The 44th Annual Grammy awards took center stage Feb. 27 as music’s best gathered at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.
Filled with anticipation, glamour and otherwise dull speeches, the award show was everything it was hyped up to be.
The event was hosted by Jon Stewart and opened with a performance by U2, who walked away with four Grammys for the evening including Record of the Year.
U2 led the nomination pack with eight. India-Arie was second in nominations with seven, but was shut out for the evening. She competed against Alicia Keyes in most of the categories.
Although Arie did not receive a Grammy, she closed the show with a soulful performance of her hit single “Video.”
The big winner for the evening was 21 year-old newcomer Alicia Keyes. Keyes left with five Grammys after six nominations.
An obviously shocked and gracious, Keyes thanked her fans repeatedly each time she made the trek up to the podium.
Keyes also had the opportunity to flaunt her vocal talent by performing a medley of her hit “Fallin'” and recent single “A Woman’s Worth.”
Usually seated while singing, Keyes gave the audience a rare glimpse at her dance moves during her performance by dancing the Tango.
The surprise of the night had to be the “O Brother Where Art Thou?” soundtrack. The bluegrass soundtrack was shunned by country radio , yet grabbed the spotlight by winning five Grammy awards, including Album of the Year. The soundtrack beat out tough competition, such as U2, India-Arie, Bob Dylan and Outkast.
Patti LaBelle surprised the audience by accompanying Christina Aguilera, Mya, Lil’ Kim, Pink and Missy Elliot on stage for their version of “Lady Marmalade.”
After performing the ladies picked up the Grammy for Best Pop Collaboration.
Nominated for three Grammys, Nelly Furtado left with the Best Pop Female Vocal award. She edged out veterans Janet Jackson, Sade, Faith Hill and Lucinda Williams.
Furtado’s rendition of “I’m Like A Bird,” stood out amongst the other performances. Accompanied only by an electric guitar Furtado showcased her vocal talents with a fresh version of the song.
The Grammys were predictable as always. For the most part the artists that won were those favored.
Although India-Arie received seven Grammy nominations it seemed highly unlikely that she would steal the show. Her album went unknown for the majority of the year.
A pattern began to emerge as artists immediately won awards after performing, which left very little to the imagination.
To make matters worse, Michael Greene, president of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, lectured the audience about the evils of
Other performers for the evening included N*Sync featuring rapper Nelly, Dave Mathews Band, Train, Bob Dylan, The Soggy Bottom Boys and Outkast.
Scheduled to perform was the King of Pop Michael Jackson, but he did not attend the show.