, J-Lo,”
she said as she accepted the award from Lopez. “This is amazing. I
wanted to come and be part of the night. I loved it last year,
obviously,” she added.
Other highlights of the three-and-a-half hour show included a rousing
tribute to Marley, featuring Sting, Bruno Mars, Rihanna and Ziggy,
Stephen and Damian Marley.
They segued from Hawaiian-born Mars’ hit “Locked out of Heaven” into
ex-Police frontman Sting’s reggae - rhythmed “Walking on the Moon,”
before breaking into Marley’s classic “Could You Be Loved?” Heartthrob
Justin Timberlake also brought the house down with a couple of songs
from his new album “The 20/20 Experience,” starting with “Suit and Tie”
-- in which he was suitably attired.
As the telecast went briefly black and white, he was joined by Jay-Z
to sing “Pusher Lover Girl.” In a two-hour pre-telecast show, Paul
McCartney won for best traditional pop vocal album for “Kisses on the
Bottom,” while Beyonce won best traditional R & B performance for “Love
on Top.” A frail-looking Beach Boy Brian Wilson was meanwhile honored
for best historical album and late Indian sitar legend Ravi Shankar won
best world music album for “The Living Room Sessions Part 1.”
In the main Grammy show’s traditional In Memoriam segment, John,
Mumford & Sons and others paid tribute to Levon Helm, the late drummer
and singer with The Band. Organizers hoped to avoid drama which the
Grammys seem to attract -- last year with the death of Whitney Houston
on the eve of the show; and a few years before with the infamous Chris
Brown - Rihanna domestic assault.
AFP
|
