[Shaun]

Pop star Beyonce was the big winner at the prestigious Grammy Awards ceremony in Los Angeles, winning six prizes.

Starting the night with 10 nominations, her awards included song of the year and best R&B song, both for Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It).

Twenty-year-old country star Taylor Swift picked up four prizes, including the coveted album of the year title.

The Black Eyed Peas, Jay-Z and Kings of Leon all picked up three trophies each, while Lady GaGa and Eminem won two.

Beyonce has set a new record for the most awards won in a single year by a solo female, and takes her career tally to 16.

Her other awards this year included best contemporary R&B album, best R&B female vocal for Single Ladies and best traditional R&B performance for At Last, which she performed at President Obama's inauguration.

She also won best pop vocal performance for Halo. Accepting that trophy, she said: "This has been such an amazing night for me and I'd like to thank the Grammys.

"I'd like to thank my family including my husband, I love you," she added, referring to rapper Jay-Z.

But she lost out to Tennessee rock band Kings of Leon in the record of the year category.

In a surprise result, the group's song Use Somebody won that prize, also beating hits by Lady GaGa, Taylor Swift and The Black Eyed Peas.

The song had also earlier been named best rock song - triumphing over tracks by heavyweights like Bruce Springsteen, U2 and Green Day - as well as best rock performance by a duo or group with vocals.

Michael Jackson's children Paris and Prince accepted a lifetime achievement award on behalf of the King of Pop, who died last June.

"Daddy was going to perform this year," 11-year-old Paris told the audience. "He couldn't perform last year. Thank you and we love you daddy."

Their appearance followed a 3D tribute featuring Carrie Underwood, Jennifer Hudson, Celine Dion, Smokey Robinson and Usher accompanying a recording of Jackson's Earth Song.

The Black Eyed Peas won best short video for Boom Boom Pow and best pop performance by a duo or group with vocals for I Gotta Feeling.

And the group beat acts including Kelly Clarkson and Pink to win best pop vocal album for The END.


TOP GRAMMY AWARDS
Album of the year - Taylor Swift, Fearless
Record of the year - Kings of Leon, Use Somebody
Song of the year - Beyonce, Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)
Best new artist - Zac Brown Band
Best pop vocal album - Black Eyed Peas, The END

An emotional Taylor Swift won best country album for her second LP Fearless plus best country song and best female country vocal performance, both for the track White Horse.

Jay-Z's track Run This Town, featuring Rihanna and Kanye West, was named best rap song and best rap/sung collaboration, while the rapper also picked up best rap solo performance for DOA (Death Of Auto-Tune).

Fellow rapper Eminem, meanwhile, won best rap album for Relapse and best rap performance by a duo or group for Crack A Bottle, his comeback collaboration with Dr Dre and 50 Cent.

Lady GaGa took two awards - best dance recording for Poker Face and best electronic/dance album for The Fame. But she missed out on the major prizes.

The outrageous newcomer also performed an elaborate routine that culminated with her playing piano opposite Sir Elton John.

Other winners included Indian composer AR Rahman, who won two trophies for his soundtrack to the Oscar-winning film Slumdog Millionaire.

Film composer Michael Giacchino also won a pair, for best score soundtrack album and best instrumental composition for his work on the Pixar animation Up.

Neil Young won the first Grammy of his career, taking best art direction on a boxed or special limited edition package for Neil Young Archives Vol. 1 (1963-1972).

British artists have dominated the Grammys in the past couple of years. Last year, Robert PLant and Alison Krauss took top honours, with Coldplay, Adele, Duffy and Radiohead also doing well.

And in 2008, Amy Winehouse scooped five prizes. But this year, UK artists fared less well.

Rock veterans Judas Priest took home best metal performance and Jeff Beck won best rock instrumental.

Singer-songwriter Imogen Heap was awarded best engineered non-classical album, while the London Symphony Orchestra won best opera recording for Benjamin Britten's Billy Budd.

Full list of the winners: Here

[Tom4784]

Eurgh, the grammies have gone down hill. Taylor Swift? BEST ALBUM? As well as three others? The judges need to wash the sh*t out their ears.

