Get the Party Started!: The Stars Arrive in '09

A very pregnant M.I.A. shows off her (big!) blue attitude as she puckers up next to her fellow Grammy nominee, a pretty-in-pink Katy Perry, on the red carpet outside of L.A.'s Staples Center. The rapper, up for two awards, also performed at Sunday night's show – her due date!

Pals Miley Cyrus and Taylor Swift, who teamed up later in the evening to perform Swift's single "Fifteen," first share a clutch moment with hip-hop star LL Cool J, a presenter at Sunday's Grammys.

Extra's Mario Lopez finds good company in Kim Kardashian on music's biggest night. Perhaps these two Dancing with the Stars alums – Lopez was on season 3, while Kardashian hit the parquet on season 7 – were reminiscing about rumbas?

With 13 Grammy nods between them, longtime pals Jay-Z and Coldplay's Chris Martin step up for a congratulatory man-hug on the red carpet before the big show, where the rapper joined the band during their performance of "Lost."

Jennifer Hudson shows off her edge in an origami-pleated dress on the Grammys red carpet. The singer-actress, up for four Grammys, won the night's first award for best RampB album. During her acceptance speech, Hudson teared up as she thanked her family "in heaven and those who are here today," alluding to her recent family tragedy.

Singer Alison Krauss gets a good-luck smooch from collaborator, Led Zeppelin rock legend Robert Plant. It must have worked: The duo were the night's big winners, taking home five awards, including record of the year for "Please Read the Letter" and album of the year for Raising Sand.

File this under strange lovefest! Snoop Dogg gives The Nanny star Fran Drescher a warm welcome on the red carpet.

The newly single Paris Hilton, who rolled solo to the Grammys, finds a willing last-minute stand-in in singer-actor Jesse McCartney.

American Idol past champs Fantasia Barrino and Jordin Sparks, both up for Grammys, are already winners in the public eye as the two reunite on the red carpet.

Listen up, cats: He does lead by example! Ne-Yo, whose Year of the Gentleman earned a nomination for album of the year, shows off his suave side as he rocks a dapper tux-and-ascot look. The RampB star didn't take home the top prize, but nabbed a Grammy for best male RampB performance for his hit, "Miss Independent."

Funnymen Chris Tucker and Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson suit up for a night of music – and one-liners! – as Grammy night presenters.

Hip-hop star T-Pain, up for four Grammys, is the vision of cool as he walks the red carpet Sunday night. And he plays it cool, too. When asked how he got into rap, the Tallahassee, Fla., native told E's Giuliana Rancic, "I don't know, it seemed like a cool thing at the time."