Put a crown on it: Beyonce is queen of the Grammys

Put a crown on it. Beyoncé became the queen of the Grammys on Sunday, setting a record for most trophies won by a woman in one night -- six. But the Cinderella moment belonged to 2009's bestseller, Taylor Swift, who captured the album-of-the-year trophy for "Fearless."

"My dad and my little brother are losing their minds in our living room right now," said Swift, 20, who won three other awards. She dedicated the win to her parents. "This is a story we'll be telling when we're 80 years old, and we're telling the same story to our grandkids, and they're so annoyed with us. "

Music's biggest night -- as the Grammys likes to call itself -- was ladies night. That was the message from the get-go. In the first hour, we saw striking performances by Lady Gaga (a double winner), Beyoncé and Pink, a giddy acceptance speech from Swift and a dark turn by Fergie with the Black Eyed Peas.

Beyoncé was honored for song of the year -- the empowering anthem "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)" -- along with best female pop vocal performance ("Halo") plus four prizes in the R&B field.

"This has been such an amazing night," she said while accepting her final trophy. Before Sunday, Beyonce had captured seven Grammys in her solo career and three with her former group, Destiny's Child.

The year's only prominent lady of music missing Sunday was Susan Boyle, whose album came too late in 2009 to be eligible for the 52nd annual awards. She defied the Grammy youth movement, as TV comic Stephen Colbert commented near the start of the show: "Your industry was saved by a 48-year-old Scottish cat lady in sensible shoes."

Girls in the machine

There were no sensible shoes -- or performances -- by these young women. This wasn't about vocal talent. It was about who could out-spectacle whom.

Lady Gaga took us to her Fame Factory, with a green butterfly outfit that left her immobile amid a cast of hyper dancers and tons of factory machinery.

Beyoncé was more militaristic than majestic on her mashup of her "If I Were a Boy" and Alanis Morissette's "You Oughta Know" (which is part of her stage show).

Pink started quietly in a white hooded robe, singing the ballad "Glitter in the Air," and eventually disrobing and leaping into a huge white sheet and twirling above the crowd, Cirque du Soleil style, singing while water rained on her.

Not to be outdone by the other top nominees, Fergie and the Peas also went elaborate, with masks and futuristic Tin Men outfits for a medley of the dark, industrial "I'm a Be" and the bright, eternally optimistic "I Gotta Feeling."

Less complicated performances connected. Swift went low-key with her hit "Today Was a Fairytale" before Stevie Nicks joined her for "Rhiannon" -- a "fairy tale" moment, according to Swift, but one that was off-key. Then the vocally challenged Swift finished with a stripped-down reading of her Grammy-nominated "You Belong With Me."

Sugarland's Jennifer Nettles perfectly spiced up Bon Jovi's performance -- on the band's "Livin' on a Prayer" and on the hit duet "Who Says You Can't Go Home."

Sometimes, though, there were too many Grammy cooks in the kitchen. Pop-opera vocalist Andrea Bocelli and hip-hop soul diva Mary J. Blige sounded overbaked on "Bridge Over Troubled Water." Similarly, a string section and gospel choir overwhelmed the Dave Matthews Band's acoustic ballad "You and Me."

Guys' night, too

Despite the ladies' night theme, the record-of-the-year trophy went to a group of guys, Kings of Leon. The three brothers and a cousin triumphed with "Use Somebody," a passionate arena-rock plea for romance.

When lead singer Caleb Followill accepted the trophy, he blurted, "We're all a little drunk, but we're happy drunk."

The night's biggest surprise was the appearance of Michael Jackson's children after Celine Dion, Jennifer Hudson, Smokey Robinson and Usher sang Jackson's "Earth Song," backed by 3-D footage from the Jackson documentary "This Is It." After the song, two of the kids spoke, indicating Michael would have performed at this year Grammys. Said son Prince: "His message was simple -- love."

So on the night when Grammy wanted to crown a queen, the King of Pop had a final word.

Jon Bream • 612-673-1719