LOS ANGELES – Rap might be mighty, but country reigned at last night’s 53rd annual Grammy Awards.
Lady Antebellum, up for six awards, won five, including record and song of the year, best country song and best country album for “Need You Now,” the third biggest-selling album of 2010.
The trio’s Charles Kelley and Dave Haywood graduated from the University of Georgia. When accepting their song of the year award, Haywood thanked his family in Augusta while Hillary Scott turned teary at the realization of the band’s accomplishments.
“You don’t know what this year has meant to us,” Scott said when the band returned to collect its record of the year trophy.
Though Eminem’s two wins (for best rap album and best rap solo performance) fell far short of his 10 nominations -- the most of the night -- the biggest shock came when Arcade Fire bested heavy-hitters including the superstar rapper, as well as Lady Gaga, Lady Antebellum and Katy Perry for the prestigious album of year nod.
Also unexpected: jazz bassist/singer Esperanza Spalding, the least-commercial performer in a category including Justin Bieber and Drake, triumphed as best new artist.
Bieber lost in both his nominated categories, but that didn’t prevent the energetic tuxedo-clad teen from crashing Usher’s press appearance, rushing the platform backstage to grab him around the neck.
“He’s helped me so much,” Bieber said of Usher, standing by and looking cool in shades. “He’s even giving me little dance steps to work in my set. Music means everything to me. I don’t know what I’d do without music.”
He also said rumors of a move to Los Angeles are untrue and that he’s staying in Atlanta for now because “I’ve made a lot of friends there.”
Also scoring for the country team, Miranda Lambert, who picked up her first-ever Grammy for the touching “The House That Built Me,” a song originally pitched to fiancé Blake Shelton.
“I think it found its home,” Lambert, in a short gold dress, said backstage. “Right before it went number one, he asked if he could have it back.”
The performance-heavy show (16, compared to 11 awards presented) began with a dragging 12-minute tribute to Aretha Franklin, who has been recuperating from an undisclosed illness.
An assortment of mini-divas -- Christina Aguilera, Jennifer Hudson, Martina McBride, Florence Welch and Yolanda Adams – belted out seven Franklin songs; when it finally ended, a significantly thinner, but healthy-looking Franklin appeared via video to thank fans for their prayers and promised a return to the Grammy stage next year.
Lady Gaga’s live debut of her fizzy club anthem, “Born This Way” demonstrated that, shtick aside, she’s a captivating singer. Her three awards puts her at five in her fledgling career, closing in on queen of shock-pop, Madonna, who has seven.
As dazzling as Gaga’s showcase was, though, Atlanta talent also turned out three memorable sets.
Young hitmakers Janelle Monae and B.o.B. might not have scored Grammys on their first foray into the Super Bowl of music awards -- – she was up for two, he for five -- but the pair’s performance with Bruno Mars was notable for its creativity.
A trio of violinists backed the suit-clad threesome as they crooned B.o.B.’s “Nothin’ on You,” turning the rap song into a soaring, harmonic ballad. Then the screen shifted to black and white for a doo-wop, James Brown-inspired “Grenade” and burst back into color for Monae’s “Cold War,” featuring Mars on drums, B.o.B. on guitar, and Monae tearing up the stage.
Later, the Usher-brings-Justin-Bieber-to-Atlanta story was replayed on a video from 2007 showing the pair’s first meeting with the prince of bangs singing “U Got It Bad” for a tickled Usher.
Live, Bieber unveiled his best Usher impression, scampering around the stage with fellow teenybopper Jaden Smith for “Never Say Never,” and later joined his mentor for a nifty dance routine during “OMG.”
But the award for brash creativity goes to CeeLo Green for his inventiveand adorable rendition of “(Expletive) You,” sanitized for TV as “Forget You.” Looking like a peacock that mated with Elton John’s ‘70s wardrobe, Green, the Jim Henson Co. Puppets and Gwyneth Paltrowunfurled a peppy, zany version of the song, which won best urban/alternative performance, but lost in three other categories.
At the opposite spectrum, folkies Mumford & Sons and the Avett Brothers joined a phlegmy Bob Dylan for a spirited take on “Maggie’s Farm.”
And Barbra Streisand, in a rare live performance, sounded flawless on “Evergreen,” a signature ballad undiminished by age.
Earlier, at the 3 ½-hour pre-show at the Los Angeles Convention Center neighboring the Staples Center Grammy site, 98 of the 109 awards were presented by entertainment vets Jimmy Jam, Laurie Anderson, Kathy Griffin Bobby McFerrin and others.
Atlanta-based Zac Brown and his bandmates scurried from the back of the convention center to snag their trophy for best country collaboration with vocals for “As She’s Walking Away,” their duet with Alan Jackson and only win of the night.
Backstage, Brown, wearing a trademark black knit cap, said he wrote the song with Jackson in mind.
“He’s a Georgia guy as well, a legend in music. While we maintain our diversity, we like having our roots in country music.”
And how would the band celebrate?
“It’s gonna be ugly,” Brown said as he and the guys laughed.
Georgia resident Patty Loveless won best bluegrass album for “Mountain Soul II” – her first since 1998 -- but wasn’t present to accept.
Aside from Alpharetta resident Usher, who triumphed in both of his nominated categories -- best male R&B vocal performance for “There Goes My Baby” and best contemporary R&B album for “Raymond V Raymond” -- most of the area’s rap and R&B stars were denied Grammy gold.
Multiple nominees Ludacris, Monica, Big Boi, Monica, VaShawn Mitchell and Janelle Monae all went home without hardware, as did Elton John, Calvin Richardson, Freddy Cole and Karen Peck and New River.
The Grammy Awards are decided by nearly 14,000 voting members of the Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences.
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