Coldplay, Plant/Krauss big winners at Grammys

And this is rather dull. Nothing wrong with any of the winners, just kind of dull. Oh well, it’s the Grammys – do we expect anything else. For Christ’s sake, they gave Steely Dan a best rock Grammy a few years back.

Here’s a list of the top awards:

Best R&B album: “Jennifer Hudson,” Jennifer Hudson
Best country performance by a duo or group with vocals: “Say,” Sugarland
Song of the year: “Viva La Vida,” Coldplay
Best pop collaboration with vocals: “Rich Woman,” Robert Plant and Alison Krauss
Best rock album: “Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends,” Coldplay
Best new artist: Adele
Record of the year: “Please Read The Letter,” Alison Krauss and Robert Plant
Best male pop vocal: “Say,” John Mayer

Here’s Coldplay’s Grammy winning Viva La Vida:

Alison Krauss and Robert Plant with a live version their Grammy winner, Rich Woman:

Grammy night was shaping up to be a battle between Coldplay and the duo of Robert Plant and Alison Krauss. Plant and Krauss’ “Please Read the Letter,” produced by T Bone Burnett, won record of the year, one of the big Grammy honors. Coldplay won song of the year, another major award, for their tune “Viva La Vida.” Both groups have entries in the other of Grammy’s big three, album of the year. “The whole game was a mystery,” said Plant in accepting the record of the year honor, adding that he, Krauss and Burnett gave the project three days, and if it didn’t work, “we’ll have lunch and I’ll go back to Wolverhampton.” – From CNN

The 51st Grammy Awards opened at Staples Center here on Sunday with a rollicking performance by U2, which performed its latest song, “Sexy Boots,” in front of giant video screens displaying kaleidoscopic imagery and aphorisms like “Satan Loves a Bomb Scare,” recalling the stagecraft from the era of its hit 1991 album, “Achtung Baby.” But unlike most of the acts scheduled for the show, which was broadcast live on CBS, U2 was not up for any awards this year. “Sexy Boots” is the first single from the group’s new album, “No Line on the Horizon,” which will not be released until next month. Fighting years of declining ratings, the Recording Academy, which bestows the awards, had booked the most live performances in the history of the show, packing the Staples Center stage with solo performances and starry collaborations. – From NY Times

The Coldplay tune “Viva la Vida” won the Grammy for song of the year on Sunday. The prize goes to the songwriters, in this case the members of Coldplay. The other nominated songs were “American Boy,” performed and co-written by Estelle and Kanye West; “Chasing Pavements,” performed and co-written by Adele; “I’m Yours,” performed and written by Jason Mraz; and “Love Song,” performed and written by Sara Bareilles. – From Reuters