The U.S. music awards, the Grammys, are underway in Los Angeles honoring both newcomers and veterans.

Irish rockers U2 were early winners Wednesday night, earning the Grammy for best rock album. The 1960s legend Bob Dylan picked the fourth Grammy of his career for best folk album of the year.

21-year-old Alicia Keys won best rhythm and blues (R&B) song for hit "Fallin."

U2, Keys and fellow R&B diva India Arie are favorites for the most important awards later tonight, including album and song of the year.

The awards ceremony is also featuring tributes to former Beatle guitarist George Harrison who died last year and to victims of the September 11 terrorist attacks.

There also will be a tribute for the late R&B singer Aaliyah who died in a plane crash in the Bahamas last August. She was nominated for several awards posthumously.

In a related development, relatives of two hairdressers killed in that plane crash sued the record label Virgin Records and the plane's operator Wednesday for allegedly "putting profits over safety" and subsequent wrongful death.

The Grammys are also taking place against a backdrop of slumping sales in the U.S. music recording industry and a struggle between artists and record companies over rights to songs.

Some information for this report provided by AFP and Reuters.

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