Amy Winehouse and her mother are seen on big screen live from London
© AFP Robyn Beck

LOS ANGELES (AFP) - Winehouse, who performed via satellite from London, picked up awards for record and song of the year, best new artist, best female pop vocalist and best pop vocal album for her single "Rehab" and the album "Back to Black."

But it was Jazz pianist Herbie Hancock who won the coveted Album of the Year prize for his album "River: The Joni Letters."

"It's been 43 years since the first and only time that a jazz artist got the album of the year award," Hancock said after beating the Foo Fighters, Vince Gill, Kanye West and Winehouse to the top award of the night.

"I'd like to thank the academy for courageously breaking the mold this time and in doing so honor the giants upon whose shoulders I stand, some of whom like Miles Davis, John Coltrane unquestionably deserved this award," he said.

Winner for Best Rap Album Kanye West accepts the trophy
© AFP Robyn Beck

"This is a new day that proves that the impossible can be made possible. 'Yes we can,' to coin a phrase," Hancock said, to loud applause, borrowing the campaign chant from Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama.

Accepting her award for best record, a stunned-looking Winehouse thanked her husband Blake Fielder-Civil, currently awaiting trial, dedicating the award to "my Blake, my incarcerated Blake, and for London, this is for London."

Winehouse, who was admitted to a drug rehabilitation clinic in Britain last month, was initially refused a US visa to travel to Los Angeles to perform at the show, and was only given the green light by US authorities on Friday.

By that point it was too late for the 24-year-old singer to make the trip to California, her publicist said.

Winner for Best Instrumental Performance Brad Paisley performs
© AFP Robyn Beck

The singer-songwriter has rarely been out of the tabloid headlines in recent months following a reported drug overdose, a string of canceled concerts and turbulent private life.

Her hit "Rehab" -- with its lyrics "They tried to make me go to rehab, I said, no, no, no" -- has become a signature tune for her very public battle with her demons.

Rapper Kanye West, who led nominations going into the evening with eight nods meanwhile picked up awards for best rap solo performance, group performance, best rap song and album for his "Graduation."

"Mama, all I'm going to do is keep making you proud," West said, accepting the best rap album award in tribute to his mother Donda, who died suddenly last year after undergoing plastic surgery.

Among artists performing at the ceremony were rock queen Tina Turner and Beyonce, who performed a duet, blues-rock guitarist John Mayer, Kanye West, Foo Fighters and blind opera singer Andrea Bocelli.

Jay-Z watches Rihanna accept the trophy for Best Rap /Sung Collaboration with Jay-Z
© AFP Robyn Beck

Other icons of the music industry including Tony Bennett, Cher, Prince, Stevie Wonder, Quincy Jones and Ringo Starr were on hand to present awards.

"As many of you know, I first started singing when Lincoln was president," 61-year-old Cher joked.

Elsewhere, veteran rocker Bruce Springsteen, who was ignored in the top categories, picked up awards for best solo rock vocal performance, best rock instrumental performance and best rock song for his "Radio Nowhere."

Former Beatle Paul McCartney was also among the nominees, but lost out in the best male pop vocal performance to Justin Timberlake and to Winehouse for best pop vocal album.

Canadian rock group The Band, known for their 1960s albums "Music from Big Pink" and "The Band," were awarded a lifetime achievement award.

Beyonce arrives with her sister Solange at the 50th Grammy Awards
© AFP Gabriel Bouys

In one of the lesser known categories, Obama beat former US presidents Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter to the award for best spoken word album for the audio version of his book "The Audacity of Hope."

It was Obama's second Grammy, having won the same spoken word award in 2005 for his book "Dreams From My Father."

There had been fears ahead of the ceremony that a three-month long writers' strike could scupper the show, but the union of US television screenwriters said this week it would allow members to work on the ceremony.

The Golden Globes ceremony was canceled last month after actors refused to cross picket lines set up by the Writers Guild of America. The guild has since announced a tentative agreement to end its three-month-old strike.

©AFP