GRAMMY Winners including Chucho Valdes, Sanz, Grupo Fantasma, Intocable, Banda Centenario & Spanish Harlem Orchestra, plus JLo’s legs

The evening began with a tribute to the Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin, but by the time the last of the 53rd Annual GRAMMY Awards was handed out on Feb. 13, several other singers and bands looked something like royalty. Foremost among them was Lady Antebellum, which walked away with three trophies while the group members earned two more each for songwriting categories.

During a show memorable for its range of fully fueled performances, the country superstars sang a pitch-perfect medley of tunes that ended with a quiet rendition of the song that launched them, “Need You Now,” and shortly afterward collected the Song of the Year GRAMMY for it (along with co-writer Josh Kear, with whom they also took Best Country Song). But there was plenty more to come for the trio. They also took home the GRAMMY for Best Country Album for Need You Now. Accepting that award, lead singer Charles Kelley said, “This song has completely flipped our world upside down.” By the time Lady Antebellum stood up to collect a trophy for Record Of The Year for “Need You Now,” they were in disbelief, and possibly discombobulated: “Oh my gosh, we’re so stunned we started walking the wrong direction,” said singer Hillary Scott breathlessly.

Also racking up awards was Lady Gaga, who claimed three: Best Pop Vocal Album for The Fame Monster, and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance and Best Short Form Music Video for “Bad Romance.” Never one to miss the chance to make an entrance, she hatched herself onstage from a giant opaque egg. That was a riff on her new single, “Born This Way,” and perhaps her bared shoulders, which sprouted a pair of pointy elbows, were too. Her dancers and outfit gave off a Cleopatra vibe, but Gaga can’t be stopped from seeming ultra-modern, and her performance of “Born This Way” reflected that; it was a warp-speed whirlwind.

In keeping with that same modernist — or maybe futurist — spirit, she accepted her award for Best Pop Vocal Album in black body armor. But Gaga also proved she can be an old-fashioned girl with a soft side. In an emotional acceptance speech for that award, she surprised the audience by thanking Whitney Houston: “I imagined she was singing…because I wasn’t secure enough in myself to imagine I was a superstar. Whitney, I imagined you.”

Leading the nominees with 10 nods revolving around Recovery, an album that detailed his struggles with addiction but also reestablished him as a rap force to be reckoned with, Eminem took home trophies for Best Rap Album — a triumph over rivals including Jay-Z, Drake and B.o.B — and Best Rap Solo Performance for “Not Afraid.” Onstage, his swagger proved undiminished.

A flame-haired Rihanna opened Eminem’s performance with a searching rendition of their duet “Love The Way You Lie,” but it was Slim Shady who came out blazing, spitting the lyrics to that song before raging into “I Need A Doctor” with Dr. Dre and singer Skylar Grey; Adam Levine from Maroon 5 handled piano duty.

Closing the show and likely lifting the Sunday-night spirits of indie kids everywhere was the Canadian collective Arcade Fire, who won the Album Of The Year GRAMMY for The Suburbs and, before the night’s final performance, turning in a frothy and fierce rendition of the rocking “Month of May.”

Other multiple winners for the evening included classical music producer David Frost, legendary rock guitarist Jeff Beck and R&B artist John legend, who each earned three awards. Among those who won two each were alternative rock band the Black Keys, jazz giant Herbie Hancock, Jay-Z, Alicia Keys, urban/alternative group the Roots, Keith Urban, and gospel singer BeBe Winans.

And in a bit of surprise, jazz bassist Esperanza Spalding won Best New Artist over teen phenom Justin Bieber as well Canadian rapper Drake and adventurist rock outfits Florence & The Machine and Mumford & Sons.

The show also featured a few firsts, including a first-time ever GRAMMY performance by Rolling Stone Mick Jagger, who helped pay tribute to fallen R&B singer Solomon Burke.

But if there was also a constant, it was the annual, high-profile celebration of music that the GRAMMYs represent, and the 53rd GRAMMYs fit the bill once again, with performances, pairings and awards presentation that were full of pleasant musical surprises.

