College Times

She wasn't there, but Amy Winehouse was the woman of the night at the 50th Annual Grammy Awards.

Winehouse, the troubled British singer whose rehab and visa problems prevented her from attending Sunday's ceremony in Los Angeles, took awards for best new artist, best pop vocal album for "Back to Black" and best pop female vocal, best record and best song for "Rehab."

Herbie Hancock briefly pushed Winehouse out of the spotlight to accept the best album award for "River: The Joni Letters," his tribute to Joni Mitchell.

"This is a beautiful day in Los Angeles," Hancock said.

Winehouse did perform via satellite from London, doing sultry, funky versions of "You Know I'm No Good" and her Grammy-winning hit "Rehab."

"Sometimes, life trumps award shows," actor Cuba Gooding Jr. said, introducing the anticipated performance.

Winehouse burst into tears when the best record award was announced, emotionally thanking a short list of friends and family before shouting "This is for London!"

It was the 50th anniversary of the Grammy awards, and the show opened with a nostalgic twist, pairing Alicia Keys with a black-and-white video performance by Frank Sinatra on "Learnin' the Blues."

The strange duet inspired the first good line of the evening when Prince joked that "Frank Sinatra looked good for 150, didn't he," as he introduced Keys as winner for best female R&B vocal for "No One."

Other presenters included Tom Hanks, who honored The Band. That 1960s ensemble, best known for its work with Bob Dylan, received a lifetime achievement award. Hanks also introduced a tribute to the Beatles, lauding the band for making "music that changed the history of our planet."

There were no such performances on Sunday, despite flashy production for songs by Rihanna, Carrie Underwood, Kanye West and a Tina Turner-Beyonce duet on "Proud Mary."

West, with a leading eight nominations, won for best rap album for "Graduation" and also took trophies for best rap solo performance for "Stronger," best rap song for "Good Life" and best rap performance by a duo or group for his collaboration with Common on "Southside."

West offered a lengthy acceptance speech for the rap album award.

"It would be in good taste to stop the music," West said, as he pushed his time limit to talk about his mother. "Mama, all I'm gonna do is keep making you proud."

On Sunday, West was overshadowed by Winehouse, whose rocky personal life has made headlines as her music has garnered critical acclaim.

After Winehouse was initially rejected for a U.S. work visa, Grammy producers arranged for her to perform via telecast. Although the visa eventually was granted, she was unable to make the trip.

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