In its 47th year, the Grammy Awards finally made the transition from being a night about music to a night OF music. It may have run a half hour over schedule, but it needed that room for all of the wonderful performances that occurred.

Green Day rocked out "American Idiot," in true punk rock fashion, complete with fire pots and censored words, later winning Best Rock Album.

Meanwhile, Bono touchingly dedicated U2's performance to his father before launching into a beautiful version of "Sometimes You Can't Make It on Your Own," off the band's current album.

But show became a true one-of-a-kind event with all of the musical collaborations.

The high-energy opening set the tone. Played out on multiple stages, the music flowed from the kinetic Black Eyed Peas and their theme song "Let's Get It Started," to Gwen Stefani, with Eve, performing a sassy version of "Rich Girl," to Los Lonely Boys singing a bilingual "Heaven," followed by Maroon5 playing "This Love" and Franz Ferdinand's high-energy "Take Me Out" leading to a segment finale of all five acts jamming together.

Viewers also saw Alicia Keys perform her hit, "If I Ain't Got You," before bringing in Jamie Foxx to duet on the Ray Charles' classic "Georgia On My Mind," backed by an orchestra led by Quincy Jones...not to mention Usher and James Brown bursting into "Sex Machine" complete with the trademark dance.

The show's many tributes brought together a varied group of artists, as well.

Tim McGraw, Keith Urban, Gretchen Wilson, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Elvin Bishop and Allman Brothers' guitarist Dickey Betts did a medley of southern rock classics -- "Freebird" "Ramblin' Man" and "Sweet Home Alabama" -- turning the Staples Center into a temporary honky-tonk joint.

Gospel was later celebrated in a stirring segment led by Mavis Staples, John Legend, Kanye West and the Blind Boys Of Alabama, that took the genre from its church roots to soulful rap.

And the show wrapped with a stripped down tribute to Ray Charles with Bonnie Raitt and Billy Preston performing "Do I Ever Cross Your Mind."

But it was a tribute in the middle of the show that, to me, tore the house down. In a tribute to Janis Joplin, British teen Joss Stone took the stage, barefoot, in a soulful rendition of "Cry Baby." The song segued into "Piece of My Heart," as a bald-headed Melissa Etheridge took the stage. This was the first public appearance for Etheridge since her battle with breast cancer began last year. The treatments may have robbed her, temporarily, of her hair, but there was a new vibrancy to her performance that I haven't seen in a long time. As she and Stone jammed on the Joplin tune, there was a real fire...a combustible energy...that sent chills up my spine. Their voices melded together so well -- if they were to release a single, I would be the first in line to buy it.

The one performance I was looking most forward to -- the all-star collaboration of the Beatle's classic, "Across the Universe" -- still had a magic about it, but many of artists seemed unsure of themselves in the setting. Backed by the supergroup Velvet Revolver, Bono led off the song off, with Stevie Wonder, Norah Jones, Brian Wilson, Alicia Keys, Scott Weiland (Velvet Revolver), Billy Joe Armstrong (Green Day), Tim McGraw and Steven Tyler each taking turns at a few lines of the song. The group seemed to find its footing at the end, when Wonder added a soulful harmonica to the vocal jamming, and the group changed the lyrics from "Nothing's gonna change my world" to "Something's gotta change my world." The song was recorded and is now available for download at iTunes, with all proceeds going to the Tsumami Relief efforts.

With all the musical performances, it was easy to forget this was actually an awards show. The majority of the statues were given away prior to the CBS telecast, with only a few select categories revealed on air. While it worked in favor of allowing more performances, it also took away a bit from the fans who enjoy seeing their favorites win an award. Perhaps in the future, the Grammys might want to consider telecasting the awards portion of the show on a separate network or pay-per-view, for those who want to see it.

At any rate, there were indeed awards given out and while rapper Kanye West was the golden boy going into the event, with ten nominations, there was no question that it was Ray Charles' night. As a final testament to his enduring legacy, the artist posthumously received 8 Grammys, for his duets collection, Genius Loves Company, including Record and Album Of The Year.

West didn't leave empty handed, though, as he walked away with three statues of his own, including best rap album and best rap song for "Jesus Walks." Following his public meltdown at the American Music Awards last November, many wondered how West would react if he didn't win anything.

"Everybody wanted to know what would I do if I didn't win. I guess we'll never know," he said, holding his trophy up high.

The awards seemed pretty evenly distributed amongst those who had been considered front-runners, with four going to Alicia Keys and three each to Usher, Norah Jones and U2.

There were a few surprises, though, including one or two that left me scratching my head.

