Dixie Chicks And Mary J Blige Rule At The Grammys

Mary J Blige,  Red Hot Chili Peppers and the Dixie Chicks all won big at the Grammy awards in Los Angeles.

Now in its 49th year, the ceremony at the Staples Centre was opened by The Police playing their 1979 smash ?Roxanne.?

After receiving a standing ovation, the awards bash began with The Dixie Chicks triumphing the most with five gongs.

The female trio walked away with awards including Best Album, Record and the Song of the year.

The Chili Peppers took four awards including the coveted Best Rock Act and a tearful Mary J Blige went home with three.

Justin Timberlake picked up the best dance song award for ?Sexy Back?, while Gnarls Barkley?s ?Crazy? was named as best Alternative Performance and ?St Elsewhere? took the Best Alternative Record song.

Main award winners

ALBUM OF THE YEAR - Taking The Long Way, Dixie Chicks
RECORD OF THE YEAR - Not Ready To Make Nice, Dixie Chicks
SONG OF THE YEAR - Not Ready to Make Nice, Martie Maguire, Natalie Maines, Emily Robison & Dan Wilson (songwriters)
BEST NEW ARTIST - Carrie Underwood
BEST MALE R&B VOCAL PERFORMANCE - John Legend, Heaven
BEST FEMALE R&B VOCAL PERFORMANCE - Mary J. Blige, Be Without You
BEST R&B ALBUM - The Breakthrough, Mary J. Blige
BEST POP PERFORMANCE BY A DUO OR GROUP WITH VOCAL - The Black Eyed Peas, My Humps
BEST POP VOCAL ALBUM - Continuum, John Mayer.
BEST ROCK ALBUM - Stadium Arcadium, Red Hot Chili Peppers
BEST ROCK PERFORMANCE BY A DUO OR GROUP WITH VOCAL - Dani California, Red Hot Chili Peppers
BEST ROCK SOLO VOCAL PERFORMANCE - Bob Dylan, Someday Baby
BEST RAP SOLO PERFORMANCE - What You Know, T.I.
BEST RAP/SUNG COLLABORATION -  My Love, Justin Timberlake featuring T.I.
BEST RAP ALBUM - Release Therapy, Ludacris