Adele sweeps Grammys, Houston remembered

Soul singer Adele triumphed in her return to music's stage on Sunday (February 12), scooping up six Grammys and winning every category in which she was nominated including album of the year for "21" and best record with "Rolling In the Deep."

As joyous as the show was for Adele, it was equally as serious with tributes to late pop star Whitney Houston, who died suddenly on Saturday (February 11). She was remembered by fellow artists in acceptance speeches and songs. Jennifer Hudson sang Houston's signature hit, "I Will Always Love You," and Grammy host LL Cool J offered a prayer for Houston's family, friends and fans.

The Los Angeles Coroner's office completed their autopsy on Whitney Houston on Sunday (February 12) and confirmed that she was found in the bathtub of her Beverly Hills hotel room, but said the cause of death would not be determined until more lab tests were completed. Toxicology tests, which would take six to eight weeks to conduct, would be necessary to determine what factor, if any, drugs or alcohol might have played in Houston's death.

Black-and-white turned to gold as silent movie "The Artist" won seven BAFTA awards including best film at a ceremony in London on Sunday, raising expectations of a strong showing at the Academy Awards. Meryl Streep clinched the leading actress prize for her portrayal of former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher both as a politician at the height of her power and as a frail elderly lady suffering from dementia, in "The Iron Lady."

Apart from Streep, the undisputed star of the night was "The Artist". It had been nominated for 12 awards and walked away with the prizes for best film, leading actor, director, original screenplay, costumes, cinematography and music.

The film's star, Jean Dujardin, was a surprise winner in the leading actor category. George Clooney had been the odds-on favorite for his part in "The Descendants."

Lindsay Claiborn, Reuters.