Diversity's the Word at the 2011 Grammy Awards

It was all about the music and upsets tonight at the 53rd Grammy Awards in Los Angeles. The Staples Center rocked all night with a variety of performances for all types of music lovers.

The show opened with five sisters doing it for themselves: Martina McBride, Christina Aguilera, Florence Welch, Jennifer Hudson, and Yolanda Adams who sang a medley of Aretha Franklin hits. Franklin was hospitalized last year and therefore canceled a number of concerts. This tribute couldn't go to someone more deserving: Franklin has won a total of 18 Grammy Awards throughout her career.

The most unique songstress of this era, Miss Lady Gaga, made her way into the Grammy's via a large plastic egg. Gaga performed her new single, "Born This Way", with creepy plastic pointy shoulder implants (must be acknowledged), while channeling Madonna. It was a great performance, but with weeks of hype via social networking sites over this new single, I was expecting more.
Bruno Mars, B.O.B and Janelle Monae turned back the clock to the sixties with a fresh and funky performance. Janelle Monae is one hot tamale who isn't afraid to play with the big boys. I predict a successful career that I very much look forward to.

Awarded with Best Rock Album for "The Resistance", English alt-rockers Muse gave a solid performance of their smash hit "Uprising". Many large TV screens showed a crazy display of pyrotechnics that only added to the group's intensity. If some audience members hadn't already familiarized themselves with this band, I can only imagine they will after this evening's show.

For the folk crowd, Mumford & Sons and the Avett Brothers performed on that Grammy stage like it was nobody's business. These boys played banjos, guitars, accordions - you name it, and what fun it was to watch. Bob Dylan later joined in, but truthfully, the performance was better without him.

Cee Lo (channeling Sir Elton John), Gwyneth Paltrow (in the hottest black jumpsuit) and the Muppets - yes, I said the Muppets - brightened up the Grammy stage with the hit song, "Forget You", that the whole family could enjoy. Although I was skeptical before Paltrow's debut on the super hit show, Glee - to which this performance first took place - I must admit, she can sing, so good for her. She can now make more money.

A good comeback is always nice to see, and Eminem, winner of this year's Grammy for Best Rap Album for "Recovery", returned with a vengeance by giving a solid performance with both Rihanna and Dr. Dre (who, unfortunately, we also haven't seen for a while).

The Best New Artist Grammy had Twitter buzzing with questions like, "Esperanza who?" However, Esperanza Spalding did truly unexpectedly win over the ever-so-popular Justin Bieber, Drake, and Florence and the Machine, to name a few.

As the show slowly came to a close, performances by the most wildly-in-shape 67-year-old Rolling Stone, Mr. Mick Jagger, as well as legend Barbara Streisand, both performed. However, inquiring minds want to know: why schedule the two performers with the oldest target audiences at the end of the award show? Their target crowds likely turned their televisions off an hour prior to both their performances.

And last but surely not least, Montreal-based indie rockers, Arcade Fire, took home the final award of the night, the coveted Album of the Year for "The Suburbs". A surprise to many as their competitors included the likes of Eminem, Lady Gaga and Katy Perry.

Congratulations to all of this year's winners at the 53rd Grammy Awards. For the full list of nominees and winners, visit Grammy.com