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The 51st Grammys: Hours To Go Before We Sleep!

Posted Sun Feb 8, 2009 11:11pm PST by Billy Altman in And The Winner Is...

We have to admit that, compared to recent years, the 51st edition of the Grammy Awards ceremonies did carry a bit of suspense. For instance, Would Lil Wayne be the first rapper to win Album of the Year, and if so, would his pants stay up? If they won Song of the Year for "Viva La Vida," would Coldplay get coldcocked onstage by Joe Satriani, the guitarist whose instrumental "If I Could Fly" surely seemed to have been stolen lock, stock, and riff by Chris Martin and crew? Would ultra-pregnant M.I.A., appearing on her actual due date, become the first Grammy nominee to drop a baby right in the middle of a performance? And what on earth happened between Chris Brown and Rihanna, both of whom were no-shows on the telecast owing to a late Saturday night post-party altercation that apparently left Rihanna injured and Brown arrested on battery charges?

Well, over the course of a three-and-a-half-hour program in which a grand total of 10 (!) awards were actually given out (believe it or not, the rest of the 110 total Grammys up for grabs were all doled out, as has been the practice for some time now, in a hurried pre-telecast ceremony on the floor of L.A.'s Staples Center), we did get answers to the first three of those four questions: respectively, no, no and no.

Lil Wayne won Best Rap Album, but not Album of the Year, which, as per the Recording Academy's usual conservative bent, went to Robert Plant and Alison Krauss's Americana album Raising Sand. Coldplay won Song of the Year without anyone yelling, "Thief!" And M.I.A., wearing a sort of maternity leotard thing, made it through her part on "Swagga Like Us" without going into labor--though for any of us who actually made it through the whole darned show, labor was indeed the operative word.

As for the Chris Brown/Rihanna flareup, we'll probably need to wait for the police blotter sometime tomorrow to find out about that one.

Still, the 51st Grammy Awards show did overall have its share of moments to remember. And to that end, here's our own top 10: Yahoo!'s 2009 Grammy telecast "And The Winner Is" awards:

The "Rising To The Occasion" Award goes to Jennifer Hudson, for surpassing her dramatic rendition of the national anthem at last week's Super Bowl with a riveting (and decidedly non-lip-synched) performance of her uplifting "You Pulled Me Through."

The "Stooping To The Occasion" Award goes to Thom Yorke and Radiohead, whose whiny rendition of "15 Step" was so bad-vibed that you kind of wished they'd have just left the stage and allowed the USC Trojan Marching Band accompanying them to do the song by themselves.

The "Haven't We Seen This Picture Before?" Award goes to Whitney Houston, who looked and sounded as out-of-it as a presenter in 2009 as she did as a performer in 2000, when they had to remind her that her song was over and she kind of needed to leave the stage so the show could continue.

The "I Wonder What They're Thinking Right Now?" Award goes to Dean Martin's son and daughter, who after hearing Queen Latifah salute their late dad's Lifetime Achievement nod, then heard her introduce Kanye West, T.I., Lil Wayne, and Jay-Z as the "Rap Pack." Somewhere, Frank Sinatra is spinning in his grave.

The "Best Date Placement" Award goes to Paul McCartney, for using his upfront aisle-seat pull to show off new gal pal Nancy Shevell. Oh, Heather...

The "I Went To The Grammys And A Boston Red Sox Game Broke Out" Award goes to Neil Diamond, for his pluperfectly cheesy rendition of the Fenway Park 8th-inning staple "Sweet Caroline." And how 'bout those eyebrows?

The "Works Well With Fruit" Award goes to Katy Perry, for making the kitchiest most out of her performance of "I Kissed A Girl," complete with an entrance out of a giant peeled banana (insert your favorite Freud joke here) and a trash 'n' vaudeville outfit that, were she alive today, Carmen Miranda would kill for.

The "Was This In The Script?" Award goes to presenter Samuel L. Jackson, who actually began his intro of T.I. and Justin Timberlake with the following salutation: "People of Earth!"  Somewhere, Ed Wood is smiling.

The "Was This In The Script II?" Award goes to presenter Craig Ferguson, who announced that he was up for a Best Sex Tape Award: "It's me vs. Screech." Even Paris Hilton blushed at that one.

And, finally, the "All Kidding Aside" Award goes to NARAS chief Neil Portnow, for noting the organization's commitment to improving health care, saving music education in schools, and protecting musician's intellectual rights. And yes, past Grammy Award winner Barack Obama, a cabinet position of Secretary of the Arts is a pretty good idea. Just ask Quincy Jones.

