Grammys Flashback '02: Alicia Starts with a Bang

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Alicia Keys was an instant success in the music industry. The soulful R&B from her debut album, Songs in A Minor, swept across the nation as a refreshing breeze. People everywhere fell in love with her sweet music and so did The Recording Academy.

After Songs in A Minor peaked at No. 1 on US charts and in the Top 10 in charts around the world and sold millions of copies, Keys was nominated for six awards at the 2002 Grammys, including Best New Artist and Record of the Year.


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Not only did the R&B singer win Best New Artist as expected but also took home four other Grammys, including Song of the Year for "Fallin'" and Best R&B Album. The only award she wasn't granted that year was Record of the Year.

Nevertheless, Keys' grand total of five Grammys tied her for first with Lauryn Hill on the list of most-awarded females in a single night.

"I don't know if it will ever quite sink in," Keys says to ET's former correspondent Jann Carl backstage after winning the awards. "I'm just very, very honored and very excited about this year and the years to come."


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Keys was joined on that list by Norah Jones the following year and Beyonce the year after that, and two more would join the club before Beyonce exceeded all with six Grammys in 2010, which was then tied by Adele two years later.

Regardless, Keys started her music career with a bang with a stellar debut album and a handful of Grammys. Among the presence of music legends Stevie Wonder, U2, and Bob Dylan that night, she wanted "stand the test of time" like they had.

And she has.


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Over a decade later, Keys has had four albums peak at No. 1 on the charts, has sold over an estimated 30 million albums, and has won fourteen Grammys from twenty-seven nominations.

Keys is currently No. 4 on the list of all-time female Grammy winners, trailing just behind Beyonce and Aretha Franklin.

One can only assume that she'll continue to climb up that list next year for her latest album Girl on Fire.