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LOS ANGELES - Country music trio the Dixie Chicks, proudly unrepentant for igniting a firestorm by criticizing President George W. Bush, won three Grammys on Sunday, including song of the year.
Meanwhile, former "American Idol" champion Carrie Underwood took the closely watched honor for best new artist, further enhancing the star-making power of the hit TV talent show.
Underwood, the winner of the fourth season of "American Idol" in 2005, earlier took the Grammy for best female country vocal performance.
"This is absolutely unbelievable! I love country music," the 23-year-old Nashville star said after winning best new artist.
R&B vocalist Mary J. Blige and California rock band the Red Hot Chili Peppers also won three statuettes each as the music industry's top honors unfolded at the Staples Center.
Blige headed into Sunday's ceremony with a leading eight nominations, ahead of six for the Red Hot Chili Peppers.
The Dixie Chicks, one of several acts with five nominations, won song of the year for "Not Ready To Make Nice." The defiant tune was a response to the backlash that engulfed the group after singer Natalie Maines told fans she was ashamed to come from the same state as fellow Texan Bush.
After they won for best country album, Maines parroted the trademark "Heh! Heh!" snicker of the schoolyard bully character on the animated TV show "The Simpsons."
Added bandmate Emily Robison: "We wouldn't have made this album without everything we went through, so we have no regrets."
Maines' off-the-cuff comment about Bush transformed the trio overnight from Nashville darlings to pariahs. "Not Ready To Make Nice" bombed at country radio, which has largely boycotted the group, and the album's sales were disappointing.
The disc remained in contention for the coveted album of the year award, the final prize to be handed out at the ceremony. The Chicks, who also won for country performance by a duo or group, brought their career Grammy haul to 11 awards.
THREE FOR MARY J.
Blige won the statuettes for best R&B album for "The Breakthrough," as well as R&B song and female R&B vocal performance, both for "Be Without You." She remained a contender for record of the year. Her career Grammy total stood at six.
Blige said she was gratified at the positive attention she was now receiving after years of negative publicity surrounding the hard-living ways she has since renounced.
"I want to use this success to build bridges, not to burn them," she said.
The Red Hot Chili Peppers, with just two previous Grammys to date, were honored for best rock song and best vocal performance, both for the hit single "Dani California." Their CD, "Stadium Arcadium," which was up for album of the year, won for the boxed/limited-edition package Grammy.
Three other acts competing for album of the year, the soul-pop duo Gnarls Barkley, rock crooner John Mayer, and pop vocalist Justin Timberlake, each won two Grammys in the early going.
Other double winners included veteran balladeer Tony Bennett, R&B singer John Legend, rock superstar Bruce Springsteen, gospel star Kirk Franklin, late jazz soloist Michael Brecker, jazz pianist Chick Corea, film composer John Williams, and classical conductor Michael Tilson Thomas.
First-time winners included Rick Rubin for producer of the year, while New Jersey rock band Bon Jovi won a country Grammy for its collaboration with Jennifer Nettles on the tune "Who Says You Can't Go Home."
- REUTERS
