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...And the Grammy Award Winners Are...

Sunday, February 08, 2009
by  presnikoff

The Grammy Awards meant plenty of parties and hoopla in Los Angeles, a perfect setting for the affair.  Predictably, executives, artists, and connected invitees were parading across a number of pre-event celebrations, including Clive Davis' annual bash, hosted at the Beverly Hilton.  This time around, the action was more dialed-down than previous years, based on a downer economy, though less glitz was taken in stride.

Then, the action shifted to the Staples Center, the venue for performances by an endless string of stars.  That included Neil Diamond, Jennifer Hudson, Taylor Swift, Myley Cyrus, U2, Al Green, Lil Wayne, Stevie Wonder, Jonas Brothers, Coldplay, Jay-Z, Radiohead, Estelle, M.I.A., Robert Plant, Alison Krauss, Carrie Underwood, Robin Thicke, Paul McCartney, Foo Fighters, B.B. King, John Mayer and Keith Urban, among many others.  And of course, the absence of Chris Brown and Rihanna offered a nice splash of drama for the event - and some last-minute hoop-jumping for organizers.

Those outside of elite circles viewed the action on television, but will ratings sag again this year?  Last year, a hallmark, 50th anniversary splash attracted a record-low audience, another symptom of an increasingly-fragmented media audience. 

Meanwhile, a sense of obsolescence continues to hang over the aging awards ceremony.  The elaborate festivities - complete with lush red carpets, galas, and expensive productions - seem better suited to a more lucrative, 90s-kind-of recording industry.  On a broader level, the awards themselves remain largely focused on albums and top-heavy superstars, also strong signatures of an earlier era.

So who took home trophies?  The top winners are below, and unabridged list of winners are available at grammy.com.



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