U2 steal the spotlight at Grammy awards
LOS ANGELES (AFP) - Irish rockers U2 upset the form book at the annual Grammy awards here Wednesday, hauling in five trophies, including the coveted Album of the Year award for "How to Dismantle An Atomic Bomb."
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On an evening notable for performances by veterans like former Beatle Paul McCartney and funk pioneer Sly Stone -- both in their sixties -- U2's success came at the expense of the younger generation.
Pop diva Mariah Carey and rapper Kanye West, who came into the evening with eight nominations apiece, each went home with three <FORM class=yqin action=http://yq.search.yahoo.com/search method=post> </FORM>Grammys, having missed out on any of the blue riband awards.
The other leading nominee, John Legend, also scored three trophies, including one for Best New Artist.
"If you think this is going to go to our heads, it's too late," said U2 frontman Bono, who revealed that the main inspiration behind the album was his father, Bob, who died in 2001.
"He was the atomic bomb in question and when he died it set off a kind of chain reaction in me," Bono said.
"And I've been shouting about him and giving off about him and complaining about him and screaming about him for the past few years. Maybe tonight is the time to stop," he added.
The other Album of the Year nominees were Mariah Carey for "The Emancipation of Mimi," Paul McCartney for "Chaos and Creation in the Backyard," Gwen Stefani for "Love. Angel. Music. Baby" and Kanye West for "Late Registration."
Bono paid tribute to West, who recently toured with U2 but was clearly upset to have to settle for awards in the rap category for the second year in a row.
"Kanye, you're next," said Bono, who went on to praise McCartney as the man who "discovered the country that we're all living in."
U2's other awards included Rock Album of the Year and Song of the Year for penning "Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own."
Although Carey missed out on the top awards, her three trophies crowned the triumphant comeback of a career that appeared consigned to the musical scrap heap just a few years ago.
Carey, 35, won best contemporary rhythm and blues album for "The Emancipation of Mimi" -- the best-selling record of 2005 -- while her megahit single "We Belong Together" also pulled in Grammys for best R and B song and female R and B vocal performance.
But she never got to say thank you as all her awards were given out in a pre-broadcast ceremony.
The Record of the Year Grammy went to punk rockers Green Day for their single "Boulevard of Broken Dreams."
The live performances at the glittering ceremony at the Staples Center were notable for two firsts -- a set from Paul McCartney and one by a cartoon "virtual band," Gorillaz.
Despite winning 13 Grammys, McCartney, 63, had never played the awards event.
"I finally passed the audition," he said, before launching into a raucous version of the Beatles' "Helter Skelter."
Madonna, who stole the 2003 show by smooching with pop princess Britney Spears, kicked off the evening with Gorillaz -- appearing alongside a 3-D colour animation of the four characters created by Blur frontman Damon Albarn.
Stevie Wonder and Alicia Keys performed a stripped-down version of Wonder's classic "Higher Ground" as a tribute to the widow of slain civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Coretta Scott King, who was buried Tuesday.
"Let's keep trying to reach that higher ground," Keys said.
The reclusive Sly Stone, 61, made his first appearance in 13 years something to remember, strolling onstage sporting a towering, white mohican hairdo to round off an all-star tribute to his seminal group, Sly and the Family Stone.
Politics was largely absent, save for a passing "Bring 'em home" plea by Bruce Springsteen as he finished performing his anthem about US troops in <FORM class=yqin action=http://yq.search.yahoo.com/search method=post> </FORM>Iraq, "Devils and Dust."
Even the outspoken West kept himself in check following several controversies in recent months that might have affected his Grammy chances.
In September, during a live telethon for victims of Hurricane Katrina, the rapper launched into an unscripted diatribe against the US government which included the now famous line: "George Bush doesn't care about black people."
He then upset some by appearing on the cover of this month's Rolling Stone magazine, made up as Jesus with a crown of thorns. "Just imagine being my publicist, how hard that's gotta be," West said while accepting the best rap album award.
LOS ANGELES (AFP) - Irish rockers U2 upset the form book at the annual Grammy awards here Wednesday, hauling in five trophies, including the coveted Album of the Year award for "How to Dismantle An Atomic Bomb."
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On an evening notable for performances by veterans like former Beatle Paul McCartney and funk pioneer Sly Stone -- both in their sixties -- U2's success came at the expense of the younger generation.
