gwen stefani

What a night for Kelly Clarkson! She cried when she beat out Gwen Stefani, Sheryl Crow, Mariah Carey, and Bonnie Raitt for best female pop performance for her very awesome Since U Been Gone rock hit. Less than an hour later, she nearly broke down as she sang Because of You. Later in the night, Kelly won her second grammy for best pop vocal album for Breakaway, an album that was very close to her heart. She wrote or co-wrote half the songs on the album and divorced her management company over control of the album. Neither of her acceptance speeches mentioned her win on American Idol. That's a tough call. She obviously wouldn't be where she is if it weren't for Idol, but at the same time, she legitimized herself as a true talent this year when she distanced herself from the competition.

Other winners: