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Award shows are known for tear- jerking moments, fashion do's and don'ts and unplanned outbursts. The 52nd Grammy Award broadcast boasted some of the best performances and nominees in history.

Beyoncé won a record-breaking six Grammys in one night. She had previously set the record by winning five Grammys in 2004. This year her song "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)" won Song of the Year, Best Female R&B Vocal Performance and Best R&B Song. She also received "Best Contemporary R&B album for "I Am... Sasha Fierce" and Best Traditional R&B Vocal Performance for "At Last". When "Halo" won Best Female Pop Vocal Performance, she thanked her husband Jay-Z during her acceptance speech, a rare occurrence due to their closemouthed private life. Beyoncé also performed a mash-up of her song "If I Were a Boy" and Alanis Morissette's "You Oughta Know".

Taylor Swift won Best Country Song, Best Female Country Vocal Performance for "White Horse", Best Country Album and Album of the Year for "Fearless", the latter being the biggest award of the night. She also performed "Love Was a Fairy Tale" by herself and "You Belong With Me" and "Rhiannon" with Stevie Nicks.

The Black Eyed Peas received three awards out of six nominations, including Best Pop Vocal Album for "The E.N.D.", Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group for "I Gotta Feeling" and Best Short Form Music Video for "Boom Boom Pow". The group performed "I Gotta Feeling" and "Imma Be."

Lady Gaga won Best Dance Recording for "Poker Face" and Best Electronic/Dance Album for "The Fame". Gaga also performed "Poker Face" by herself in a brilliantly choreographed opening act, as well as "Speechless" and "Your Song" with Elton John on their own pianos. Her outfit, much like every outfit she has fashioned since her emergence as a pop star, was uniquely designed and worthy of anything labeled "Gaga".

Lady Antebellum won Best Country Performance by Duo or Group with Vocals for "I Run to You" and performed their latest hit "Need You Now".

Other artists, such as Rihanna, Colbie Caillat, Jason Mraz, Eminem, Kanye West and Maxwell, won two awards. Pink, who performed "Glitter in the Air" in a unique, aquatic fashion, did not take home any awards. Zac Brown Band, who won Best New Artist, performed "America the Beautiful" by themselves, and "Dixie Lullaby" and "Chicken Fried" with Leon Russell. Carrie Underwood won her fifth Grammy for her collaboration with Randy Travis on Travis' "I Told You So".

David Foster, Andrea Bocelli and Mary J. Blige performed "Bridge Over Troubled Water" for Haitian relief. A 3-D cover of "Earth Song" and tribute to Michael Jackson was also performed by Carrie Underwood, Celine Deon, Smokey Robinson, Usher and Jennifer Hudson.