If the fact that eight artists each pulled in five Grammy nominations hinted at some sort of awards parity, Norah Jones and her debut album, Come Away With Me busted that theory. Jones was five-for-five, as she and her record took honors for Album of the Year, Record of the Year (for "Don't Know Why"), Best New Artist, Best Pop Vocal Album, and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance (also for "Don't Know Why"). Come Away With Me was honored a total of eight times, as it won Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical for S. Husky Hoskulds and Jay Newland; Producer of the Year, Non-Classical for Arif Mardin; and "Don't Know Why" earned the Song of the Year prize for writer Jesse Harris.

The evening belonged to Jones, but there were plenty of other multiple winners. Bruce Springsteen and The Rising were thought to be the evening's other front-runner. Though Springsteen fell short in the top categories, he was still a three-time winner for Rock Album of the Year for The Rising, and Best Rock Song and Best Male Rock Vocal Performance, both for that album's title track. The Dixie Chicks also took home three awards: Best Country Album (Home), Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocal ("Long Time Gone") and Best Country Instrumental Performance ("Lil' Jack Slade"). The album also earned a Best Recording Package award for art director Kevin Reagan. Perhaps the evening's most bizarre three-time winner was mysterious bluesman Charley Patton, who, dead for nearly seventy years, has truly been a long time gone. Revenant Records' lavish reissue of Patton's scarce recordings won for Best Boxed Recording Packaging, Best Album Notes and Best Historical Album.

After being waxed by Alicia Keys in numerous categories last year, India.Arie won for Best R&B Album (for Voyage to India) and Best Urban/Alternative Performance (for "Little Things"). Coldplay (Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocal for "In My Place" and Best Alternative Music Album A Rush of Blood to the Head) and Nelly (Best Male Rap Solo Performance for "Hot in Herre" and Best Rap/Sung Collaboration for "Dilemma" with Kelly Rowland) also each took home a pair of Grammys.

Much ado was made of the Grammys return to New York City after a five-year hiatus (a spat between Recording Academy honcho Michael Greene and then-New York City mayor Rudolph Guiliani had exiled the awards to Los Angeles). The program opened with a The Graduate reunion, as Dustin Hoffman introduced the frequently separated Simon and Garfunkel, who buried the hatchet for, not "Mrs. Robinson," but rather a "Sounds of Silence" that was heartwarming, if a bit rusty. Simon's somber song set the tone for an evening that was peppered with discontent about the possibility of military conflict in Iraq. Statements were subtle (Sheryl Crow sported a "No War" guitar strap and peace sign necklace), cathartic (Coldplay's energetic performance of "Politik") and boneheaded -- "I hope we're in agreeance that this war should go away as soon as possible," said presenter Fred Durst. Durst's gaffe was only the second worst flub of the night, as Hoffman, in his opening comments, referred to an upcoming performance by "Bruce Springstreet."

And while some performances fell flat -- a fusion of Nelly's "Hot in Herre" with his "Dilemma" collaboration with Kelly Rowland was about as smooth as whiplash -- several were emotional and on-target. Backed by the New York Philharmonic, Coldplay frontman Chris Martin played furiously on "Politik." And whether it was a premonition that he would come up short in the two top categories, Bruce Springsteen looked positively pissed off running through "The Rising." The results were exhilarating, as he ripped into the song with a sloppy garage-rock abandon unheard on the album. The Roots provided a perfect simmering background to Eminem's "Lose Yourself," leading the song to its concluding boil. And, in the type of collaboration that usually reads better on paper, Elvis Costello, Springsteen, Dave Grohl and Steven Van Zandt played "London Calling" straight and true as a tribute to the Clash and the late Joe Strummer.

The evening's other emotional moment came with Robin and Barry Gibb's acceptance of the Bee Gees Legend Award, following an 'N Sync-performed medley of some of the band's hits. "This is a little bit harder than Robin and I imagined it to be," Barry said, before introducing the family of late-Bee Gee brother Maurice Gibb. Maurice's son Adam took the stage to accept for his father.

But the show balanced the emotional with the amusing. For each tribute to those who had passed -- including lifetime achievement awards for Tito Puente and Alan Lomax -- there were lighter moments, like an anonymous stage-sharer claiming that "Rock would be nothing without B.B. King," during the Foo Fighters' acceptance for Best Hard Rock Performance (for "All My Life") or Rod Stewart asking Harvey Fierstein (in "Hairsparay" drag) "Could you hold the dog, Harvey?" before handing over an un-introduced pooch to open an envelope.

And then there was Norah Jones, who seemed genuinely surprised to have cleaned up, so much so that she added to the evening's list of flubs, unable to pull back a "shit," during her acceptance speech for Best New Artist.