392 Comments

141. Yahoo! Music User -
Watch off and on during the evening, each time I viewed it reminded me why I rarely buy music. I mean come on now, hip hop this, hip hop that, rap this, rap that, oh and "let the white dude up on stage but only if he performs with a rapper". Yeah, classy, uh huh.

142. Yahoo! Music User -
What a complete waste of 3-1/2 hours of prime time. It almost makes me want to take my TV to the network offices and through it threw down in the lobby. Why don't they just call he the "media continued attempt to convince people RAP is music." Good Luck with that.

143. Ruff -
I really don't understand what the big deal is about the grammies!!!
I mean it's a controlled indusrty most of the real talent out here you will never hear!!
Screw the grammies!!

144. lucy g -
tell me that things have not gone from bad to worste for poor old whitney. This is what drugs do to your brain in porlong and heavy use no recovery

145. Yahoo! Music User -
ok ma girl mia still did her thing and it look like she is havin two babies and she still looks good. you go girl

146. Observant -
Loved the act doing the Four Tops. JT was great too. Not too sure about the act of MIA, JZ, and the other 2 guys. Carrie Underwood was "OUTSTANDING" as always. Jonas Brothers and Stevie Wonder were having fun. Whitney Houston didn't seem like she was "ALL THERE". Overall, a pretty good show.

147. laura C -
Blink is back!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

148. RussC -
The grammy's are a joke. It's just a night to show how pathetic the music industry is. I'm so sick of these no talent rappers. Crap,I mean rap needs to go!!!

149. Yahoo! Music User -
Craig Ferguson was hysterical!
And though they may not be everyone's cup of tea preference-wise, Radiohead is the most musically talented and creative band around.

150. Mo K -
Ladybug, don't hate. that child is blessed by having such a talented mother with that level of commitment to her art. it is sooo easy to criticize from afar

151. Shay -
As usual the Grammy's was a hot mess!!

152. don twohig -
If you liked over 20% of this show you are about 13years old. this show stunk. Rap is awful and the people who perform it should be a positive for there culture. Hey, Hey lets kill a cop has no place in this country. Grow up stop watching and listening to this awful drivel. Get an education and get out of the ghetto that this music placates(look it up)

153. sk8rgirl130 -
see the Jonas Brothers and Stevie Wonder perform together was amazing! and Nick was beaming! :D He loved being up there with Stevie!

154. lindsay -
radiohead killed it ( in a good way) clodplay on the other hand made my ears bleed.

155. Amanda -
chris brown did not do it dont know why he turned hiself in for for nothing

156. cali -
The Grammy's were the Grammy's and I loved all of the acts and seeing all of the performers. I don't know what is current music as I listen to only my own type and, it was a great update to whats going on. Seeing some of the greats from the past was a treat however,alot of today's music just,"isn't". But pregnant naked people and fruit on the hips was entertaining and music was for the most part music, and Paltrow's passion for it was obvious. All in all I loved it,it was TV, and the chance to see where it is now from last year was awesome.

157. Randy -
Radiohead people would "oooohh", and "ahhhhh" if that pompous train wreck mess of a band would have just glued a poster of themselves on a barrel.

158. BJ -
The Grammys was a roller coaster as is any awards show. You cant please em all. Lupe Fiasco Should have won for Best Hip-Hop Album Award. Whitney should not have been allowed to announce anything. I am a huge Cold Play fan I loved the performance. I didn't catch Radiohead but i know it was great. Swagger "Like Us" performance was okay... I noticed that nobody ever really comments on the country music segment lol. M.I.A. should not have worn that outfit because she looked a hot mess! Even though Neil Diamond's song was extra cheesy you gotta realize that all his songs were cheesy so how could you expect any different. Jennifer Hudson is a beautiful woman and is very talented and I still say she shold have won American Idol instead Fantasia. Plus she's from Chicago, so I gotta show hometown-love. T-pain should have performed and should have been up for best Album. That's pretty much all i saw and did anyone hear that Chris brown supposedly Hit Rihanna and that was why nether one of them showed up for the Grammys lasy night? I think his fan base will suffer dearly if he is found guilty. He already turned himself in and paid the bail. He must have done it because he turned himself in or he may have just tried to avoid negative publicity as much as possible but I say if you get accused of something like that and you're in the lime light then you should always contest the charges if you are innocent because your gonna get heat from the camera people anyhow.

159. MARYGOROUN -
Overall, I really enjoyed the grammys! It's ashame that Whitney was messed up. M.I.A was a champ! and Justin Timberlake rocked expecially for just being thrown together , last minute. Good show!

160. DRislegend -
where was miss alicia keys
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