Keys is right for Grammy

Wednesday's broadcast of the 44th annual Grammy Awards, hosted by comedian Jon Stewart, proved that R&B newcomer Alicia Keys is the most exciting voice in pop music.

Nominated for a six awards, Keys, 20, swept most of her categories and delivered one of the night's most compelling performances, a medley of the hits Fallin' and A Woman's Worth. Keys began by playing a transparent piano, accompanied by a string section, but soon was hustling in a Latin dance segment that ended in a lusty tango with a male flamenco dancer.

For Best R&B Album, Keys' Songs in A Minor beat the self-titled debut by the late Aaliyah, who died last year in a plane crash. In the first of her five acceptance speeches, Keys dedicated the Grammy to "thinking outside the box" and being authentic to yourself and your artistic vision.

Keys went on to win Song Of The Year for Fallin' and Best New Artist, beating a strong list of contenders that included Nelly Furtado and India.Arie, who despite being nominated seven times went home empty-handed. Arie gave a stirring rendition of Video, from her debut Acoustic Soul.

Only R&B powerhouse Mary J. Blige outperformed Keys. Blige's rendition of her smash No More Drama was jaw-dropping. Blige may as well have ripped her heart out, she so grabbed every morsel of pain inside her and delivered it vocally, the song's narrator demanding respect, renouncing the emotional static in her life. It brought the audience to its feet, with cameras panning an especially incredulous Celine Dion.

The night featured a strong batch of live performances, highlights including Train's remarkable, understated rendition of Drops Of Jupiter, which showcased lead singer Pat Monahan's fey traipsing across the stage. That tune nabbed Train an award for Best Rock Performance By A Duo Or Group. Multiwinners U2 kicked off the ceremony with a powerful version of Walk On, upstaged only by the band's witty acceptance speeches. Walk On nabbed U2 Record of The Year. U2 won four awards total.

Album Of The Year, one of Grammy's most important honors, went to the curiously nominated O Brother, Where Art Thou? soundtrack. There's no denying the collection's appeal, and it definitely generated interest in bluegrass and roots music, with sales exceeding 2-million. But who got to take that Grammy home? Which act on the soundtrack? The stage was cluttered with Dan Tyminski, Emmylou Harris, Alison Krauss, Gillian Welch, T-Bone Burnett and others.

"Unfortunately," joked Stewart, "because of how many people came up, we're now out of Grammys."

The bluegrass phenomenon was one of the night's buzzes, inspiring one Dixie Chick to quip "Bluegrass kicks a-" before presenting an award. The night's only recognition of the passing of the great Waylon Jennings came when rapper Kid Rock took off his black fedora and acknowledged one of country's most rowdy and fine outlaws.

Local viewers may have recognized the children's artwork flashed on a screen behind country singer Alan Jackson as he performed Where Were You (When The World Stopped Turning). They were paintings and drawings by Tampa Bay area students commemorating the terrorist acts of Sept. 11. Grammy producers discovered that artwork in the X-Press section of the St. Petersburg Times.

Major winners

Album of the Year: O Brother, Where Art Thou? soundtrack.

Record of the Year: Walk On, U2.

Song of the Year: Fallin', Alicia Keys writer and singer.

New Artist: Alicia Keys.

Rock Album: All That You Can't Leave Behind, U2.

Rock Song: Drops of Jupiter, Train.

Rock Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal: Elevation, U2.

Metal Performance: Schism, Tool.

Alternative Album: Parachutes, Coldplay.

Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal: Stuck in a Moment You Can't Get Out Of, U2.

Female Pop Vocal Performance: I'm Like a Bird, Nelly Furtado.

Dance Recording: All For You, Janet Jackson.

R&B Album: Songs in A Minor, Alicia Keys.

Female R&B Vocal Performance: Fallin', Alicia Keys.

R&B Song: Fallin', Alicia Keys.

Best Rap Album: Stankonia, OutKast.

Rap Solo Performance: Get Ur Freak On, Missy Elliott.

Rap Performance by a Duo or Group: Ms. Jackson, OutKast.

Country Album: Timeless -- Hank Williams Tribute, various artists.

Male Country Vocal Performance: O Death, Ralph Stanley, from O Brother, Where Art Thou?

Country Collaboration with Vocals: I Am a Man of Constant Sorrow, Dan Tyminski, Harley Allen and Pat Enright (The Soggy Bottom Boys), O Brother, Where Art Thou?

Contemporary Jazz Album: M2, Marcus Miller.

Contemporary Folk Album: Love and Theft, Bob Dylan.

Classical Album: Berlioz: Les Troyens, James Mallinson, producer.

Producer of the Year, Nonclassical: T Bone Burnett (O Brother, Where Art Thou?).

Compilation Soundtrack Album For a Motion Picture, Television or other Visual Media: O Brother, Where Art Thou?

Spoken Comedy Album: Napalm and Silly Putty, George Carlin.

Musical Show Album: The Producers, Original Broadway Cast with Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick, lyricist and composer Mel Brooks.

-- For the complete list of winners, go to grammy.aol.com.

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