On Michael Jackson’s Night, Beyonce and Taylor Swift Dominate Grammy Awards In LA

On a night where Michael Jackson and his kids stole the show, it was the women who took home most of the hardware…
Beyonce led the charge, winning 6 awards (including Song Of The Year)- a record night for a female artist. Taylor Swift won her first Grammy and 4 total, including Album of the Year.

When the dream team of Jennifer Hudson, Celine Dion, Smokey Robinson, Usher and Carrie Underwood performed Michael Jackson’s “Earth Song” in 3D, you thought it couldn’t get any better. But, it was a 10 second snippet of MJ’s recorded voice that sent chills up your spine and reminded you who the true King Of Pop is.

The climax of the night followed, when Prince and Paris Jackson accepted their father’s lifetime achievement award. The super grown up sounding Prince said, “thank God for watching over us these last seven months and our grandma and grandpa for their love and support.” He continued, “To all his songs, his message was simple, love, we will continue to spread his message and help the world.” Paris, 11, then spoke: “Daddy was supposed to be here. Daddy was going to perform last year. Thank you. We love you Daddy.”
3-time winners tonight included the well-deserving Kings Of Leon, Black Eyed Peas and Jay-Z.
Lady Gaga opened the awards with a duet with Elton John that was preceded by a shortened arrangement of her seemingly unstoppable hit, “Poker Face.” They combined to go back and forth on John’s “Your Song.” Beyonce then gave a spellbinding performance of “If I Were A Boy,” with an ode to Alanis Morisette’s “You Oughta Know.”
Pink’s performance was maybe the most powerful as she sang most of “Glitter In The Air” dangling and spinning over the crowd from a trapeze. Black Eyed Peas, Jaime Foxx with T-Pain, Doug E Fresh and Slash and Mary J Blige with Andrea Bocelli also performed.
But it was the 20-year old Swift who closed the show with the Album of the Year award for “Fearless,” making her the youngest winner ever. (It made Beyonce’s cover of Morissette’s song (who won for Jagged Little Pill at 21 in 1996) even more interesting.)