Music's Biggest Night: Keys to Success

By Stephen M. Silverman

02/28/2002 at 01:30 PM EST

Alicia Keys tied Lauryn Hill's 1999 record-breaking five wins for a female artist at Wednesday night's long, long 44th annual Grammy ceremony, broadcast live from L.A.'s Staples Center. "Whoa," Keys, 21, told the crowd when she picked up her fifth Grammy, for song of the year ("Fallin' "). "You don't know how this humbles me." Her other Grammys were for best new artist, R&B album ("Songs in A Minor"), female R&B vocal performance ("Fallin' ") and R&B song ("Fallin' "). The first award during the broadcast portion of the evening (some awards were handed out earlier) -- and the last -- went to U2. The first was for best pop performance by duo or group (for their wistful "Stuck in a Moment You Can't Get Out of"), the last for record of the year. "Being Irish, if you get eight nominations and got no awards they wouldn't let you back in the country," lead singer Bono, 41, quipped to the crowd at the outset of the evening. "So this is a public safety issue." U2's other Grammys -- they won four in all -- included those for rock performance by a duo or group with vocal ("Elevation") and rock album ("All That You Can't Leave Behind"). The night's other big winner was the soundtrack album to the Coen Brothers' movie "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" Besides being named best compilation album of the year, in a surprise victory, the soundtrack, conceived by producer T. Bone Burnett, also took album of the year.