In pictures: Grammy Awards 2009

Irish rockers U2 - the winners of a whopping 22 Grammys over the years - opened the 2009 ceremony with their new single Get On Your Boots, taken from forthcoming album No Line on the Horizon.

Robert Plant admitted he was "bewildered" to have won five Grammys for his work with bluegrass star Alison Krauss. They included one presented by teen star Miley Cyrus (far left).

Coldplay joined Plant in flying the flag for the British talent - and in collaborating with US stars, as Chris Martin teamed up with rapper Jay-Z on stage for Lost+.

Sir Paul McCartney continued the theme of transatlantic collaborations when he was joined by the Foo Fighters' Dave Grohl on drums for Beatles favourite I Saw Her Standing There.

Sir Paul later shared some of his trademark scouse wit with Coldplay, winners of three Grammys this year. On stage, the band apologised for "stealing" the Beatles' Sergeant Pepper costumes.

Other generation-spanning performances on the night included one by Stevie Wonder and teen band the Jonas Brothers.

The BBC's Sound of 2008 winner Adele - watched by Kanye West and fellow British star Estelle - kept her success going into 2009, taking two Grammys.

Welsh singer Duffy, pictured with soul legend Al Green, also capped an incredible start to her career by taking the pop vocal album prize.

R&B star Rihanna had to pull out of the Grammys at short notice. Soul legend Al Green teamed up with Justin Timberlake to fill the gap in the schedule.

An emotional Jennifer Hudson, back on stage after the murders of her mother, brother and nephew in 2008, won best R&B album and performed You Pulled Me Through.

British star MIA was due to give birth on Sunday - but it did not stop her from performing her breakthrough hit Paper Planes - and Jay-Z's start-studded remix, Swagga Like Us.

Radiohead's In Rainbows album picked up two awards at the Los Angeles ceremony. The band also played album track 15 Step with the University of Southern California's Marching Band.