As customary, at the 2009 Grammys too, singers, actors and all stars came together to celebrate the best music acts of the year. While, normally, the gala is dominated by US artists, the 2009 edition was an exception in that many nominees and winners were from across the pond, marking a first step towards conquering the US music market, which many performers have tried before and failed.
Among the many surprises of the night were John Mayer, who scooped up two awards for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance and Best Solo Rock Vocal Performance, Adele, who also won two accolades for Female Pop Vocal Performance and New Artist, while jazzy sensation Duffy only got to take home one award, for Pop Vocal Album.
US rapper Lil’ Wayne was also a favorite at the awards ceremony, winning a total of four awards for Rap Album, Rap Solo Performance, Rap Performance by a Duo or Group (Swagga Like Us, Jay-Z & T.I. Featuring Kanye West & Lil Wayne) and Rap Song. Ne-Yo also got to take home two of the coveted statuettes, with one for Best R&B Song and Male R&B Performance. Rihanna, on the other hand, while nominated in several categories, failed to impress the critics and get votes.
While this edition of the Grammys started off somehow on the wrong foot, with Rihanna and Chris Brown canceling their appearance and performance
at the last minute, it was still a magical night. For more on the performances of the night (including one of the Jonas Brothers with Stevie Wonder), as well as for inside details, keep an eye on this space.
Meanwhile, below is a list with the winners in the major categories.
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Album of the Year – “Raising Sand,” Robert Plant & Alison Krauss
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Record of the Year – “Please Read The Letter,” Robert Plant & Alison Krauss
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Song of the Year – “Viva La Vida,” Coldplay
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New Artist – Adele
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Rap/Sung Collaboration – “American Boy,” Estelle Featuring Kanye West
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Country Album – “Troubadour,” George Strait
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Rap Album – “Tha Carter III,” Lil Wayne
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Rock Album – “Viva La Vida Or Death And All His Friends,” Coldplay
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Female Pop Vocal Performance – “Chasing Pavements,” Adele
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Male Pop Vocal Performance – “Say,” John Mayer
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Pop Vocal Album – “Rockferry,” Duffy
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Pop Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocals – “Viva La Vida,” Coldplay
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Pop Collaboration With Vocals – “Rich Woman,” Robert Plant & Alison Krauss
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Pop Instrumental Album – “Jingle All The Way,” Bela Fleck & The Flecktones
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Pop Instrumental Performance – “I Dreamed There Was No War,” Eagles
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Traditional Pop Vocal Album – “Still Unforgettable,” Natalie Cole
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Alternative Music Album – “In Rainbows,” Radiohead
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Rock Song – “Girls In Their Summer Clothes,” Bruce Springsteen
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Solo Rock Vocal Performance – “Gravity,” John Mayer
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Hard Rock Performance – “Wax Simulacra,” The Mars Volta
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Metal Performance – “My Apocalypse,” Metallica
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Rock Instrumental Performance – “Peaches En Regalia,” Zappa Plays Zappa Featuring Steve Vai & Napoleon Murphy Brock
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Rap Album – “Tha Carter III,” Lil Wayne
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Rap Solo Performance – “A Milli,” Lil Wayne
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Rap Performance by a Duo or Group – “Swagga Like Us,” Jay-Z & T.I. Featuring Kanye West & Lil Wayne
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Rap Song – “Lollipop,” D. Carter, S. Garrett, D. Harrison, J. Scheffer & R. Zamor, songwriters (Lil Wayne Featuring Static Major)
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R&B Album – “Jennifer Hudson,” Jennifer Hudson
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R&B Song – “Miss Independent,” Mikkel S. Eriksen, T.E. Hermansen & S. Smith, songwriters (Ne-Yo)
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Contemporary R&B Album – “Growing Pains,” Mary J. Blige
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Female R&B Vocal Performance – “Superwoman,” Alicia Keys
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Male R&B Vocal Performance – “Miss Independent,” Ne-Yo