[Stu]

Thank god Depeche Mode got shafted again. I'm quiet proud of the fact that after 12 albums, 30 years, countless influences on other artists and 120 million sales these vacuous award monopolies have still completely ignored them.

[Fom]

The Grammy's used to be a recognised and important award show, now it is pathetic and awards go to the more popular performers rather than the more talented.

Best 'Vocal' pop album, went too Black Eyed Peas... they were in the same category as Kelly Clarkson, Pink and The Fray.

Pathetic, since when was 'Boom Boom Pow' vocal... or the best?!

[MarkWaldorf]

What a surprise. Aside from the fact her dad's on the panel, I guess they made no exception into the fact it's cool to hand Beyonce with awards she doesn't deserve.

[Shaun]

Except she does deserve them. b/mo

[Stu]

She deserves awards but at any point did they think maybe six was a bit much and it would be sweet to ... you know ... share the wealth a little? You can still recognise how uber awesome someone is without handing them the awards show.

At least she will get a few more product endorsment deals out of it - the fucking *****.

[Tom4784]

I think she definately deserved the R'n'B awards because she's been on fire but I agree that 6 is excessive.

[InOne]

I remember I started that thread about Beyonce and ended up in a massive debate lol But yes, overly raped as usual.

[Fom]

Im not even angry at Beyonce, she has talent and she works very hard. And she has incredibly stage presence.

But BEP?! Why were they so succesful? Rubbish album, Rubbish singers/rappers, rubbish live?!

[Shaun]

I agree BEP's album was terrible...P!nk should've won, or Kelly.

[MarkWaldorf]

Originally Posted by Shaun

Except she does deserve them. b/mo

Eh, not for the Sasha Fierce material in my opinion. I used to be a hardcore Beyonce stan. B'Day was an amazing album and I'd hand her all the Grammys in the world for it, but 'I Am Sasha Fierce' is just overrated, tacky and probably her worst album in my opinion. The whole production of it was about her taking songs from other writers, producers and editing them slightly so she'd get a credit for it - which is why things like the Grammys award her with excessive amounts of nominations.

[MarkWaldorf]

Oh and I'm not denying she isn't talented. She is probably one of the best performers/singers we have in music today - I just hate the whole Sasha Fierce era.

[Shaun]

Originally Posted by MarkWaldorf

Eh, not for the Sasha Fierce material in my opinion. I used to be a hardcore Beyonce stan. B'Day was an amazing album and I'd hand her all the Grammys in the world for it, but 'I Am Sasha Fierce' is just overrated, tacky and probably her worst album in my opinion. The whole production of it was about her taking songs from other writers, producers and editing them slightly so she'd get a credit for it - which is why things like the Grammys award her with excessive amounts of nominations.

Odd, I think it's her best album by a mile. It has a poppier sound, I think R&B has been done to death and Dangerously in Love was full of generic crap.

And as for the songwriting element - I don't really know much about that. But in terms of vocal talent, dancing ability and live performance she's the best popstar around.

[Fom]

Yeh the whole Halo/Already Gone thing got to me a bit, but that would be the producers faults and not Kelly or Beyonce's fault.

[Harry!]

No award won for Celebration.

[Stacey.]

Woo, some greatt winners there
Taylor Swift
beyonce, lady gaga, rihanna, kings of leon...
all Fab!!!

[Twilight]

Paramore didn't win Best Song Written For Motion Picture
****kk

[MrGaryy]

Originally Posted by Shaun

I agree BEP's album was terrible...P!nk should've won, or Kelly.

I'm not a big BEP fan and their album is poor on the whole, but at least there are some new, fresh, interesting elements to it, at least they experimented and took a few risks. P!nk's Funhouse is the worst album of her career filled with self indulgent ballads and generic pop rock tracks. Kelly's album is also seriously below par.

[Tom]

Beyonce is perfect in every way. Of course she deserves her awards

Single Ladies, especially the video, is bizarrely one of the most influential songs of the decade. No idea why, but it is.

[Stacey.]

oh, the black eyed peas are amazing too