GRAMMY AWARDS - RAY CHARLES TRIUMPHS AT THE GRAMMYS

The 47th GRAMMY AWARDS were renamed 'The Ray's' in Los Angeles last night (13FEB05) when late, great soul man RAY CHARLES was honoured with eight prizes.

The blind superstar, who died last summer (04), won all of his posthumous awards for his final studio album of duets, GENIUS LOVES COMPANY.

The hit CD claimed the Album of The Year award, while his collaboration with NORAH JONES on HERE WE GO AGAIN earned him both Record of The Year and the honour of Best Pop Collaboration With Vocals, and another duet with GLADYS KNIGHT claimed the night's Best Gospel Performance.

Charles' rendition of OVER THE RAINBOW with JOHNNY MATHIS, which was played at his memorial service, picked up the night's Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocals honour.

The Genius Loves Company project also claimed the Best Engineered Album, Best Pop Vocal Album and Best Surround Sound Album awards.

It was a night of fitting tributes to Charles too - JAMIE FOXX and ALICIA KEYS teamed up for a stirring version of GEORGIA ON MY MIND and BONNIE RAITT also remembered her friend during a somber 'those we have lost' montage.

Genius Loves Company producer PHIL RAMONE summed up the night's success, stating, "He's just made his career about another 50 years longer."

Elsewhere, it was another good Grammy Awards for ALICIA KEYS, who picked up four honours including Best R+B Song (YOU DON'T KNOW MY NAME), Best R+B Album (THE DIARY OF ALICIA KEYS) and Best R+B Duet for her MY BOO collaboration with USHER, who was a three-time winner on the night.

Rockers U2 were also triple winners for their hit VERTIGO, which was crowned Best Rock Song, Best Video and Best Rock Performance, and, in the classical world, the BROOKLYN YOUTH CHORUS + NEW YORK CHORAL ARTISTS' hit album ADAMS: ON THE TRANSMIGRATION OF SOULS also claimed three awards.

Rap sensation KANYE WEST was the night's biggest disappointment - he fell well short of the 10 prizes he was nominated for and came away with just two, for Best Rap Album (THE COLLEGE DROPOUT) and Best Rap Song (JESUS WALKS).

The full list of Grammy Awards 2005 winners is:

Album Of The Year - GENIUS LOVES COMPANY by RAY CHARLES + VARIOUS ARTISTS

Record of The Year - HERE WE GO AGAIN by RAY CHARLES + NORAH JONES

Song Of The Year - DAUGHTERS by JOHN MAYER

Best Female Pop Vocal Performance - SUNRISE by NORAH JONES

Best Male Pop Vocal Performance - DAUGHTERS by JOHN MAYER

Best Pop Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal - HEAVEN by LOS LONELY BOYS

Best Pop Collaboration With Vocals - HERE WE GO AGAIN by RAY CHARLES + NORAH JONES

Best Pop Instrumental Performance - 11TH COMMANDMENT by BEN HARPER

Best Pop Instrumental Album - HENRY MANCINI: PINK GUITAR by VARIOUS ARTISTS

Best Pop Vocal Album - GENIUS LOVES COMPANY by RAY CHARLES + VARIOUS ARTISTS

Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album - STARDUST... THE GREAT AMERICAN SONGBOOK VOLUME III by ROD STEWART

Best Dance Recording - TOXIC by BRITNEY SPEARS

Best Electronic/Dance Album - KISH KASH by BASEMENT JAXX

Best Alternative Music Album - A GHOST IS BORN by WILCO

Best New Age Album - RETURNING by WILL ACKERMAN

Best New Artist - MAROON 5

Best Solo Rock Vocal Performance - CODE OF SILENCE by BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN

Best Hard Rock Performance - SLITHER by VELVET REVOLVER

Best Metal Performance - WHIPLASH by MOTORHEAD

Best Rock Instrumental Performance - MRS O. LEARY'S COW by BRIAN WILSON

Best Rock Song - VERTIGO by U2

Best Rock Album - AMERICAN IDIOT by GREEN DAY

Best Rock Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal - VERTIGO by U2

Best Female R+B Vocal Performance - IF I AIN'T GOT YOU by ALICIA KEYS

Best Male R+B Vocal Performance - CALL MY NAME by PRINCE

Best R+B Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals - MY BOO by ALICIA KEYS + USHER

Best Traditional R+B Vocal Performance - MUSICOLOGY by PRINCE

Best Urban/Alternative Performance - CROSS MY MIND by JILL SCOTT

Best R+B Song - YOU DON'T KNOW MY NAME by ALICIA KEYS

Lifetime Achievement Award - LED ZEPPELIN

Best Contemporary R+B Album - CONFESSIONS by USHER

Best R+B Album - THE DIARY OF ALICIA KEYS by ALICIA KEYS

Best Rap Solo Performance - 99 PROBLEMS by JAY-Z

Best Rap Performance By A Duo Or Group - LET'S GET IT STARTED by BLACK EYED PEAS

Best Rap/Sung Collaboration - YEAH! by USHER FEATURING LUDACRIS LIL JON

Best Rap Song - JESUS WALKS by KANYE WEST

Best Rap Album - THE COLLEGE DROPOUT by KANYE WEST

Best Male Country Vocal Performance - LIVE LIKE YOU WERE DYING by TIM McGRAW

Best Female Country Vocal Performance - REDNECK WOMAN by GRETCHEN WILSON

Best Country Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal - TOP OF THE WORLD by DIXIE CHICKS

