Award shows typically manufacture their "anything can happen" aura, but on Sunday night the 51st annual Grammy Awards delivered the real thing with canceled performances, a star nominee in police custody, a lingering song-theft controversy and the unforgettable sight of British-born star M.I.A., a nine-months-pregnant single mom-to-be, prancing across the stage on her due date.
Oh, and there were some trophies handed out. A leading total of five of those went to the unlikely tandem of classic rock demi-god Robert Plant and country angel Alison Krauss, who paired for "Raising Sand," a mystic-minded journey through American roots music. "Raising Sand" won for album of the year and the evocative track "Please Read the Letter" claimed the prestigious record of the year honor.
Krauss, who came into the night as the leading female winner in the history of the Grammys, brought her career total to 26.
The other top winners were the British band Coldplay and New Orleans rapper Lil Wayne, two of the bestselling artists of 2008. But the fact that the best album trophy went to veterans playing tradition-bound music over younger, edgier artists fits the recent pattern of the Recording Academy voters.
The Grammys have given the album prize to Herbie Hancock and to the "O Brother Where Art Thou" soundtrack in recent years. ("O Brother" was produced by T Bone Burnett, who also was the studio architect of "Raising Sand.")
The award for best new artist, one of the most coveted honors in the music industry, went to 20-year-old Adele, the British singer who made her mark with the hit "Chasing Pavements."
The voters might play safe, but the show this year seemed to be walking a tightrope. There was a mad scramble by producers in the hours before the telecast when they got the jolting news that two nominees with key scheduled performances, Chris Brown and Rihanna, would not be coming. The reason for their absence -- an apparent early-morning incident between the romantically linked stars -- became a sizzling topic on the red carpet and during commercial breaks, although for viewers watching the CBS broadcast the cancellation was not mentioned.
In a dramatic twist, Brown, the handsome young hitmaker named the 2008 music artist of the year by Billboard magazine, ended up turning himself in to Los Angeles police instead of attending the Staples Center gala, where he was nominated for two awards. He was booked Sunday night at LAPD's Wilshire Station on suspicion of making felony criminal threats. He was released on $50,000 bail. There was no public word on the whereabouts of R&B singer Rihanna, a three-time nominee herself.