LIST OF WINNERS:

Album of the Year: “The Suburbs,” Arcade Fire

Record of the Year: “Need You Now,” Lady Antebellum

Song of the Year: “Need You Now,” Dave Haywood, Josh Kear, Charles

Kelley and Hillary Scott, songwriters (Lady Antebellum)

New Artist: Esperanza Spalding

Female Pop Vocal Performance: “Bad Romance,” Lady Gaga

Male Pop Vocal Performance: “Just The Way You Are,” Bruno Mars

Pop Performance by a Duo or Group: “Hey Soul Sister,” Train

Pop Vocal Album: “The Fame Monster,” Lady Gaga

Alternative Album: “Brothers,” The Black Keys

LATINOS:

Latin Pop Album: “Paraiso Express,” Alejandro Sanz

Latin Rock, Alternative or Urban Album: “El Existenial,” Grupo Fantasma.

Tropical Latin Album: Viva La Tradicion, Spanish Harlem Orchestra.

Norteño Album: “Classic,” Intocable.

Banda Album: “Enamorate De Mi,” El Guero y su Banda Centenario.

Latin Jazz Album: “Chucho’s Steps,” Chucho Valdes and The Afro-Cuban Messengers.

Tejano Album: “Recuerdos,” Little Joe y La Familia.

MORE WINNERS:

Traditional Pop Vocal Album: “Crazy Love,” Michael Buble

Rock Song: “Angry World,” Neil Young

Rock Album: “The Resistance,” Muse

Rock Performance: “Tighten Up,” The Black Keys

Solo Rock Vocal Performance: “Helter Skelter,” Paul McCartney (from

Good Evening New York City)

Hard Rock Performance: “New Fang,” Them Crooked Vultures

R&B Album: “Wake up!” John Legend & The Roots

Contemporary R&B Album: “Raymond V Raymond,” Usher

R&B Song: “Shine,” John Legend & The Roots

R&B Performance: “Soldier Of Love,” Sade

Traditional R&B Vocal Performance: “Hang On In There,” John Legend and The Roots

Urban/Alternative Performance: “(Forget) You,” Cee Lo Green

Rap Album: “Recovery,” Eminem

Rap Solo Performance: “Not Afraid,” Eminem

Rap Performance by A Duo Or Group: “On To The Next One,” Jay-Z and Swizz Beatz

Rap Song: “Empire State of Mind,” Jay-Z and Alicia Keys

Rap/Sung Collaboration: “Empire State Of Mind,” Jay-Z and Alicia Keys

Dance Recording: “Only Girl (In The World),” Rihanna

Electronic Dance Album: “La Roux,” La Roux

Musical Show Album: “American Idiot,” (Featuring Green Day)

Traditional World Music Album: “Ali And Toumani,” Ali Farka Toure and Toumani Diabate

Contemporary World Music Album: “Throw Down Your Heart, Africa Sessions Part 2,” Bela Fleck

Male Country Vocal Performance: “‘Til Summer Comes Around,” Keith Urban

Female Country Vocal Performance: “The House That Built Me,” Miranda Lambert

Country Album: “Need You Now,” Lady Antebellum

Country Performance by a Duo or Group: “Need You Now,” Lady Antebellum

Country Song: “Need You Now,” Dave Haywood, Josh Kear, Charles Kelley & Hillary Scott, songwriters (Lady Antebellum)

Country Collaboration With Vocals: “As She’s Walking Away,” Zac Brown Band and Alan Jackson

Contemporary Jazz Album: “The Stanley Clarke Band,” The Stanley Clarke Band

Jazz Vocal Album: “Eleanora Fagan (1915-1959): To Billie With Love From >Dee Dee,” Dee Dee Bridgewater

Jazz Instrumental Album: “Moody 4B,” James Moody

Improvised Jazz Solo: “A Change is Gonna Come,” Herbie Hancock

Large Ensemble Jazz Album: “Mingus Big Band Live at Jazz Standard,” Mingus Big Band

Traditional Blues Album: “Joined At The Hip,” Pinetop Perkins & Willie ‘Big Eyes’ Smith

