Ladies' Night at the Grammys: Beyoncé picks up record six awards, as Pink gives jaw-dropping performance

Record breaker: Beyonce accepts one of her six awards at the 52nd annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles


It was Ladies' Night at the Grammy Awards as Beyoncé scooped six awards - a record for a female artist.

The R & B superstar, who won five awards in 2004 for her debut album Dangerously In Love, went one better this year.

And she would have won seven awards if her husband Jay-Z had not beaten her in the rap/sung category.

He ended up with three Grammys overall, taking his career haul to 10. While Beyoncé's career tally rose to 16, including three with her former group Destiny's Child.

The Single Ladies singer had ten nominations and walked away with trophies for Song Of The Year, Best Female Pop Vocal Performance, Best Female R&B Vocal Performance, Best Traditional R&B Vocal Performance, Best R&B Song, and Best Contemporary R&B Album.

'This has been such an amazing night for me,' she said.
Beyoncé later gave a typically energetic performance as she hit the stage with her hit If I Were A Boy


We salute you: Beyonce won six Grammys at last night's awards


On form: Beyoncé wowed the crowd as she hit the stage to perform If I Were A Boy


But the 28-year-old missed out on the album of the year, after Taylor Swift became the youngest artist to win the coveted Grammy.

In doing so Taylor broke a record held since 1996 by Alanis Morissette, who was 21 when she won for Jagged Little Pill, an album with decidedly more adult content.

The 20-year-old was also the first solo female country winner ever of the award, and the first female pop winner since Celine Dion won in 1997 for Falling Into You.

'I just hope that you know how much this means to me... that we get to take this back to Nashville,' said Taylor.


I don't believe it: Taylor Swift becomes the youngest artist to win the album of the year award


The country singer, who rocketed to stardom with ballads of teen love that she wrote on her bedroom floor, took home four awards after being nominated eight times

She also won the Grammy for best country album, and a pair of awards for her song White Horse - female country vocal performance and best country song.
More...Grammy Awards: The good, the bad and the frankly bizarre (yes Lady GaGa) on the red carpet

Backstage, Swift told reporters that despite her crossover success in the pop field, she still considered country music her first love.
'Country music is absolutely going to be my home because of the stories that are told within country music,' she said.


Performance: Pink is suspended by a white sling as she sings her track Glitter in the Air at the Grammy Awards

The televised ceremony was packed with diverse performances, since 100 of the 109 categories were announced during a low-profile ceremony earlier in the day.

Beyoncé and Taylor's triumphs came on a night dominated by pop's female stars, with Pink breaking all the boundaries with a stunning performance.

The singer descended from the ceiling wearing a skin-coloured catsuit to perform her song Glitter in the Air.


Glittery: The singer, who has two nominations at the awards, even turned into a human water sprinkler and showered the front rows during her performance


Skin-coloured: Pink wore a skin tone catsuit on stage with handily placed silver sequins

She was suspended in a white sling underneath her dancers, who wore just gold bikinis and body paint.

Before Pink even took to the stage the PA at the ceremony at the Staples Center warned people in the audience to beware and Pink did not disappoint as she sang and span at the same time.

At one stage Pink turned into a giant sprinkler system as she showered people in the front row seats with water.


Hat's off to Lady Gaga: Singer with her awards for Best Dance Recording and Best Electronic Dance Album


Now you see me: The Poker Face singer also wore this beige face mask and matching one-piece number
Lady Gaga had earlier got the show off to a sizzling start with an eye-popping performance with Elton John.

The singer, who won two awards after being nominated for five, kicked off the night in a sequinned green leotard with massive shoulder pads as she sang her hit Poker Face during an elaborate show including pyrotechnics and dramatic choreography.

Then Elton John appeared as they melded her song Speechless and his classic Your Song together in a performance that featured duelling pianos covered in clawed hands and glitter-painted faces.

As usual, Lady Gaga didn't disappoint fans of her eclectic outfits as she enjoyed several costume changes throughout her performance.

Her debut album The Fame picked up best dance/electronic album and smash hit single Poker Face took best dance recording.


Show stopper: Lady Gaga in a green sequined outfit performs her hit Poker Face to kick off the awards


Duel: The singer performs with Elton John on a pair of pianos covered in clawed hands


Good glasses: Juelz Knowles, Beyonce and Jay-Z enjoy a 3D tribute to Michael Jackson


Tennessee rock band Kings of Leon, were the surprise winners of Record Of The Year for their pop-radio hit Use Somebody.

The band, long more popular internationally, finally achieved mainstream success in the United States last year with the hit.

Brothers Caleb, Nathan and Jared Followill and their cousin Matthew Followill also won a pair of Grammys in the rock field for the song, taking their career haul to four.


Honoured: Michael Jackson's children Prince and Paris, left, accept their father's lifetime achievement award


Grief: Lionel Richie hugs Michael Jackson's daughter Paris as he presents her with her father's lifetime


achievement award

Country combo the Zac Brown Band was named best new artist as expected. The Atlanta-based group becomes the first band to win the award since 2005.

The popular concert draw released its debut album in 2004, but did not achieve national prominence until 2008 when it released its major-label debut The Foundation, which peaked at No. 17 on the U.S. pop chart.

Mary J. Blige and Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli earned a standing ovation for their version of Bridge Over Troubled Water, performed as a fundraising tribute to earthquake-ravaged Haiti. The song went on sale at iTunes immediately afterwards.


Triumph: Kings of Leon hold up their awards, including Record Of The Year


The winners:BEST NEW ARTIST - Zac Brown Band
BEST FEMALE POP VOCAL PERFORMANCE - Halo - Beyoncé
BEST MALE POP VOCAL PERFORMANCE - If You Don't Know Me By Now - Seal
BEST POP PERFORMANCE BY A DUO OR GROUP WITH VOCALS - I Gotta Feeling - The Black Eyed Peas
BEST POP VOCAL ALBUM - The E.N.D. - The Black Eyed Peas
BEST DANCE RECORDING - Poker Face - Lady Gaga
BEST TRADITIONAL POP VOCAL ALBUM - Michael Buble Meets Madison Square Garden - Michael Buble
BEST SOLO ROCK VOCAL PERFORMANCE - Working On A Dream - Bruce Springsteen
BEST ROCK ALBUM - 21st Century Breakdown - Green Day
BEST RAP SONG - Run This Town - Jeff Bhasker, Shawn Carter, Robyn Fenty, Kanye West & Ernest Wilson, songwriters (Jay-Z, Rihanna & Kanye West)
BEST FEMALE COUNTRY VOCAL PERFORMANCE- White Horse - Taylor Swift
BEST MALE COUNTRY VOCAL PERFORMANCE - Sweet Thing - Keith Urban


source: dailymail