Grammy Awards 2012: Adele wins big at ceremony overshadowed by Whitney Houston's death Adele performs onstage at the 54th Annual Grammy Awards on Feb. 12, 2012, in Los Angeles. Adele made a triumphant return at Sunday night's Grammy Awards, winning five awards as the telecast neared its end - including song and record of the year for "Rolling in the Deep" - during a ceremony that had the difficult task of celebrating music's best while mourning the loss of one of its greatest: Whitney Houston. Houston's death on the eve of the awards forced a delicate balance between the exuberance of the show's winners and performances with the loss. Pictures: Grammy Awards red carpet arrivals Pictures: Highlights from the ceremony Special Section: The 2012 Grammys Special Section: Death of a pop diva Adele, who owned the year's best-selling album with "21," was triumphant in her first performance since vocal chord surgery forced the cancelation of a tour and months of vocal rest. As the world wondered whether her voice would still soar, she answered with her performance of "Rolling in the Deep," and received a rousing standing ovation from the crowd. The British songstress also won best pop vocal performance for "Someone Like You," best pop vocal album for "21" and best short form music video for "Rolling in the Deep." I can't believe I'm getting emotional already. My life changed when I wrote ["Someone Like You"], and I felt it before anyone even heard it," she said while accepting the pop vocal performance award. The Foo Fighters also emerged as big winners, capturing five of the six categories they were nominated in, and they still had a chance to win the evening's top award, album of the year. Kanye West, who was the top nominee with seven, had won four by the midway point in the show; he was not present. Among the evening's performances was a dance-heavy number by Chris Brown, a performance by Paul McCartney and by Bruce Springsteen, who kicked off the show by performing his new song "We Take Care of Our Own," a rousing song that references the troubles of the nation. But soon after the show opened, a somber LL Cool J, the show's host, appeared in black, and told the audience: "There is no way around this. But the show must go on - and it did, with a performance from Bruno Mars. A tribute to Houston featuring Jennifer Hudson took place during the main ceremony. Still, while Houston's death cast a shadow over the night's winners, it did not obscure them. Among them was Brown, who was performing on the stage for the first time since he dropped out of 2009's broadcast; his attack on Rihanna the night before led to both their absences, an assault charge for Brown and a career low. But 2011 marked a comeback for Brown, who won best R&B album: "First and foremost, I gotta thank God, and thank the Grammys for letting me get on this stage and do my thing," he said. All my fans, I love you. We got one. The ceremony also marked first time he and Rihanna performed at the same event since the attack (she sang solo and with Coldplay during the ceremony). The Grammys did their best to keep a tone that balanced the many moods of the night: The Foo Fighters performed in a tent outside the Staples Center, where the awards were being held, amid a throng of bouncing fans; but moments earlier, Alicia Keys and Bonnie Raitt paid tribute to Etta James, the legend who died last month. There was also a tribute to the recently reunited Beach Boys that featured Maroon 5, Foster the People and Mike Love, Al Jardine and Brian Wilson, the three remaining members of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame band, all pitch-perfect as they brought the group's California rock sound and harmonies back to life. Other performances came from Kelly Clarkson and Jason Aldean, Taylor Swift, Katy Perry and Nicki Minaj. Glen Campbell, who announced his retirement last year after disclosing he had Alzheimer's disease, also performed with The Band Perry and Blake Shelton.