Best Country Collaboration With Vocals - PORTLAND OREGON by LORETTA LYNN + JACK WHITE

Best Country Instrumental Performance - EARL'S BREAKDOWN by NITTY GRITTY DIRT BAND FEATURING EARL SCRUGGS, RANDY SCRUGGS, VASSAR CLEMENTS + JERRY DOUGLAS

Best Country Song - LIVE LIKE YOU WERE DYING by TIM McGRAW

Best Bluegrass Album - BRAND NEW STRINGS by RICKY SKAGGS + KENTUCKY THUNDER

Best Country Album - VAN LEAR ROSE by LORETTA LYNN

Best Contemporary Jazz Album - UNSPEAKABLE by BILL FRISELL

Best Jazz Vocal Album - R.S.V.P. by NANCY WILSON

Best Jazz Instrumental Solo - SPEAK LIKE A CHILD by HERBIE HANCOCK

Best Jazz Instrumental Album, Individual or Group - ILLUMINATIONS by McCOY TYNER WITH GARY BARTZ, TERENCE BLANCHARD, CHRISTIAN McBRIDE + LEWIS NASH

Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album - CONCERT IN THE GARDEN by MARIA SCHNEIDER ORCHESTRA

Best Latin Jazz Album - LAND OF THE SUN by CHARLIE HADEN

Best Gospel Performance - HEAVEN HELP US ALL by RAY CHARLES + GLADYS KNIGHT

Best Rock Gospel Album - WIRE by THIRD DAY

Best Pop/Contemporary Gospel Album - ALL THINGS NEW by STEVEN CURTIS CHAPMAN

Best Southern, Country, or Bluegrass Gospel Album - WORSHIP + FAITH by RANDY TRAVIS

Best Traditional Soul Gospel Album - THERE WILL BE A LIGHT by BEN HARPER + THE BLIND BOYS OF ALABAMA

Best Contemporary Soul Gospel Album - NOTHING WITHOUT YOU by SMOKIE NORFUL

Best Gospel Choir Or Chorus Album - LIVE... THIS IS YOUR HOUSE by THE BROOKLYN TABERNACLE CHOIR

Best Latin Pop Album - AMAR SIN MENTIRAS by MARC ANTHONY

Best Latin Rock/Alternative Album - STREET SIGNS by OZOMATLI

Best Traditional Tropical Latin Album - AHORA SI by ISRAEL LOPEZ "CACHAO"

Best Salsa/Merengue Album - ACROSS 110TH STREET by SPANISH HARLEM ORCHESTRA FEATURING RUBEN BLADES

Best Mexican/Mexican-American Album - INTIMAMENTE by INTOCABLE

Best Tejano Album - POLKAS, GRITOS Y ACORDEONES by DAVID LEE GARZA, JOEL GUZMAN + SUNNY SAUCEDA

Best Traditional Blues Album - BLUES TO THE BONE by ETTA JAMES

Best Contemporary Blues Album - KEEP IT SIMPLE by KEB' MO'

Best Traditional Folk Album - BEAUTIFUL DREAMER: THE SONGS OF STEPHEN FOSTER by VARIOUS ARTISTS

Best Contemporary Folk Album - THE REVOLUTION STARTS...NOW by STEVE EARLE

Best Native American Music Album - CEDAR DREAM SONGS by BILL MILLER

Best Hawaiian Music Album - SLACK KEY GUITAR VOLUME 2 by CHARLES MICHAEL BROTMAN

Best Reggae Album - TRUE LOVE by TOOTS + THE MAYTALS

Best Traditional World Music Album - RAISE YOUR SPIRIT HIGHER by LADYSMITH BLACK MAMBAZO

Best Contemporary World Music Album - EGYPT by YOUSSOU N'DOUR

Best Polka Album - LET'S KISS: 25TH ANNIVERSARY ALBUM by BRAVE COMBO

Best Musical Album For Children - CELLABRATION! A TRIBUTE TO ELLA JENKINS by VARIOUS ARTISTS

Best Spoken Word Album For Children - THE TRAIN THEY CALL THE CITY OF NEW ORLEANS by TOM CHAPIN

Best Spoken Word Album - MY LIFE by BILL CLINTON

Best Comedy Album - THE DAILY SHOW WITH JON STEWART PRESENTS...AMERICA: A CITIZEN'S GUIDE TO DEMOCRACY IN ACTION by JON STEWART + THE CAST OF THE DAILY SHOW

Best Musical/Show Album - WICKED by STEPHEN SCHWARTS

Best Compilation Soundtrack Album For A Motion Picture, Television Or Other Visual Media - GARDEN STATE by VARIOUS ARTISTS

