Beyonce Knowles may be “Crazy in Love,” but she kept her cool Sunday at one of the more sober Grammy Awards shows in memory. She was the night’s big winner, taking home a record-tying five trophies to join recent Grammy queens Lauryn Hill, Alicia Keys and Norah Jones with the most wins in a single year by a female performer.
OutKast’s Speakerboxxx/The Love Below won Album of the Year, giving the eccentric Atlanta funk/rap group three wins, including Best Urban Alternative Performance and Best Rap Album. British band Coldplay took home the prize for Record of the Year for “Clocks,” while Song of the Year went to the ailing Luther Vandross and his co-writer Richard Marx for “Dance with My Father.” Vandross, subject of a special tribute that featured Keys and Celine Dion, won a total of four awards.
In an upset over the heavily favored rapper 50 Cent, the award for Best New Artist went to Evanescence, the rock group that also took home an award for Best Hard Rock Performance. Other multiple winners included the White Stripes, Eminem, Alison Krauss, Justin Timberlake and the late singers June Carter Cash and Warren Zevon.
In the wake of Janet Jackson’s impromptu “wardrobe malfunction” during the Super Bowl halftime show last week, CBS and Grammy organizers were clearly determined to present a clean-cut program. The show was broadcast with a five-minute delay to allow producers time to consider any potentially offending words, gestures or body parts.
Though Jackson, originally scheduled as a presenter, was a no-show – unlike Timberlake, she opted not to appear on the condition that she apologize for the Super Bowl incident – plenty of once and future controversy-stokers were on hand, including Prince (who opened the show with a medley featuring Beyonce) and presenters such as Madonna and Ozzy Osbourne. Still, the ceremony was devoid of incident.
“Sometimes it’s just about the music,” said Queen Latifah, introducing a performance by Christina Aguilera, “and the power of the human voice.”
Later, Aguilera, accepting the award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance, took the stage struggling to keep her skimpy dress from slipping. “I don’t want the same thing to happen to me that Janet had done,” she joked.
Timberlake, accepting the award for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance, acknowledged the hubbub over his halftime softcore act with Jackson. “Listen, I know it’s been a rough week on everybody,” he said with a wry smile. “What occurred was unintentional, completely regrettable, and I apologize if you guys were offended.”
With all parties on their best behavior, the biggest headache for the censors might have been presenter Samuel L. Jackson’s repeated, gleeful use of the word “funk” as he introduced the acts in a chaotic R&B medley that included OutKast, George Clinton with Parliament/Funkadelic, and Earth, Wind and Fire.
Other performances were more restrained. Jackson Browne, Emmylou Harris and Billy Bob Thornton led a celebrity chorus paying somber tribute to Zevon by singing along with a video of the late singer recording “Keep Me in Your Heart.” Sting and dancehall star Sean Paul played up the reggae roots of the Police’s signature song, “Roxanne.” Sting also performed in an unlikely foursome with Dave Matthews, Vince Gill and Pharrell Williams, covering the Beatles’ “I Saw Her Standing There.”
Peace and harmony were recurring themes. Yoko Ono, who accepted a special award honoring the fortieth anniversary of the Beatles’ first trip to America on behalf of her late husband, John Lennon, choked up as she said he would have had a familiar message for the audience: “Come together, give peace a chance and love is all we need.” And the Black Eyed Peas performed their Record of the Year-nominated song, the socially conscious “Where Is the Love.”
More specific politics were largely absent, save for Coldplay’s Chris Martin, who dedicated his band’s award to Johnny Cash and John Kerry, “who hopefully will be your president one day.”
Recipients of this year’s Lifetime Achievement Grammys included the songwriting team of Carole King and Gerry Goffin, the Motown rhythm section known as the Funk Brothers, bluegrass legend Doc Watson and saxophone giant Sonny Rollins.
Beyonce, accepting her award for Best Contemporary R&B Album, summed up the night’s theme of humility. “This is unbelievable,” she said. “Performing was enough for me.”
