'O Brother,' Keys, U2 dominate Grammys

Alicia Keys

(CNN) -- The soundtrack to the movie "O Brother, Where Art Thou?," R&B singer Alicia Keys, and U2 were the big winners at Wednesday's Grammy Awards.

"O Brother," a bluegrass soundtrack that topped the country charts last year, won five Grammys, including an upset award for album of the year, defeating works by U2, Bob Dylan, OutKast and India.Arie. Keys also took home five awards -- including song of the year and best new artist -- and U2 won four, including record of the year.

The "O Brother" crew was pleased with the honors. "It's one happy ending after another," said album producer T Bone Burnett, who was honored with a Grammy as producer of the year earlier in the day.

RESOURCES • Bluegrass grows! Thanks to O' Brother  • QUIZ: How well do you know your bluegrass music?  • Complete list of winners     DISCUSSION/ACTIVITY Research Bluegrass music

The album also won best compilation disc, country collaboration with vocals (for "I Am a Man of Constant Sorrow"), and best male country vocal. The male country vocal award was the first Grammy ever awarded to 75-year-old Ralph Stanley, who sang "O Death" on the album.

The music's popularity and Wednesday's awards proved there is an audience for traditional country music, Burnett said Wednesday afternoon. Country radio shunned the album and most people thought it wouldn't sell, he said.

"Everybody thought I was insane," he said.

Keys won for song of the year ("Fallin' ") and best new artist, along with best R&B album, female R&B vocal performance and R&B song.

"I'd like to dedicate this to just thinking outside the box and not being afraid of who you are no matter what you do," Keys said after winning best R&B album.

U2 also does well

U2 won four awards. Besides record of the year for "Walk On," the Irish band, which led all nominees with eight nominations, won best rock album for "All That You Can't Leave Behind," and best rock performance by a duo or group with vocal for "Elevation." The band's song "Stuck in a Moment You Can't Get Out Of" won the first award of the evening, best pop performance by a duo or group.

"Being Irish, if you get eight nominations and got no awards they wouldn't let you back in the country," lead singer Bono joked early in the evening. "So this is a public safety issue."

Last year, U2 won song of the year, record of the year and best rock performance by duo or group for the hit single "Beautiful Day." But the album it came from, "All That You Can't Leave Behind," wasn't eligible, so the band was back for more.

The band is no stranger to Grammy fame. In 1987, it won album of the year for "The Joshua Tree."

Acoustic R&B artist India.Arie, who was nominated for seven Grammys, including record of the year, song of the year, and album of the year ("Acoustic Soul"), was shut out.

Rousing performances

U2 opened the show with a performance of "Walk On."

U2 were big winners at the Grammy Awards

Host Jon Stewart followed, immediately striking a humorous tone with a routine in which he walked through an arch that beeped like an airport security scanner. After being stripped down to his boxers by some beefy guards, he addressed the audience.

"Remember when security was tight because Elton John was going to sing with Eminem?" he asked, referring to last year's duet between the pop star and the controversial rapper.

Not long after, Christina Aguilera. Pink, Lil' Kim, Missy Elliott and Mya performed their Grammy-nominated rendition of "Lady Marmalade." They were joined for the song's climax by hurricane-voiced Patti LaBelle, who first recorded the song in 1975.

That song won the next Grammy to be awarded, for pop collaboration with vocals, defeating songs by Tony Bennett and Billy Joel, Ricky Martin and Aguilera, Brian McKnight and Justin Timberlake, and Shaggy featuring Ricardo "RikRok" Ducent.

Other performances were equally energetic, though they lacked the buzz of last year's Elton-Eminem duet. Joel and Bennett teamed up for a jazzy version of Joel's "New York State of Mind," and Bob Dylan, looking like a 1950s country gentleman and sounding like a barroom bluesman, also was on hand to sing "Cry Awhile."

Early awards

The majority of Grammys were given out at an afternoon ceremony.

Country and bluegrass artist Alison Krauss and Union Station picked up two Grammys, for country performance by duo or group with vocal and bluegrass album, the latter for the band's "New Favorite." A song they performed, "The Lucky One," picked up a Grammy for best country song for songwriter Robert Lee Castleman.

Lenny Kravitz picked up a Grammy for best male rock vocal for the song "Dig In" from his album "Lenny." It's Kravitz's fourth award, and it was in a category crowded with veterans, including Dylan, John Mellencamp and Eric Clapton, along with newcomer Ryan Adams.

Lucinda Williams won her third Grammy, this one for best female rock vocal for "Get Right with God," from her album "Essence." Linkin Park, up for a new artist Grammy, won the award for best hard rock performance. Tool won a Grammy for metal performance, British guitar veteran Jeff Beck won for rock instrumental, and Coldplay won in the alternative music category.

Mya, Christina Aguilera and Lil' Kim accept a Grammy for "Lady Marmalade" at the awards show.  

Also winning Grammys: Dylan (contemporary folk album), Sade (pop vocal album), Harry Connick Jr. (traditional pop vocal album), Clapton (pop instrumental performance), OutKast (rap performance by duo or group), and Sonny Rollins (jazz instrumental album).