Best Score Soundtrack Album For A Motion Picture, Television Or Other Visual Media - THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RETURN OF THE KING by HOWARD SHORE

Best Song Written For A Motion Picture, Television Or Other Visual Media - INTO THE WEST (FROM LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RETURN OF THE KING) by ANNIE LENNOX, HOWARD SHORE + FRAN WALSH

Best Recording Package - A GHOST IS BORN by WILCO

Best Boxed Or Special Limited Edition Package - ONCE IN A LIFETIME by STEFAN SAGMEISTER + TALKING HEADS

Best Album Notes - THE COMPLETE COLUMBIA RECORDINGS OF WOODY HERMAN + HIS ORCHESTRA (1945-1947) BY LOREN SCHOENBERG

Best Historical Album - NIGHT TRAIN TO NASHVILLE: MUSIC CITY RHYTHM + BLUES 1945-1970 by DANIEL COOPER + MICHAEL GRAY

Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical - GENIUS LOVES COMPANY - by RAY CHARLES + VARIOUS ARTISTS/ROBERT FERNANDEZ, JOHN HARRIS, TERRY HOWARD, PETE KARAM, JOEL MOSS...

Producer Of The Year, Non-Classical - JOHN SHANKS

Best Remixed Recording, Non-Classical - IT'S MY LIFE (JACQUES LE CONT'S THIN WHITE DUKE MIX by NO DOUBT/JACQUES LE CONT

Best Surround Sound Album - GENIUS LOVES COMPANY by RAY CHARLES + VARIOUS ARTISTS/AL SCHMITT

Best Engineered Album, Classical - HIGDON: CITY SCAPE; CONCERTO FOR ORCHESTRA by JACK RENNER/ROBERT SPANO

Producer Of The Year, Classical - DAVID FROST

Best Classical Album - ADAMS: ON THE TRANSMIGRATION OF SOULS by BROOKLYN YOUTH CHORUS + NEW YORK CHORAL ARTISTS

Best Instrumental Composition - MERENGUE by PAQUITO D'RIVERA/YOYO MA

Best Instrumental Arrangement - PAST PRESENT + FUTURE by SLIDE HAMPTON/THE VANGUARD JAZZ ORCHESTRA

Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocals - OVER THE RAINBOW by VICTOR VANACORE/RAY CHARLES + JOHNNY MATHIS

Best Orchestral Performance - ADAMS: ON THE TRANSMIGRATION OF SOULS by BROOKLYN YOUTH CHORUS + NEW YORK CHORAL ARTISTS

Best Opera Recording - MOZART: LE NOZZE DI FIGARO by VARIOUS ARTISTS

Best Choral Performance - BERLIOZ: REQUIEM by ATLANTA SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA + ATLANTA SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA CHORUS

Best Instrumental Soloist(s) Performance (with Orchestra) - PREVIN: VIOLIN CONCERTO "ANNE-SOPHIE"/BERNSTEIN by ANDRE PREVIN + ANNE-SOPHIE MUTTER + BOSTON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA + LONDON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

Best Instrumental Soloist Performance (without Orchestra) - AIRE LATINO by DAVID RUSSELL

Best Chamber Music Performance - PROKOFIEV: CINDERELLA - SUITE FOR TWO PIANOS/RAVEL: MA MERE L'OYE by MARTHA ARGERICH + MIKHAIL PLETNEV

Best Small Ensemble Performance (with or without Conductor) - CARLOS CHAVEZ: COMPLETE CHAMBER MUSIC, VOL 2 by SOUTHWEST CHAMBER MUSIC

Best Classical Vocal Performance - IVES: SONGS by SUSAN GRAHAM

Best Classical Contemporary Composition - ADAMS: ON THE TRANSMIGRATION OF SOULS by BROOKLYN YOUTH CHORUS + NEW YORK CHORAL ARTISTS

Best Classical Crossover Album - LAGQ'S GUITAR HEROES by LOS ANGELES GUITAR QUARTET

Best Short Form Music Video - VERTIGO by U2

Best Long Form Music Video - CONCERT FOR GEORGE by VARIOUS ARTISTS

Lifetime Achievement Award - POPS STAPLES

Lifetime Achievement Award - ART BLAKEY

Lifetime Achievement Award - JERRY LEE LEWIS

Lifetime Achievement Award - MORTON GOULD

Lifetime Achievement Award - PINETOP PERKINS

Lifetime Achievement Award - JANIS JOPLIN

Lifetime Achievement Award - EDDIE ARNOLD

Lifetime Achievement Award - THE CARTER FAMILY

Lifetime Achievement Award - JELLY ROLL MORTON

President's Merit Industry Icon Award - AHMET ERTEGUN

Trustees Award - HOAGY CARMICHAEL

Trustees Award - ALFRED LION/BLUE NOTE

Trustees Award - DR BILLY TAYLOR

Trustees Award - DON CORNELIUS/SOUL TRAIN

MusiCares Person of The Year - BRIAN WILSON.

14/02/2005 09:20