I hope Britney Spears was watching the Grammy awards last night. Amy Winehouse, whose personal life last year rivaled Spears’, won five awards, including Best New Artist, Best Pop Vocal Album, Best Female Vocal Performance and Record of the Year for “Back to Black.” But the real triumph of the night for Amy was her performance, broadcast live from London via satellite. Not only did she look better than she has in ages– including new teeth, radiant looking skin and some much needed weight on her frame, but the old sparkle was back in her eyes. She performed two songs, “You Know I’m No Good,” which she nailed both vocally and performance-wise; and her anthem, “Rehab,” which she fell apart on a bit during the middle, as if she realized the irony of that song now. She appeared nervous, but sober.

Winehouse, sporting her signature beehive and looking healthier than tabloid readers have seen in a long time, tore into “You Know I’m No Good.” Then, appearing to lose the nerves as she went on, she segued into her smash hit “Rehab,” once again making people wonder, upon looking at her fragile frame, where that devastatingly mature voice comes from.

The overseas connection was made just in time for Winehouse to look positively flabbergasted at hearing her name called for Record of the Year. She immediately disappeared into the hugs of her band and various supporters, and the intimate crowd assembled to hear her performance in London started chanting “Amy, Amy!”

“Thank you to everyone at Island Records, everyone at EMI Music Publishing…to my mum and dad, to my Blake incarcerated…and to London, this is for London!” the quirky songbird shouted.

[From E! Online]

If anyone in the music industry could make a fresh start with the public, it’s Amy. While her personal life is beyond ridiculous, what with the drugs and the user husband in jail and the drama — she could do a country album based on her life– there’s no denying that she has amazing talent. Let’s hope her victory at the Grammy’s reinforces her desire to stay off drugs and get back to what she does best. At this point, she has the good will of the listening public on her side– let’s keep our fingers crossed that she doesn’t blow it.