Beyonce may have won most of the prizes, but it was a “Scottish cat lady” who garnered most praise at the star-studded Grammy Awards ceremony in Los Angeles yesterday morning.
Though she was not invited to attend the glamorous event, Susan Boyle was there in spirit as the host invoked her name to bring the elite crowd back down to earth.
“You may be the coolest people in the world, but this year your industry was saved by a 48-year-old Scottish cat lady in sensible shoes,” comedian Stephen Colbert told the assembly of musical luminaries.
However, with a record-breaking haul of six new awards to fit on to her already-crowded mantelpiece, American R&B star Beyonce Knowles was the undisputed queen of this year’s Grammys night.
The 28-year-old singer is now the most successful female artist in any one year at the awards, breaking free from a pack that included Amy Winehouse and Nora Jones with five wins apiece. She now has 16 Grammys, including those won with her former group Destiny’s Child.
Beyonce’s best-selling hit Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It) scooped the award for best song, edging Kings of Leon and Lady Gaga into runner-up spots. The single, from her 2008 album I Am...Sasha Fierce, was a Christmas Number One in the US, where it was Beyonce’s fifth consecutive chart-topping release.
In the battle for best album, however, Beyonce’s onstage persona Sasha Fierce was overshadowed by a younger female. Fearless, by country starlet Taylor Swift, took that accolade – and was one of four wins for the 20-year-old.
Other artists turning heads on Sunday night – or early on Monday morning, for Scottish viewers – included New York pop act Lady Gaga, who threatened to steal the show when she took to the stage in a green sequinned bodysuit complete with wings.
The unofficial prize for most outlandish costume was won by Imogen Heap, according to popular opinion, with an ensemble that left many observers scratching their heads.
Described by one website as a “twit dress”, her frock featured a huge necklace displaying live messages from her Twitter feed, and it was accessorised with a TV-screen handbag that played videos fans were sending to her account.
The few British winners on the night included Jeff Beck, for best rock instrumental performance, and English heavy metal outfit Judas Priest.
AC/DC, fronted by Glasgow-born brothers Angus and Malcolm Young, picked up the first Grammy of their career for best hard rock performance.
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