And The Grammy Goes To...

Robert Plant & Alison Krauss swept the floor at the 51st Annual Grammy Awards which took place in L.A. last night (photos from Saturday's Pre Party event and the Ceremony itself can be viewed here), with Coldplay and Adele also coming out ahead of the competition. The ex-Led Zeppelin frontman and country singing collaborator picked up a number of awards off the back of their album Raising Sand. The album itself picked up Album Of The Year as well as Best Contemporary Folk/Americana Album, while Please Read The Letter received the gong for Record of The Year. Also taken from Raising Sand, the songs Rich Woman and Killing The Blues, earned the duo awards for Best Pop Collaboration With Vocals And Best Country Collaboration With Vocals respectively.

Meanwhile, Coldplay's Vida La Vida single earned the British rockers awards for Song of The Year and Best Pop Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals while the album beat off competition from Kings of Leon, The Raconteurs, Metallica and Kid Rock to pick up Rock Album of The Year. Frontman Chris Martin gushed at the ceremony declaring that he was going to "tear up." The Brits had a pretty good night in general as Adele won Best New Artist as well as Best Female Pop Vocal Performance for Chasing Pavements, while Duffy picked up Best Pop Vocal Album for Rockferry and Radiohead's In Rainbows beat offerings from Beck, Death Cab for Cutie, Gnarls Barkely and My Morning Jacket to the Grammy for Alternative Music Album. Thom Yorke and co. gave their first ever Grammy performance at the ceremony and also picked up a most deserved award for Best Boxed Or Special Limited Edition Package.

Overall, it was an eventful night in Grammytown last night, despite the fact that M.I.A. failed to entertain the crowd by going into labour on stage as she performed Paper Planes/Swagga Like Us with rappers Jay-Z, T.I., Lil Wayne and Kanye West, baby bump and all. Blink 182 re-united to present the award for Best Rock Album, announcing onstage that the reunion was to be a permanent one and that they would be making music together again soon. Proceedings were somewhat overshadowed by the absence of Chris Brown as the 19 year old R'n'B star was arrested regarding a "domestic violence felony battery" allegation. Girlfriend Rihanna also cancelled her appearance with Al Green, Justin Timberlake and Boys II Men brought in to fill her slot at just a few hours notice.

A selection of highlighted awards is listed below:

Record Of The Year:
Please Read The Letter. Robert Plant & Alison Krauss
T Bone Burnett, producer; Mike Piersante, engineer/mixer

Album Of The Year:
Raising Sand
Robert Plant & Alison Krauss
T Bone Burnett, producer; Mike Piersante, engineer/mixer; Gavin Lurssen, mastering engineer

Song Of The Year:
Viva La Vida
Guy Berryman, Jonny Buckland, Will Champion & Chris Martin, songwriters (Coldplay)

Best New Artist:
Adele

Best Female Pop Vocal Performance:
Chasing Pavements
Adele

Best Male Pop Vocal Performance:
Say
John Mayer

Best Pop Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals:
Viva La Vida
Coldplay

Best Pop Collaboration With Vocals:
Rich Woman
Robert Plant & Alison Krauss

Best Pop Instrumental Performance:
I Dreamed There Was No War
Eagles

Best Pop Instrumental Album:
Jingle All The Way
Bela Fleck & The Flecktones

Best Pop Vocal Album:
Rockferry
Duffy

Best Dance Recording:
Harder Better Faster Stronger
Daft Punk
Thomas Bangalter & Guy Manuel de Homem-Christo, producers;

Best Electronic/Dance Album:
Alive 2007
Daft Punk

Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album:
Still Unforgettable
Natalie Cole