Jones is a true Cindarella story -- a torch singer scoring five Grammys first time out. A different marketing turn, and she could have been duking it out for a single award, the Best Jazz Vocal Album that Diana Krall earned for Live in Paris. Jones' good fortune, which already includes a two-week stint at the top of the pop charts, should likely continue for the immediate future. But as an excited Robin Williams said upon putting his Grammy (for Best Spoken Comedy Album) to his ear, "Oh my God, listen . . . you can actually hear careers ending." After all, the last artist to sweep all the top categories was Christopher Cross in 1980.

The complete list of the 45th Annual Grammy Awards winners:

Record of the Year
"Don't Know Why," Norah Jones

Album of the Year
Come Away With Me, Norah Jones

Song of the Year
"Don't Know Why," Jesse Harris (performed by Norah Jones)

Best New Artist
Norah Jones

Best Female Pop Vocal Performance
"Don't Know Why," Norah Jones

Best Male Pop Vocal Performance
"Your Body Is a Wonderland," John Mayer

Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocal
"Hey Baby," No Doubt

Best Pop Collaboration With Vocals
"The Game of Love," Santana with Michelle Branch

Best Pop Instrumental Performance
"Auld Lang Syne," B.B. King

Best Pop Instrumental Album
Just Chillin', Norman Brown

Best Pop Vocal Album
Come Away With Me, Norah Jones

Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album
Playin' With My Friends: Bennett Sings the Blues, Tony Bennett

Best Female Rock Vocal Performance
"Steve McQueen," Sheryl Crow

Best Male Rock Vocal Performance
"The Rising," Bruce Springsteen

Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocal
"In My Place," Coldplay

Best Hard Rock Performance
"All My Life," Foo Fighters

Best Metal Performance
"Here to Stay," Korn

Best Rock Instrumental Performance
"Approaching Pavonis Mons By Baloon (Utopia Planitia)," Flaming Lips

Best Rock Song
"The Rising," Bruce Springsteen

Best Rock Album
The Rising, Bruce Springsteen

Best Alternative Music Album
A Rush of Blood to the Head, Coldplay

Best Female R&B Vocal Performance
"He Think I Don't Know," Mary J. Blige

Best Male R&B Vocal Performance
"U Don't Have to Call," Usher

Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocal
"Love's in Need of Love Today," Stevie Wonder with Take Six

Best R&B Song
"Love of My Life," Erykah Badu with Common

Best R&B Album
Voyage to India, India.Arie

Best Contemporary R&B Album
Ashanti, Ashanti

Best Traditional R&B Vocal Performance
"What's Going On," Chaka Khan and the Funk Brothers

Best Urban/Alternative Performance
"Little Things," India.Arie

Best Female Rap Solo Performance
"Scream a.k.a. Itchin'," Missy Elliott

Best Male Rap Solo Performance
"Hot in Herre," Nelly

Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group
"The Whole World," OutKast featuring Killer Mike

Best Rap/Sung Collaboration
"Dilemma," Nelly featuring Kelly Rowland

Best Rap Album
The Eminem Show, Eminem

Best Male Country Vocal Performance
"Give My Love to Rose," Johnny Cash

Best Female Country Vocal Performance
"Cry," Faith Hill

Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocal
"Long Time Gone," Dixie Chicks

Best Country Collaboration With Vocals
"Mendocino County Line," Willie Nelson with Lee Ann Womack

Best Country Instrumental Performance
"Lil' Jack Slade," Dixie Chicks

Best Country Song
"Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning," Alan Jackson

Best Country Album
Home, Dixie Chicks

Best New Age Album
Acoustic Garden, Eric Tingstad and Nancy Rumbel

Best Contemporary Jazz Album
Speaking of Now, Pat Metheny Group

Best Jazz Vocal Album
Live in Paris, Diana Krall

Best Jazz Instrumental Solo
"My Ship," Herbie Hancock

Best Jazz Instrumental Album, Individual or Group
Directions in Music, Herbie Hancock, Michael Brecker and Roy Hargrove

Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album
What Goes Around, Dave Holland Big Band

Best Latin Jazz Album
The Gathering, Caribbean Jazz Project

Best Rock Gospel Album
Come Together, Third Day

Best Pop/Contemporary Gospel Album
The Eleventh Hour, Jars of Clay

Best Southern, Country or Bluegrass Gospel Album
We Called Him Mr. Gospel Music: The James Blackwood Tribute Album, The Jordanaires, Larry Ford and the Light Crust Doughboys

Best Traditional Soul Gospel Album
Higher Ground, The Blind Boys of Alabama

Best Contemporary Soul Gospel Album
Sidebars, Eartha

Best Gospel Choir or Chorus Album
Be Glad, The Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir, Carol Cymbala director

