The 46th annual Grammy awards were presented Sunday night in Los Angeles. It's "music's biggest night" when the America music industry honors its own.
The recent Super Bowl halftime show was still on everyone's mind when Justin Timberlake accepted the Best Male Pop Vocal Performance for Cry Me A River.
"Listen, I know it's been a rough week on everybody," he said. "What occurred was unintentional … completely regrettable, and I apologize if you guys are offended. This has been a dream of mine. This is officially the greatest moment of my life. Thank you!"
Timberlake was alluding to his part in the Super Bowl halftime show when he tore off part of Janet Jackson's costume to expose her right breast. Jackson had been scheduled to be a presenter at the Grammy Awards show, but was uninvited after she disclosed that she intentionally planned the "costume reveal" after final rehearsals for the Super Bowl halftime show. To make certain, there were no Super Bowl-like incidents, the ceremony was broadcast on a five-minute-delayed basis.
Beautiful by Christina Aguilera claimed the trophy for Best Female Pop Performance. The Best Pop Performance By A Duo Or Group award went to No Doubt for Underneath It All, a song No Doubt's lead vocalist Gwen Stefani wrote about her husband, Gavin Rossdale, guitarist for the rock group Bush.
The members of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, or NARAS, the organization that sponsors the Grammys, showed a sympathetic side in this year's voting. Country legend June Carter Cash, who died in May 2003, was named winner of the Best Female Country Performance for Keep On The Sunny Side. Disorder In The House, Warren Zevon's duet with Bruce Springsteen, won in the Best Rock Performance By A Duo Or Group category. After being diagnosed with terminal lung cancer in 2002, Zevon recorded a final album, The Wind. The CD was released just two weeks before Zevon died last September. His son, Jordan, accepted his father's Grammy.
"Dad, what are you doing to me? Oh! All the people tonight, when you get home, all the parents, and your kids say, 'Mom, Dad, who's Warren Zevon?', do us a favor, and add 'an incredible father' onto the description," he said. "The album has one soul, but it has many hearts. And four of whom this album couldn't be made without are Jorge Calderon, producer and collaborator, Noah Schneider, producer, Bridget Barr and Danny Goldberg, who has just been an incredible, incredible guy. To our families, and to just everybody that's been there for us, and helped us through a tough time, and for this, thank you very much … and to Bruce!"
Song Of The Year was presented to R&B crooner Luther Vandross and Richard Marx for their collaboration, "Dance With My Father". Vandross, who suffered a stroke last April, and was unable to attend the ceremony, appeared on videotape earlier in the program. His business manager read a prepared statement when accepting the Grammy on Luther's behalf.
The evening's big winner was Beyoncé Knowles. Nominated in six categories, the frontwoman for the R&B group, Destiny's Child, won five Grammys, including Best Contemporary R&B Album and Best Female R&B Performance, on the strength of her debut album, Dangerously in Love. Beyoncé shared two awards with her boyfriend, Jay-Z, for the song "Crazy In Love."
Denying Beyoncé a clean sweep was British rock band Coldplay, who claimed the Record Of The Year Grammy, with Clocks.
The three-and-a-half-hour worldwide telecast featured 19 live performances. Although more than 100 awards were given out, only 11 were presented during the broadcast.
Classical pianist Van Cliburn; The Funk Brothers, the studio band at Motown Records; folk singer and childrens' artist Ella Jenkins; jazz tenor saxophonist Sonny Rollins; big band leader/clarinetist Artie Shaw; and country/folk guitarist "Doc" Watson were all given Lifetime Achievement Grammys. Trustee Award honors were presented to the songwriting team of Gerry Goffin and Carole King; jazz pianist and radio host Marian McPartland; and jazz producer Orrin Keepnews.
On the 40th anniversary of The Beatles' first U.S. television appearance in 1964, the group received a music tribute and the President's Award.
Alternative band Evanescense was named Best New Artist.
OutKast displayed the growing popularity of rap and hip-hop. The duo won three Grammys, including Best Urban/Alternative Performance for Hey Ya!, plus Best Rap Album and Album Of The Year for Speakerboxx/The Love Below. OutKast's Andre "3000" Benjamin's acceptance speech for Best Rap Album was the shortest of the night, when he just said "Thank you."
His partner, Antwan "Big Boi" Patton, was more expressive when accepting the Album Of The Year Grammy.
"Yo! Yo! All things due to the Most High for this one all day long," he said. "Man, music is rocking like never before."