Over a tough category that included Kanye West, Los Lonely Boys, Gretchen Wilson and Joss Stone, Maroon5 took the Best New Artist honors. While I agree they are a great group and Songs About Jane is a great album, the fact that the album came out in 2002 hardly qualifies the band as "new" -- especially when the other nominees all had albums out in 2004.

Ex-president Bill Clinton added a third grammy to the Clinton collection for the spoken word version of his biography, "My Life." Scrubs actor Zach Braff picked up a Grammy for his work assembling the music for Best Compilation Soundtrack winner Garden State. Country legend Loretta Lynn and the White Stripes' Jack White won for Best Country Collaboration. The long-ignored Rod Stewart finally scored his first Grammy for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album, and the equally ignored Brian Wilson nabbed his first for Best Rock Instrumental Performance for "Mrs. O'Leary's Cow," off his new cd, Smile (ironic when you consider Wilson is best known for his vocal harmonies in the Beach Boys).

But the closest thing the show had to a Milli Vanilli moment was when the much maligned Britney Spears stole a victory with her song, "Toxic," beating out established electronic faves Basement Jaxx and the Chemical Brothers, as well as the Scissor Sisters, and Kylie Minogue for Best Dance Recording. Britney has a Grammy? Who would have thought it possible, eh?

Host Queen Latifah kept the Grammys show running smoothly, even taking time out to appear as herself, Dana Owens, in a medley performance of "Lush Life" and "Baby Get Lost" from her jazz standards album.

Following is a list of the top awards given out and their winners. For more information, please visit Grammys.com.

47th Annual Grammy Awards Winners:

RECORD OF THE YEAR: "Here We Go Again," Ray Charles & Norah Jones

ALBUM OF THE YEAR: Genius Loves Company, Ray Charles & Various

SONG OF THE YEAR: "Daughters," John Mayer

BEST NEW ARTIST: Maroon 5

BEST FEMALE POP VOCAL PERFORMANCE: "Sunrise," Norah Jones

BEST MALE POP VOCAL PERFORMANCE: "Daughters," John Mayer

BEST POP PERFORMANCE BY A DUO OR GROUP WITH VOCAL: "Heaven," Los Lonely Boys

BEST POP COLLABORATION WITH VOCALS: "Here We Go Again," Ray Charles & Norah Jones

BEST POP INSTRUMENTAL PERFORMANCE: "11th Commandment," Ben Harper

BEST POP INSTRUMENTAL ALBUM: Henry Mancini: Pink Guitar, Various

BEST POP VOCAL ALBUM: Genius Loves Company, Ray Charles & Various

BEST DANCE RECORDING: "Toxic," Britney Spears

BEST ELECTRONIC/DANCE ALBUM: Kish Kash, Basement Jaxx

BEST TRADITIONAL POP VOCAL ALBUM: Stardust...The Great American Songbook Vol. III, Rod Stewart

BEST SOLO ROCK VOCAL PERFORMANCE: "Code Of Silence," Bruce Springsteen

BEST ROCK PERFORMANCE BY A DUO OR GROUP WITH VOCAL: "Vertigo," U2

BEST HARD ROCK PERFORMANCE: "Slither," Velvet Revolver

BEST METAL PERFORMANCE: "Whiplash," Motorhead

BEST ROCK INSTRUMENTAL PERFORMANCE: "Mrs. O'Leary's Cow," Brian Wilson

BEST ROCK SONG: "Vertigo," U2

BEST ROCK ALBUM: American Idiot, Green Day

BEST ALTERNATIVE MUSIC ALBUM: A Ghost Is Born, Wilco

BEST FEMALE R&B VOCAL PERFORMANCE: "If I Ain't Got You," Alicia Keys

BEST MALE R&B VOCAL PERFORMANCE: "Call My Name," Prince

BEST R&B PERFORMANCE BY A DUO OR GROUP WITH VOCALS: "My Boo," Usher & Alicia Keys

BEST TRADITIONAL R&B VOCAL PERFORMANCE: "Musicology," Prince

BEST URBAN/ALTERNATIVE PERFORMANCE: "Cross My Mind," Jill Scott

BEST R&B SONG: "You Don't Know My Name," Alicia Keys

BEST R&B ALBUM: The Diary Of Alicia Keys, Alicia Keys

BEST CONTEMPORARY R&B ALBUM: Confessions, Usher

BEST RAP SOLO PERFORMANCE: "99 Problems," Jay-Z

BEST RAP PERFORMANCE BY A DUO OR GROUP: "Let's Get It Started," The Black Eyed Peas