The Complete List Of The 46th Annual Grammy Awards Winners:
- Record of the Year – “Clocks,” Coldplay
- Album of the Year – Speakerboxxx/The Love Below, OutKast
- Song of the Year – “Dance With My Father,” Richard Marx, Luther Vandross – Vandross
- Best New Artist – Evanescence
- Best Female Pop Vocal Performance – “Beautiful,” Christina Aguilera
- Best Male Pop Vocal Performance – “Cry Me a River,” Justin Timberlake
- Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocal – “Underneath It All,” No Doubt
- Best Pop Collaboration With Vocals – “Whenever I Say Your Name,” Mary J. Blige and Sting
- Best Pop Instrumental Performance – “Marwa Blues,” George Harrison
- Best Pop Instrumental Album – Mambo Sinuendo, Ry Cooder and Manuel Galban
- Best Pop Vocal Album – Justified, Justin Timberlake
- Best Dance Recording – “Come Into My World,” Kylie Minogue
- Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album – A Wonderful World, Tony Bennett and k.d. lang
- Best Female Rock Vocal Performance – “Trouble,” Pink
- Best Male Rock Vocal Performance – “Gravedigger,” Dave Matthews
- Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocal – “Disorder in the House,” Warren Zevon with Bruce Springsteen
- Best Hard Rock Performance – “Bring Me to Life,” Evanescence
- Best Metal Performance – “St. Anger,” Metallica
- Best Rock Instrumental Performance – “Plan B,” Jeff Beck
- Best Rock Song – “Seven Nation Army,” Jack White – White Stripes
- Best Rock Album – One by One, Foo Fighters
- Best Alternative Music Album – Elephant, the White Stripes
- Best Female R&B Vocal Performance – “Dangerously in Love,” Beyonce
- Best Male R&B Vocal Performance – “Dance With My Father,” Luther Vandross
- Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocal – “The Closer I Get to You,” Beyonce and Luther Vandross
- Best R&B Song – “Crazy in Love,” Shawn Carter, Rich Harrison, Beyonce Knowles, Eugene Record – Beyonce
- Best R&B Album – Dance With My Father, Luther Vandross
- Best Contemporary R&B Album – Dangerously in Love, Beyonce
- Best Traditional R&B Vocal Performance – “Wonderful,” Aretha Franklin
- Best Urban/Alternative Performance – “Hey Ya,” OutKast
- Best Female Rap Solo Performance – “Work It,” Missy Elliott
- Best Male Rap Solo Performance – “Lose Yourself,” Eminem
- Best Rap Song – “Lose Yourself,” Marshall Mathers, Luis Resto, Jeff Bass – Eminem
- Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group – “Shake Ya Tailfeather,” Nelly and P. Diddy
- Best Rap/Sung Collaboration – “Crazy in Love,” Beyonce and Jay-Z
- Best Rap Album – Speakerboxxx/The Love Below, OutKast
- Best Male Country Vocal Performance – “Next Big Thing,” Vince Gill
- Best Female Country Vocal Performance – “Keep on the Sunny Side,” June Carter Cash
- Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocal – “A Simple Life,” Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder
- Best Country Collaboration With Vocals – “How’s the World Treating You,” Alison Krauss and James Taylor
- Best Country Instrumental Performance – “Cluck Old Hen,” Alison Krauss and Union Station
- Best Country Song – “It’s Five o’Clock Somewhere,” Jim Brown, Don Rollins – Alan Jackson
- Best Country Album – Livin’, Lovin’, Losin’ – Songs of the Louvin Brothers, Various Artists
- Best New Age Album – One Quiet Night, Pat Metheny
- Best Contemporary Jazz Album – 34th N Lex, Randy Brecker
- Best Jazz Vocal Album – A Little Moonlight, Dianne Reeves
- Best Jazz Instrumental Solo – “Matrix,” Chick Corea
- Best Jazz Instrumental Album, Individual or Group – Alegria, Wayne Shorter
- Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album – Wide Angles, Michael Brecker Quindectet
- Best Latin Jazz Album – Live at the Blue Note, Michael Camilo
- Best Rock Gospel Album – Worldwide, Audio Adrenaline
- Best Pop/Contemporary Gospel Album – Worship Again, Michael W. Smith
- Best Southern, Country or Bluegrass Gospel Album – Rise and Shine, Randy Travis
- Best Bluegrass Album – Live, Alison Krauss and Union Station
