Barack Obama wins Grammy

Senator earns spoken word album trophy

By PHIL GALLO

Barack Obama defeated two former presidents in the 50th annual Grammy Awards' pre-telecast ceremony Sunday at the Los Angeles Convention Center, the venue adjacent to Staples Center where the main ceremony is held.

One hundred Grammys were handed out in the two-hour, 45-minute "pre-tel ceremony," which was expanded to include performances by new artist nominee Ledisi, zydeco accordionist-singer Terrance Simien and Zydeco Experience and blues legends Honeyboy Edwards, Pinetop Perkins and Koko Taylor. The pre-tel was also streamed live on the Recording Academy's website grammy.com.

Obama won the spoken word album trophy, topping presidents Clinton and Carter.

Simien, whose wife Cynthia had been campaigning for a zydeco-Cajun category, won the trophy in its inaugural year.

Perkins, 94, and Edwards, 92, won in the traditional blues category for a disc they made with the late Henry Townsend and Robert Lockwood Jr. It was the first Grammy win for the musicians.

Song trophies were given out in several genres: Bruce Springsteen's "Radio Nowhere" scored the rock nod; "Before He Cheats" won in country; Alicia Keys' "No One" took home R&B trophy, and Kanye West's "Good Life" won in rap

Mark Ronson, who produced songs for Amy Winehouse and Lily Allen, was named producer of the year.

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