Contemporary Blues Album: “Living Proof,” Buddy Guy

Traditional Folk Album: “Genuine Negro Jig,” Carolina Chocolate Drops

Contemporary Folk Album: “God Willin’ and The Creek Don’t Rise,” Ray LaMontagne and The Pariah Dogs

Pop Collaboration With Vocals: “Imagine,” Herbie Hancock and Larry Klein, arrangers (Herbie Hancock, Pink, Seal, Jeff Beck, India.Arie, Konono No 1 & Oumou Sangare)

Pop Instrumental Album: “Take Your Pick,” Larry Carlton and Tak Matsumoto

Pop Instrumental Performance: “Nessun Dorma,” Jeff Beck

Rock Instrumental Performance: “Hammerhead,” Jeff Beck

Bluegrass Album: “Mountain Soul II,” Patty Loveless

Americana Album: “You Are Not Alone,” Mavis Staples

Hawaiian Music Album: “Huana Ke Aloha,” Tia Carrere

Native American Music Album: “2010 Gathering Of Nations Pow Wow: A Spirit’s Dance,”(Various Artists) Derek Mathews, Dr. Lita Mathews & Melonie Mathews, producers (Gathering Of Nations Records)

Zydeco Or Cajun Music Album: “Zydeco Junkie,” Chubby Carrier and The Bayou Swamp Band

Reggae Album: “Before The Dawn,” Buju Banton

Southern, Country, or Bluegrass Gospel Album: “The Reason,” Diamond Rio

New Age Album: “Miho: Journey To The Mountain,”Paul Winter Consort

Metal Performance: “El Dorado,” Iron Maiden

Country Instrumental Performance: “Hummingbyrd,” Marty Stuart

Musical Album For Children: “Tomorrow’s Children,” Pete Seeger with The Rivertown Kids and Friends

Spoken Word Album For Children: “Julie Andrews’ Collection Of Poems, Songs, And Lullabies,” Julie Andrews and Emma Walton Hamilton

Producer of the Year, Non-Classical: Danger Mouse, for Broken Bells

Remixed Recording, Non-Classical: “One Love Club,” David Guetta and Afrojack’s remix of Madonna’s Revolver

Pop/Contemporary Gospel Album: “Love God. Love People,” Israel Houghton

Gospel Song: “It’s What I Do,” Jerry Peters & Kirk Whalum, songwriters

Gospel Performance: “Grace,” BeBe and CeCe Winans

Traditional Gospel Album: “Downtown Church,” Patty Griffin

Rock Or Rap Gospel Album: “Hello Hurricane,” Switchfoot

Contemporary R&B Gospel Album: “Still,” BeBe and CeCe Winans

Classical Album: “Verdi: Requiem,” Riccardo Muti, conductor; Chicago Symphony Orchestra; Chicago Symphony Chorus

Choral Performance: “Verdi: Requiem” Riccardo Muti, conductor; Chicago Symphony Orchestra; Chicago Symphony Chorus

Classical Contemporary Composition: “Michael Daugherty: Metropolis Symphony / Deus Ex Machina,” Giancarlo Guerrero

Classical Producer: David Frost

Orchestral Performance: “Daugherty: Metropolis Symphony; Deus Ex Machina,” Giancarlo Guerrero, conductor; Nashville Symphony

Opera Recording: “Saariaho: L’Amour De Loin,” Kent Nagano, conductor; Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin; Rundfunkchor Berlin

Spoken Word Album: “The Daily Show With Jon Stewart Presents Earth (The Audiobook),” Jon Stewart

Comedy Album: “Stark Raving Black,” Lewis Black

Compilation Soundtrack Album For Motion Picture, Television Or Other Visual Media: “Crazy Heart,” (Various Artists) Stephen Bruton & T Bone Burnett, producers

Score Soundtrack Album For Motion Picture, Television Or Other Visual Media: “Toy Story 3,” Randy Newman, composer

Song Written For Motion Picture, Television Or Other Visual Media: The Weary Kind (From Crazy Heart) Ryan Bingham & T Bone Burnett, songwriters

Historical Album: The Beatles (The Original Studio Recordings)

Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocalists: “Baba Yetu,” Christopher Tin, arranger; Soweto Gospel Choir and Royal Philharmonic Orchestra