Ray Charles leads way at soulful Grammys

LOS ANGELES - Late "genius of soul" Ray Charles shared the spotlight with R&B stars Usher and Alicia Keys at the 47th annual Grammy Awards today and each won three of the music industry's top awards.

But Grammy voters delivered one of the biggest shocks in years by bestowing the best new artist award on pop band Maroon5, which was clearly stunned to beat such favoured rivals as rapper Kanye West and country singer Gretchen Wilson.

"This is the trippiest thing I've ever gone through in my life," said group member Adam Levine, who paid tribute to West.

While the Grammys have been mocked over the years for ignoring deserving artists, organisers have gone to great efforts in the past decade to weed out embarrassing choices.

Several acts won two awards each during the non-televised portion of the 47th annual awards show, including rap newcomer West, funk musician Prince, Irish rockers U2, and singer Ben Harper.

Texan trio Los Lonely Boys won the first award of the portion of the awards broadcast by CBS, taking home the Grammy for pop performance by a duo or group with vocal.

"Oh my gosh, dude!" a shocked Jojo Garza exclaimed to his brothers, Henry and Ringo.

Punk trio Green Day, with six nominations, won the rock album Grammy for their politically charged "American Idiot," also a contender for the key album of the year prize at the end of the ceremony.

15 AWARDS FOR RAY CHARLES

"Rock 'n' roll can be dangerous and fun at the same time," said vocalist Billie Joe Armstrong, whose three-piece pinstripe suit offset his heavily mascaraed eyes.

But Charles was clearly on everyone's mind. In addition to his three awards - taking his career haul to 15 - his album also yielded awards for arrangement, engineering and surround sound. In all, the album garnered 10 nominations - including seven for Charles, who will vie for the key album and record of the year categories later during the ceremony.

He was also the subject of a tribute performance by Keys and Jamie Foxx, who won an Oscar nomination for his performance as Charles in the hit film "Ray." They earned a standing ovation from the crowd, and composer Quincy Jones joined in the fun by opening his jacked to reveal a large reproduction of Charles' face on his shirt.

Charles won the gospel performance category for his duet with Gladys Knight, "Heaven Help Us All." His recording with jazz vocalist Norah Jones "Here We Go Again," won the pop collaboration category. "Genius Loves Company" also won the pop vocal album category.

The other three awards for the album were in the arrangement, engineering and the inaugural surround sound categories.

Charles beat himself in the pop collaboration category, where his duet with Elton John, "Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word," was also nominated. In the traditional R&B vocal race, his collaboration with B.B. King on "Sinner's Prayer," lost to Prince's "Musicology."

INNER-CITY ANTHEM

Prince actually emerged as a spoiler, as his tune "Call My Name" also defeated Usher in the male R&B vocal performance category.

Usher and Keys' duet "My Boo" won the Grammy for R&B performance by a duo or group, a category where Keys' "Diary" was also nominated.

Usher's hit release "Confessions" won the contemporary R&B album category, and his raucous dance tune "Yeah!" won the rap/sung collaboration category. He shared that Grammy with Lil Jon and Ludacris.

Keys won the female R&B vocal category for "If I Ain't Got You" and the best R&B song for "You Don't Know My Name." She shared that award with West, one of her fellow songwriters.

West's inner-city anthem "Jesus Walks" was also named best rap song. He led the field with 10 nominations, and was still a contender in three categories.

In the country race, Wilson won the female country vocal prize for "Redneck Woman," beating a field that included country veteran Loretta Lynn and superstar Shania Twain. Tim McGraw won the male race for "LIve Like You Were Dying," a tune that won the best country song prize for its writers, Tim Nichols and Craig Wiseman.

The U2 single "Vertigo" won Grammys for shortform video and rock song, taking the band's career haul to 16.

Harper shared one of his Grammys with the Blind Boys of Alabama when their album "There Will Be A Light" won the traditional soul gospel prize. That album also yielded a pop instrumental Grammy for Harper.

- REUTERS