February 1st, 2010

It was Ladies' Night at the Grammy Awards as Pink, Lady Gaga and Beyonce gave sensational performances during the ceremony.

The three stars had 17 nominations between them as they wowed the audience at the 52nd Grammy Awards in Los Angeles.

Pink got her appearance off to a racy start as she descended from the ceiling wearing a skin-coloured catsuit to perform her song Glitter in the Air.

Performance: Pink is suspended by a white sling as she sings her track Glitter in the Air at the Grammy Awards

The singer was suspended in a white sling underneath her dancers wearing gold bikinis and gold body paint.

Just before she took to the stage the PA at the ceremony at the Staples Center warned people in the audience to beware of stunts in her performance and Pink did not disappoint and she sang and span at the same time.

At one stage Pink turned into a giant sprinkler system as she showered people in the front row seats with water.

Glittery: The singer, who has two nominations at the awards, even turned into a human water sprinkler and showered the front rows during her performance

Skin-coloured: Pink wore a skin tone catsuit on stage with handily placed silver sequins

Lady Gaga had earlier got the show off to a sizzling start with an eye-popping performance with Elton John.

The singer, who was nominated for five awards and won two during the pre-televised ceremony, kicked off the night in a sequined green leotard with massive shoulder pads as she sang her hit Poker Face during an elaborate show including pyrotechnics and dramatic choreography.

But then she brought out Elton John as they melded her song Speechless and his classic Your Song together in a performance that featured duelling pianos covered in clawed hands and glitter-painted faces.

Show stopper: Lady Gaga in a green sequined outfit performs her hit Poker Face to kick off the awards

Duel: The singer performs with multi Grammy award-winning Elton John on a pair of pianos covered in clawed hands

Now you see me: The Poker Face singer also wore this beige face mask and matching one-piece number

As usual, Lady Gaga didn't disappoint fans of her eclectic outfits as she enjoyed several costume changes throughout her performance.

Her debut album The Fame picked up best dance/electronic album and smash hit single Poker Face took best dance recording.

Leading the way with 10 nominations, R&B singer Beyonce gave a typically energetic performance as she hit the stage with her hit If I Were A Boy.

Beyonce, who won five awards in 2004 for her debut album Dangerously In Love, had already reached that target earlier in the evening.

She scooped the songwriting award and best female vocal performance for Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It), best R&B contemporary album for I Am.... Sasha Fierce, and won traditional R&B performance for At Last and the song of the year award.

We salute you: Beyonce, who is nominated for 10 awards, performs a medley of her songs watched by SWAT team dancers

Top of the bill: The R&B singer scooped two awards for her hit single Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It) as well as the song of the year award

The awards also saw a special effects-laden 3D tribute to the late Michael Jackson and a lifetime achievement award for the King of Pop.

His children, Prince Michael, 12, and Paris, 11, appeared on stage after the tribute to accept a lifetime achievement award for the pop star, who died in June of a prescription drug overdose.

Carrie Underwood, Celine Dion, Jennifer Hudson, Smokey Robinson and Usher performed in the tribute, mixing their voices with Michael Jackson's against a backdrop of his 1995 track Earth Song.

Honoured: Michael Jackson's children Prince, left, and Paris accept their father's lifetime achievement award

Grief: Lionel Richie hugs Michael Jackson's daughter Paris as he presents her with her father's lifetime achievement award