LOS ANGELES — Beyoncé and Taylor Swift ruled the show Sunday night at the 52nd annual Grammy Awards, with each star earning a place in music history.
Beyoncé racked up six victories, earning her the distinction of most Grammys won by a female artist in a single night. But it was Swift who captured the evening's top prize, album of the year, making her the youngest artist in history to claim the coveted trophy.
"I just hope that you know how much this means to me ... that we get to take this back to Nashville," said the 20-year-old Swift as she accepted the honor for her sophomore release Fearless. "Oh my God, our families are freaking out in their living rooms. My dad and my little brother are losing their minds in the living room right now."
Swift, who won four times, broke a record held since 1996 by Alanis Morissette, who was 21 when she won for Jagged Little Pill.
Beyoncé's husband, Jay-Z, snatched three trophies of his own, raising his career total to 10. Kings of Leon also won three times, including record of the year.
"I'm not going to lie, we're all a little drunk," said the band's lead singer Caleb Followill. "But we're happy drunks."
Best new artist honors went to country music's Zac Brown Band, who became the first group to win the award since 2005.
Performances dominated the nearly three-and-a-half hour ceremony, held at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. Elton John and Lady Gaga kicked off the show with a dueling piano number. Other artists who took the stage included Pink, who performed "Glitter in the Air" while dangling from the ceiling on swaths of silk fabric.
Celine Dion, Jennifer Hudson, Carrie Underwood, Usher and Smokey Robinson also shared the stage during a tribute to Michael Jackson that featured 3-D footage to the tune of the King of Pop's "Earth Song."
View photos: Grammy Awards 2010 Red Carpet
View winners: Grammy Winners 2010 List
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