BEST RAP/SUNG COLLABORATION: "Yeah!," Usher with Lil' Jon & Ludacris

BEST RAP SONG: "Jesus Walks," Kanye West

BEST RAP ALBUM: The College Dropout, Kanye West

BEST FEMALE COUNTRY VOCAL PERFORMANCE: "Redneck Woman," Gretchen Wilson

BEST MALE COUNTRY VOCAL PERFORMANCE: "Live Like You Were Dying," Tim McGraw

BEST COUNTRY PERFORMANCE BY A DUO OR GROUP WITH VOCALS: "Top Of The World," Dixie Chicks

BEST COUNTRY COLLABORATION WITH VOCALS: "Portland Oregon," Loretta Lynn & Jack White

BEST COUNTRY INSTRUMENTAL PERFORMANCE: "Earl's Breakdown," Nitty Gritty Dirt Band with Earl Scruggs, Randy Scruggs, Vassar Clements & Jerry Douglas

BEST COUNTRY SONG: "Live Like You Were Dying," Tim McGraw

BEST COUNTRY ALBUM: Van Lear Rose, Loretta Lynn

BEST BLUEGRASS ALBUM: Brand New Strings, Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder

BEST NEW AGE ALBUM: Returning, Will Ackerman

BEST CONTEMPORARY JAZZ ALBUM: Unspeakable, Bill Frisell

BEST JAZZ VOCAL ALBUM: R.S.V.P. (Rare Songs, Very Personal), Nancy Wilson

BEST JAZZ INSTRUMENTAL SOLO: "Speak Like A Child," Herbie Hancock

BEST JAZZ INSTRUMENTAL ALBUM, INDIVIDUAL OR GROUP: Illuminations, McCoy Tyner with Gary Bartz, Terence Blanchard, Christian McBride & Lewis Nash

BEST LARGE JAZZ ENSEMBLE ALBUM: Concert In The Garden, Maria Schneider Orchestra

BEST LATIN JAZZ ALBUM: Land Of The Sun, Charlie Haden

BEST GOSPEL PERFORMANCE: "Heaven Help Us All," Ray Charles & Gladys Knight

BEST ROCK GOSPEL ALBUM: Wire, Third Day

BEST POP/CONTEMPORARY GOSPEL ALBUM: All Things New, Steven Curtis Chapman

BEST SOUTHERN, COUNTRY, OR BLUEGRASS GOSPEL ALBUM: Worship & Faith, Randy Travis

BEST TRADITIONAL SOUL GOSPEL ALBUM: There Will Be A Light, Ben Harper & the Blind Boys Of Alabama

BEST CONTEMPORARY SOUL GOSPEL ALBUM: Nothing Without You, Smokie Norful

BEST GOSPEL CHOIR OR CHORUS ALBUM: Live...This Is Your House, Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir

BEST LATIN POP ALBUM: Amar Sin Mentiras, Marc Anthony

BEST LATIN ROCK/ALTERNATIVE ALBUM: Street Signs, Ozomatli

BEST TRADITIONAL TROPICAL LATIN ALBUM: ¡Ahora Sí!, Israel López "Cachao"

BEST SALSA/MERENGUE ALBUM: Across 110th Street, Spanish Harlem Orchestra with Ruben Blades

BEST MEXICAN/MEXICAN-AMERICAN ALBUM: Intimamente, Intocable

BEST TEJANO ALBUM: Polkas, Gritos Y Acordeónes, David Lee Garza, Joel Guzman & Sunny Sauceda

BEST TRADITIONAL BLUES ALBUM: Blues To The Bone, Etta James

BEST CONTEMPORARY BLUES ALBUM: Keep It Simple, Keb' Mo'

BEST TRADITIONAL FOLK ALBUM: Beautiful Dreamer - The Songs Of Stephen Foster, Various

BEST CONTEMPORARY FOLK ALBUM: The Revolution Starts...Now, Steve Earle

BEST NATIVE AMERICAN MUSIC ALBUM: Cedar Dream Songs, Bill Miller

BEST HAWAIIAN MUSIC ALBUM: Slack Key Guitar Vol. 2, Various

BEST REGGAE ALBUM: True Love, Toots & the Maytals

BEST TRADITIONAL WORLD MUSIC ALBUM: Raise Your Spirit Higher, Ladysmith Black Mambazo

BEST CONTEMPORARY WORLD MUSIC ALBUM: Egypt, Youssou N'Dour

BEST POLKA ALBUM: Let's Kiss: 25th Anniversary Album, Brave Combo

BEST MUSICAL ALBUM FOR CHILDREN: cELLAbration! A Tribute To Ella Jenkins, Various

