The 53rd Grammy Awards went down last night in L.A. But it seems Bieber-fever hasn’t spread to the critics…

Justin Bieber was left all dressed up with nothing to celebrate after Esperanza Spalding won the Best New Artist award. Spalding is a little known New York Jazz musician, the first jazz artist to win this award since it began in 1959. Drake also missed out on the award, but it’s likely he was resigned to lose to the Bieber. Wherever Kanye was, I assume he was tied to his seat.

It wasn’t just Bieber who felt robbed. Eminem was left disappointed after he won only two of the ten awards he was nominated for. Though expected to scoop the Best Album award for Recovery, it was Arcade Fire who took it home. Another surprise winner came in the form of country group, Lady Antebellum, who won five Grammys including Record of the Year for Need You Now beating strong contenders from Eminem, B.o.B, Cee Lo Green and Jay-Z and Alicia Keys.

It wasn’t all disappointment for Drake as he did get to grind up against Rihanna in their performance of What’s My Name? The redheaded songstress took home the award for Best Dance Recording for Only Girl (In The World). She also teamed up with Eminem and Dr Dre to perform Love The Way You Lie. Though he missed out on Best Album overall, Recovery was named Best Rap Album. Not Afraid was also awarded a Grammy for Best Rap Solo Performance.

The Grammy’s began with a performance honouring terminally ill music legend, Aretha Franklin. Jennifer Hudson, Florence Welch and Christina Aguilera were amongst the singers. Bruno Mars and Janelle Monae’s performance served as an example of why he deserved the Best Male Pop Vocal award he went home with for Just The Way You Are. Usher scooped two awards for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance for There Goes My Baby, plus Best Contemporary R&B Album for Raymond V Raymond. Reggae legend Buju Banton won the Best Reggae Album award for Before The Dawn, but was unable to collect his award due to his prison sentence. Sade was awarded Best R&B Performance by a duo or group for Soldier Of Love.

The big winners on the night were Jay Z, Lady Gaga and John Legend & The Roots who all took home several awards. Jay Z and Alicia Keys’ Empire State of Mind won Best Rap Song, while his collaboration with Swizz Beats earned Jay Best Rap Performance by a duo or group for On To The Next One. John Legend & The Roots took home awards in Best R&B Song, Best R&B Album and Best R&B Traditional Vocal Performance categories. Lady Gaga’s trophies were awarded for Best Pop Vocal Performance, Best Female Pop Vocal and Best Music Video.

As expected, Lady Gaga’s entrance was unusual. She managed to go a step further than the meat dress she wore to the MTV Video Music Awards by arriving in a giant egg. The egg was carried down the red carpet concealing the singer before it opened on stage during her performance of her new track, Born This Way. But it was Cee Lo and Gwyneth Paltrow who really treated the audience with an amusing performance of F*** You featuring a cast of Muppets.

Now the Grammys are over, we can’t wait for the Brits…

Text by Lily Mercer