- Best Traditional Soul Gospel Album – Go Tell It on the Mountain, the Blind Boys of Alabama
- Best Contemporary Soul Gospel Album -… Again, Donnie McClurkin
- Best Gospel Choir or Chorus Album – A Wing and a Prayer, Bishop T.D. Jakes, director
- Best Latin Pop Album – No Es lo Mismo, Alejandro Sanz
- Best Latin Rock/Alternative Album – Cuatro Caminos, Cafe Tacuba
- Best Traditional Tropical Latin Album – Buenos Hermanos, Ibrahim Ferrer
- Best Salsa/Merengue Album – Regalo del Alma, Celia Cruz
- Best Mexican/Mexican-American Album – Afortunado, Joan Sebastian
- Best Tejano Album – Si Me Faltas Tu, Jimmy Gonzalez
- Best Traditional Blues Album – Blues Singer, Buddy Guy
- Best Contemporary Blues Album – Let’s Roll, Etta James
- Best Traditional Folk Album – Wildwood Flower, June Carter Cash
- Best Contemporary Folk Album – The Wind, Warren Zevon
- Best Native American Music Album – Flying Free, Black Eagle
- Best Reggae Album – Dutty Rock, Sean Paul
- Best Traditional World Music Album – Sacred Tibetan Chant, the Monks of Sherab Ling Monastery
- Best Contemporary World Music Album – Voz D’ Amor, Cesaria Evora
- Best Polka Album – Let’s Polka ‘Round, Jimmy Sturr
- Best Musical Album for Children – Bon Appetit, Cathy Fink and Marcy Marxer
- Best Spoken Word Album for Children – Peter and the Wolf, Bill Clinton, Mikhail Gorbechev
- Best Spoken Word Album – Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them, Al Franken
- Best Comedy Album – Poodle Hat, Weird Al Yankovic
- Best Musical Show Album – Gypsy
- Best Compilation Soundtrack Album For a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media – Chicago
- Best Score Soundtrack Album For a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media – The Lord of the Rings – The Two Towers, Howard Shore
- Best Song Written For a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media – “A Mighty Wind,” from A Mighty Wind, Christopher Guest
- Best Instrumental Composition – “Sacajawea,” Wayne Shorter
- Best Instrumental Arrangement – “Timbuktu,” Michael Brecker and Gil Goldstein
- Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocalists – “Woodstock,” Vince Mendoza
- Best Recording Packaging – Evolve, Ani Difranco and Brian Grunert, art director – DiFranco
- Best Boxed Recording Packaging – The Complete Jack Johnson Sessions, Julian Alexander, others, art director – Miles Davis
- Best Album Notes – Martin Scorsese Presents the Blues, Tom Piazza
- Best Historical Album – Martin Scorsese Presents the Blues, Steve Berkowitz
- Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical – Hail to the Thief, Nigel Godrich and Darrell Thorp – Radiohead
- Producer of the Year, Non-Classical – The Neptunes – Chad Hugo, Pharrell Williams
- Best Short Form Music Video – “Hurt,” Mark Romanek, director – Johnny Cash
- Best Long Form Music Video – “Legend,” Allen Klein, director – Sam Cooke
- Best Remixed Recording, Non-Classical – “Crazy in Love,” Maurice Joshua – Beyonce
- Best Engineered Album, Classical – Obrigado Brazil, Richard King and Todd Whitelock
- Producer of Year, Classical – Steven Epstein
- Best Classical Album – Mahler – Symphony No. 3
- Best Orchestral Performance – Mahler – Symphony No. 3, Pierre Boulez
- Best Opera Recording – Janacek – Jenufa, Wolfram Graul
- Best Instrumental Soloist Performance – With Orchestra – Britten – Violin Concerto, Mstislav Rostropovich
- Best Instrumental Soloist Performance – Without Orchestra – Haydn – Piano Sonatas Nos. 29 – 31, 34, 35 and 49, Emanuel Ax, piano
- Best Chamber Music Performance – Berg – Lyric Suite, Kronos Quartet
- Best Small Ensemble Performance – With or Without Conductor – Chavez – Suite for Double Quartet, Jeff von der Schmidt, conductor
- Best Classical Vocal Performance – Schubert – Lieder With Orchestra, Thomas Quasthoff
- Best Classical Contemporary Composition – Argento – Casa Guidi, Dominick Argento
- Best Classical Crossover Album – Obrigado Brazil, Jorge Calandrelli, conductor