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U2 have won five prizes at the most prestigious US music awards, the Grammys, eclipsing the pre-ceremony favourites Mariah Carey and Kanye West.
The Irish band won every award they were nominated for, including song of the year and album of the year.
Pop diva Carey, rap star West and R&B newcomer John Legend topped the nominations with eight each - and picked up three awards apiece.
Dance duo the Chemical Brothers led the UK challenge, winning two trophies.
But Coldplay, Sir Paul McCartney and Franz Ferdinand all went home empty-handed.
U2 beat Sir Paul, Carey, West and Gwen Stefani to scoop the night's main award, album of the year, for How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb.
It was also named best rock album, while City of Blinding Lights won best rock song.
Another hit single, Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own, earned song of the year plus best vocal rock performance by a duo or group
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Multi-Grammy winning Irish rock group U2's 30 year career.
U2's haul takes their Grammy total to 21 awards - including eight in the last two years alone.
If you think this is going to go to our head, it's too late," Bono told the Los Angeles ceremony on Wednesday.
He paid tribute to his late father, who was the inspiration for the album, as well as his main rivals.
"Mariah, you sing like an angel," he said at one point, and assured Kanye West: "You're next."
Carey, who last won a Grammy in 1990, was denied the night's main awards despite a successful comeback in the last 12 months.
Her album The Emancipation of Mimi, which has sold more than seven million copies worldwide, earned the prize for best contemporary R&B album.
Her hit single We Belong Together, which spent 14 weeks at the top of the US chart, was named best R&B song and best female R&B vocal performance.
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Kanye West won for his acclaimed R&B album Late Registration
But she lost out in the best female pop vocal performance category to Kelly Clarkson, who found fame on reality TV show American Idol.
Carey's awards came four years after she hit rock bottom when she was dumped by her record label EMI, saw her singing and acting efforts flop and was admitted to hospital with exhaustion.
West won best rap song for Diamonds from Sierra Leone and his CD Late Registration beat the likes of Eminem and 50 Cent to scoop best rap album.
He also picked up best solo rap performance for the hit Gold Digger, matching the three Grammy Awards he won last year.
Accepting the rap album trophy, West said in mock surprise: "I had no idea, I had no idea," before pulling out a sheet of paper with the words "Thank You List" written in large letters.
John Legend was named best new artist and his debut Get Lifted was named best R&B album. He also won best male R&B vocal performance for his song Ordinary People.
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Madonna opened the show with a duet with cartoon band Gorillaz
US rockers Green Day triumphed over Carey, West, Stefani and Gorillaz to pick up the prestigious record of the year trophy for Boulevard of Broken Dreams.
Alison Krauss and Union Station also took three awards, including for best country album, and rock band The White Stripes won best alternative album for Get Behind Me Satan.
The Chemical Brothers scooped best dance recording for Galvanize and best electronic/dance album for Push The Button.
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Funk pioneer Sly Stone made a rare public appearance
Another British success came when cartoon band Gorillaz won best vocal pop collaboration for their single Feel Good Inc, featuring De La Soul.
Gorillaz kicked the ceremony off by "performing" the song with Madonna, who was not nominated this year.
One of the highlights of the evening was a rare public appearance by reclusive funk pioneer Sly Stone, who had not performed live for almost 20 years.
Many feared he would not turn up, but he played with his band The Family Stone for a few verses of I Want to Take You Higher before disappearing.