Pop diva Mariah Carey and rapper Kanye West, who came into the evening with eight nominations apiece, each went home with three <FORM class=yqin action=http://yq.search.yahoo.com/search method=post> </FORM>Grammys, having missed out on any of the blue riband awards.
The other leading nominee, John Legend, also scored three trophies, including one for Best New Artist.
"If you think this is going to go to our heads, it's too late," said U2 frontman Bono, who revealed that the main inspiration behind the album was his father, Bob, who died in 2001.
"He was the atomic bomb in question and when he died it set off a kind of chain reaction in me," Bono said.
"And I've been shouting about him and giving off about him and complaining about him and screaming about him for the past few years. Maybe tonight is the time to stop," he added.
The other Album of the Year nominees were Mariah Carey for "The Emancipation of Mimi," Paul McCartney for "Chaos and Creation in the Backyard," Gwen Stefani for "Love. Angel. Music. Baby" and Kanye West for "Late Registration."
Bono paid tribute to West, who recently toured with U2 but was clearly upset to have to settle for awards in the rap category for the second year in a row.
"Kanye, you're next," said Bono, who went on to praise McCartney as the man who "discovered the country that we're all living in."
U2's other awards included Rock Album of the Year and Song of the Year for penning "Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own."
Although Carey missed out on the top awards, her three trophies crowned the triumphant comeback of a career that appeared consigned to the musical scrap heap just a few years ago.
Carey, 35, won best contemporary rhythm and blues album for "The Emancipation of Mimi" -- the best-selling record of 2005 -- while her megahit single "We Belong Together" also pulled in Grammys for best R and B song and female R and B vocal performance.
But she never got to say thank you as all her awards were given out in a pre-broadcast ceremony.
The Record of the Year Grammy went to punk rockers Green Day for their single "Boulevard of Broken Dreams."
The live performances at the glittering ceremony at the Staples Center were notable for two firsts -- a set from Paul McCartney and one by a cartoon "virtual band," Gorillaz.
Despite winning 13 Grammys, McCartney, 63, had never played the awards event.
"I finally passed the audition," he said, before launching into a raucous version of the Beatles' "Helter Skelter."
Madonna, who stole the 2003 show by smooching with pop princess Britney Spears, kicked off the evening with Gorillaz -- appearing alongside a 3-D colour animation of the four characters created by Blur frontman Damon Albarn.
Stevie Wonder and Alicia Keys performed a stripped-down version of Wonder's classic "Higher Ground" as a tribute to the widow of slain civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Coretta Scott King, who was buried Tuesday.
"Let's keep trying to reach that higher ground," Keys said.
The reclusive Sly Stone, 61, made his first appearance in 13 years something to remember, strolling onstage sporting a towering, white mohican hairdo to round off an all-star tribute to his seminal group, Sly and the Family Stone.
Politics was largely absent, save for a passing "Bring 'em home" plea by Bruce Springsteen as he finished performing his anthem about US troops in <FORM class=yqin action=http://yq.search.yahoo.com/search method=post> </FORM>Iraq, "Devils and Dust."
Even the outspoken West kept himself in check following several controversies in recent months that might have affected his Grammy chances.
In September, during a live telethon for victims of Hurricane Katrina, the rapper launched into an unscripted diatribe against the US government which included the now famous line: "George Bush doesn't care about black people."
He then upset some by appearing on the cover of this month's Rolling Stone magazine, made up as Jesus with a crown of thorns. "Just imagine being my publicist, how hard that's gotta be," West said while accepting the best rap album award.
48th Annual Grammy Awards (2006): Album of the Year
4 How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb (U2) +586
48th Annual Grammy Awards (2006): Best New Artist
11 John Legend -402
48th Annual Grammy Awards (2006): Record of the Year
22 Boulevard of Broken Dreams (Green Day) +390
48th Annual Grammy Awards (2006) Song of the Year
35 Sometimes You Can't Make it on Your Own +1109
Pick 4 @ $100.00 per play = $2,185.00
4 How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb (U2) +586
48th Annual Grammy Awards (2006): Best New Artist
11 John Legend -402
48th Annual Grammy Awards (2006): Record of the Year
22 Boulevard of Broken Dreams (Green Day) +390
48th Annual Grammy Awards (2006) Song of the Year
35 Sometimes You Can't Make it on Your Own +1109
Pick 4 @ $100.00 per play = $2,185.00