BEST SPOKEN-WORD ALBUM FOR CHILDREN: The Train They Call The City Of New Orleans, Tom Chapin

BEST SPOKEN-WORD ALBUM: My Life, Bill Clinton

BEST COMEDY ALBUM: The Daily Show With Jon Stewart Presents...America: A Citizen's Guide To Democracy Inaction, Jon Stewart & the Cast Of The Daily Show

BEST MUSICAL SHOW ALBUM: Wicked

BEST COMPILATION SOUNDTRACK ALBUM: Garden State

BEST SCORE SOUNDTRACK ALBUM: The Lord Of The Rings - The Return Of The King

BEST SONG WRITTEN FOR A MOTION PICTURE, TELEVISION, OR OTHER VISUAL MEDIA: "Into The West," Annie Lennox (From The Lord Of The Rings - The Return Of The King)

BEST INSTRUMENTAL COMPOSITION: "Merengue," Yo-Yo Ma

BEST INSTRUMENTAL ARRANGEMENT: "Past Present & Future," The Vanguard Jazz Orchestra

BEST INSTRUMENTAL ARRANGEMENT WITH ACCOMPANYING VOCALIST(S): "Over The Rainbow," Ray Charles & Johnny Mathis

BEST RECORDING PACKAGE: A Ghost Is Born, Wilco

BEST BOXED OR SPECIAL LIMITED-EDITION PACKAGE: Once In A Lifetime, Talking Heads

BEST ALBUM NOTES: The Complete Columbia Recordings Of Woody Herman And His Orchestra & Woodchoppers (1945-1947)

BEST HISTORICAL ALBUM: Night Train To Nashville: Music City Rhythm & Blues, 1945-1970

BEST ENGINEERED ALBUM, NON-CLASSICAL: Genius Loves Company, Ray Charles & Various

PRODUCER OF THE YEAR, NON-CLASSICAL: John Shanks

BEST REMIXED RECORDING, NON-CLASSICAL: "It's My Life (Jacques Lu Cont's Thin White Duke Mix)," No Doubt

BEST SURROUND SOUND ALBUM: Genius Loves Company, Ray Charles & Various

BEST ENGINEERED ALBUM, CLASSICAL: Higdon: City Scape; Concerto For Orchestra, Robert Spano

PRODUCER OF THE YEAR, CLASSICAL: David Frost

BEST CLASSICAL ALBUM: Adams: On The Transmigration Of Souls, Brooklyn Youth Chorus & New York Choral Artists/New York Philharmonic

BEST ORCHESTRAL PERFORMANCE: Adams: On The Transmigration Of Souls, Brooklyn Youth Chorus & New York Choral Artists/New York Philharmonic

BEST OPERA RECORDING: Mozart: Le Nozze Di Figaro, Various/Concerto Koln

BEST CHORAL PERFORMANCE: Berlioz: Requiem, Frank Lopardo/Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Chorus/Atlanta Symphony Orchestra

BEST INSTRUMENTAL SOLOIST(S) PERFORMANCE (WITH ORCHESTRA): Previn: Violin Concerto "Anne-Sophie"/Bernstein: Serenade, André Previn/Anne-Sophie Mutter/Boston Symphony Orchestra & London Symphony Orchestra

BEST INSTRUMENTAL SOLOIST(S) PERFORMANCE (WITHOUT ORCHESTRA): Aire Latino, David Russell

BEST CHAMBER MUSIC PERFORMANCE: Prokofiev (Arr. Pletnev): Cinderella - Suite For Two Pianos/Ravel: Ma Mère L'Oye, Martha Argerich & Mikhail Pletnev

BEST SMALL ENSEMBLE PERFORMANCE (WITH OR WITHOUT CONDUCTOR): Carlos Chávez - Complete Chamber Music, Vol. 2, Jeff von der Schmidt/Southwest Chamber Music

BEST CLASSICAL VOCAL PERFORMANCE: Ives: Songs, Susan Graham/Pierre-Laurent Aimard

BEST CLASSICAL CONTEMPORARY COMPOSITION: Adams: On The Transmigration Of Souls, Brooklyn Youth Chorus & New York Choral Artists/New York Philharmonic

BEST CLASSICAL CROSSOVER ALBUM: LAGQ's Guitar Heroes, Los Angeles Guitar Quartet

BEST SHORT FORM MUSIC VIDEO: "Vertigo," U2

BEST LONG FORM MUSIC VIDEO: Concert For George, Various