Beyonce Knowles has scooped top honours at the Grammy Awards with five accolades.

Crazy in Love won her two awards – best R&B song and best rap collaboration.

She also won best female R&B performance for debut album Dangerously in Love, best contemporary R&B album for Dangerously in Love and best R&B performance by a duo or group with vocals for The Closer I Get To You, a remake she did with Luther Vandross.

“This is unbelievable. Performing was enough for me,” she said.

Coldplay won the coveted Record of the Year award at the star-studded Los Angeles ceremony. Collecting the award for Clocks, singer Chris Martin could not resist a reference the US presidential race and Democratic Party front-runner John Kerry.

He said: “We would like to dedicate this to Johnny Cash and to John Kerry, who hopefully will be your president some day.”

Justin Timberlake won two awards and apologised for his part in Janet Jackson’s performance at last week’s Super Bowl when she bared her breast as he danced with her.

Collecting the award for best male pop vocal performance for Cry Me A River, he said: “What occurred was unintentional, completely regrettable, and I apologise if anyone was offended. This is officially the greatest moment of my life.”

The 46th annual awards show began with Prince performing Purple Rain, to mark the 20th anniversary of the groundbreaking song and movie.

Outkast won best urban/alternative performance for Hey Ya! and album of the year for Speakerboxxx-The Love Below. Johnny Cash won a posthumous award for best short form music video for the song, Hurt.

Credit: Ananova