Best Latin Pop Album
Carakyba, Bacilos

Best Latin Rock/Alternative Album
Revolucion de Amor, Mana

Best Traditional Tropical Latin Album
El Arte del Sabor, Bebo Valdes Trio with Isreal Lopez and Carlos Valdes

Best Salsa Album
La Negra Tiene Tumbao, Celia Cruz

Best Merengue Album
Latino, Grupo Mania

Best Mexican/Mexican-American Album
Lo Dijo el Corazon, Joan Sebastian

Best Tejano Album
Acuerdate, Emilion Navaira

Best Traditional Blues Album
A Christmas Celebration of Hope, B.B. King

Best Contemporary Blues Album
Don't Give Up on Me, Solomon Burke

Best Traditional Folk Album
Legacy, Doc Watson and David Holt

Best Contemporary Folk Album
This Side, Nickel Creek

Best Native American Music Album
Beneath the Raven Moon, Mary Youngblood

Best Reggae Album
Jamaican E.T., Lee "Scratch" Perry

Best World Music Album
Mundo, Ruben Blades

Best Polka Album
Top of the World, Jimmy Sturr

Best Musical Album for Children
Monsters, Inc.: Scream Factory Favorites, Riders in the Sky

Best Spoken Word Album for Children
There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly, Tom Chapin

Best Spoken Word Album
A Song Flew Up to Heaven, Maya Angelou

Best Spoken Comedy Album
Robin Williams: Live 2002, Robin Williams

Best Musical Show Album
Hairspray, Original cast recording

Best Compilation Soundtrack Album For a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media
Standing in the Shadows of Motown, the Funk Brothers and Various Artists

Best Score Soundtrack Album For a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media
Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, Howard Shore

Shore, composer

Best Song Written For a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media
"If I Didn't Have You," from Monsters, Inc., Randy Newman

Best Instrumental Composition
"Six Feet Under Title Theme, Thomas Newman, composer

Best Instrumental Arrangement
"Six Feet Under Title Theme, Thomas Newman, composer

Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocalists
"Mean Old Man," Dave Grusin, arranger (James Taylor)

Best Recording Packaging
Home, Kevin Reagan, art director (Dixie Chicks)

Best Boxed Recording Packaging
Screamin' and Hollerin' the Blues: The Worlds of Charley Patton, Susan Archie, art director

Best Album Notes
Screamin' and Hollerin' the Blues: The Worlds of Charley Patton, David Evans, album notes writer

Best Historical Album
Screamin' and Hollerin' the Blues: The Worlds of Charley Patton, Dean Blackwood, compilation producer

Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical
Come Away With Me, S. Husky Hoskulds and Jay Newland, engineers (Norah Jones, Come Away With Me)

Producer of the Year, Non-Classical
Arif Mardin (Come Away With Me, Norah Jones)

Best Short Form Music Video
"Without Me," Eminem, Joseph Kahn director

Best Long Form Music Video
"Westway to the World," the Clash, Don Letts, director

Best Remixed Recording, Non-Classical
"Hella Good," Roger Sanchez, remixer (No Doubt)

Best Engineered Album, Classical
Vaughan Williams: A Sea Symphony (Symphony No. 1), Michael Bishop, engineer

Producer of Year, Classical
Robert Woods

Best Classical Album
Vaughan Williams: A Sea Symphony (Symphony No. 1), Thomas C. Moore, producer

Best Orchestral Performance
Mahler: Symphony No. 6, Michael Tilson Thomas, conductor

Best Opera Recording
Wagner: Tannhauser, Christopher Classen, producer

Best Choral Performance
Vaughan Williams: A Sea Symphony (Symphony No. 1), Robert Spano, conductor

Best Instrumental Soloist Performance (With Orchestra)
Brahms/Stravinsky: Violin Concertos, Sir Neville Marriner, conductor

Best Instrumental Soloist Performance (Without Orchestra)
Chopin: Etudes, Op. 10 and Op. 25, Murray Perahia, piano

Best Chamber Music Performance
Beethoven: String Quartets ("Razumovsky" Op. 59, 1-3; "Harp" Op. 74), Takacs Quartet

Best Small Ensemble Performance (With or Without Conductor)
Tavener: Lamentations and Praises, Joseph Jennings, conductor

Best Classical Vocal Performance
Bel Canto, Renee Fleming, soprano

Best Classical Contemporary Composision
Tavener: Lamentations and Praises, Sir John Tavener

Best Classical Crossover Album
Previn Conducts Korngold (Sea Hawk; Captain Blood, Etc., Andre Previn, conductor

ANDREW DANSBY
(February 24, 2003)