Beyonce breaks record with 6 Grammys

Beyonce is the record-breaking queen of the Grammys.

The rhythm & blues singer won a total of six awards — the most by a female artist in one night — during the 52nd annual Grammy Awards ceremony held in Los Angeles' Staples Center Sunday night.

Her wins included Song of the Year, Best Female R&B Vocal Performance and Best R&B Song for her hit "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)"; Best Traditional R&B Vocal Performance for her song "At Last," from the soundtrack for "Cadillac Records"; Best Contemporary R&B Album for "I Am … Sasha Fierce"; and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance for the single "Halo."

On a local note, "Ravel: L'Enfant et les Sortileges," which featured University of Utah music professor and mezzo-soprano Kirsten Gunlogson and the Nashville Symphony (Opera), conducted by Alastair Willis, lost its bid for the Best Classical Album award earlier in the day.

The award went to "Mahler: Symphony No. 8; Adagio from Symphony No. 10" recorded by conductor Michael Tilson Thomas, the San Francisco Symphony, the Pacific Boychoir and the San Francisco Girls Chorus & San Francisco Symphony Chorus.

The Kings of Leon took the Record of the Year award for its ballad "Use Somebody," and the Album of the Year was given to Taylor Swift for her megahit "Fearless."

"I hope you know how much this means to me," Swift said during her acceptance speech. "Our families are freaking out in our living rooms right now. This is the story we're going to be telling over and over again."

"Fearless" also garnered enough votes to take the Best Country Album award.

Swift, who turned 20 last month, also won Best Female Country Vocal and Best Country Song for her hit "White Horse."

The Zac Brown Band was named Best New Artist, beating out Keri Hilson, MGMT, the Ting Tings and the Silversun Pickups.

Lady Gaga opened the night with the flashy pop pomp of "Poker Face." She then launched into her single "Speechless" and mixed in a bit of Sir Elton John's "Your Song," which incidentally featured John on the piano.

Green Day and the Broadway cast of "American Idiot," based on the Green Day album of the same name, sang the emotional "21 Guns," and a tribute to opera turned itself upside down when Jamie Foxx, T-Pain and guitarist Slash emerged and cranked out "Blame It (on the Alcohol)."

Later, music veteran Leon Russell joined the Zac Brown Band for a medley that included the band's breakthrough hit "Chicken Fried," "America the Beautiful" and Russell's "Dixie Lullaby."