U2 and Enya scoop Grammy awards

U2 won three accolades at the Grammy awards ceremony in Los Angeles.

The group scooped the best rock album title for All That You Can't Leave Behind, best rock performance by a duo or group with vocal for Elevation, and best pop performance by a duo or group for Stuck In A Moment You Can't Get Out Of.

Enya won best new age album for A Day Without Rain and Eric Clapton's Reptile won best pop instrumental performance.

Coldplay were also winners, taking the alternative music album award for Parachutes.

"Being Irish, if you get eight nominations and got no awards they wouldn't let you back in the country," U2's lead singer Bono joked. "So this is a public safety issue."

And picking up the best rock performance award, guitarist the he joked: ‘‘I hope we don’t win any more awards.’’

He added: ‘‘It is still an extraordinary thing to behold the sound of a rock and roll band in full flight.

‘‘Not just the sound of it when it gets airborne - but the deals that you make on the ground, the promises that your friendship will survive being broke, not being broke, the 80s and maybe 20 years later you will find yourselves at an award ceremony with people you started out with. Wow.’’

Radiohead took the best recording package award with Amnesiac (Special Limited Edition) and Dido won the remixed of the year, non-classical title, with Deep Dish, Thank You (Deep Dish Vocal Remix).

Sade won the pop vocal album award with Lovers Rock.

However, old-time country and neosoul were the big winners at today's, with the O Brother, Where Art Thou? soundtrack and R&B newcomer Alicia Keys each winning five awards.

The O Brother soundtrack scored a surprise victory by beating Keys and U2 for album of the year. The album that country music radio shunned also earned producer of the year for the man who conceived it, T Bone Burnett.

Keys, whose debut disc Songs In A Minor dazzled critics and fans with its sassy soul and classical influences, was named best new artist. Her other awards included song of the year, best R&B performance by a female and best R&B song for her No 1 smash, Fallin', and best R&B album.