And the Grammy Goes to.....

&B singer Mary J Blige and rock band the Red Hot Chili Peppers have won three prizes each at this year's Grammy Awards in Los Angeles.

American Idol star Carrie Underwood and country band The Dixie Chicks also took home three awards apiece.

 

The ceremony was opened by reformed pop group The Police - one day before they are expected to announce a world tour.

Sting, Andy Summers and Stewart Copeland played their 1979 hit Roxanne to a standing ovation from 12,000 fans. Sting began with the words: "Ladies and gentlemen, we are The Police and we are back." The band are expected to confirm their tour at a press conference on Monday.

 

The Grammy Awards are the most prestigious honours in the global music calendar, with 108 categories ranging from pop to jazz to gospel to polka. Blige went into the show with the most nominations, with eight, followed by the Red Hot Chili Peppers with six. Blige's night kicked off with awards for best R&B song and best female R&B vocal performance for her track Be Without You. And her album The Breakthrough was named best R&B album. "I thank you so much," she said, accepting her first trophy.

"For so many years I have been talked about negatively but this time I'm being talked about positively by so many people. This is a great night for me."

 

But she was beaten to the best song prize by Not Ready to Make Nice by country group The Dixie Chicks.

That song was written in response to death threats the female group received after they said in 2003 they were "ashamed" the US President was from their home state of Texas. "For the first time in my life I'm speechless," singer Natalie Maines said at the podium. The trio also won best country album and best country performance by a duo or group.

 

The Red Hot Chili Peppers' single Dani California scooped both best rock song and best rock performance by a duo or group. Carrie Underwood, who won TV talent show American Idol in 2005, was named best new artist - beating R&B prodigy Chris Brown and British singers James Blunt, Corinne Bailey Rae and Imogen Heap.

Underwood also took best country song and best female country vocal performance for her song Jesus, Take the Wheel. Justin Timberlake picked up best dance recording for Sexy Back and best rap/sung collaboration for My Love, featuring TI. TI also won best solo rap performance for What You Know, while best rap song went to Ludacris featuring Pharrell for Money Maker.

 

Gnarls Barkley's smash hit Crazy was named best urban/alternative performance, while their album St Elsewhere was judged best alternative album. Bruce Springsteen also won two awards, scooping best traditional folk album for We Shall Overcome - The Seeger Sessions and best long form video for Wings For Wheels: The Making of Born To Run.

Madonna picked up best dance/electronic album for Confessions On A Dance Floor, while Christina Aguilera, John Mayer and The Black Eyed Peas took home pop prizes.