LOS ANGELES, California — The Grammys love Eminem. Over his decade-plus career, they’ve showered him with 13 Grammy Awards — and gave him two during this year’s ceremonies.

But their love for Eminem seems to only extend to the rap categories. Despite being regarded as one of music’s geniuses, he has never won a Grammy outside of the genre — a streak that continued on Sunday.

Eminem, who went into the Grammys as the leading nominee with 10 nominations — including in the prestigious album, record and song of the year categories — walked away with just two: best solo rap performance and best rap album for Recovery, which was last year’s best-selling album and marked a triumphant comeback for an iconic figure who stumbled in recent years due to a former drug addiction.

He lost album of the year to Arcade Fire’s The Suburbs, and his Rihanna-assisted Love The Way You Lie lost to Lady Antebellum in the record and song of the year categories.

It marked the third loss in Eminem’s career in the album of the year category, as well as his third loss in the record of the year and second with song of the year.

While the night was a disappointing one for Eminem, it was a dream come true for the night’s top winner, Lady Antebellum. The country trio earnedthe song and record of the year trophies for Need You Now. They won five of their six nominations.

“That is the most humbling feeling in the entire world. It’s going to make us work even harder to make a better record,” said Hillary Scott, as bandmates Dave Haywood and Charles Kelley stood by her backstage.

It was the second year in a row that a country act with multiplatinum crossover appeal won big at the Grammys. Last year, it was Taylor Swift, who got four awards and won album of the year for Fearless.

Eminem wasn’t the only hip-hop star to lose in the night’s top honours: Newcomer BoB, who had five nods, went home empty-handed, while Cee Lo Green’s expletive-laden smash, (Expletive) You, also known as the edited Forget You, only won best urban/alternative performance.

Cee Lo had one of the night’s best performances dressed in a colourful feather get-up that made him look like a gigantic colourful bird. He was joined onstage by Gwyneth Paltrow and Jim Henson Co’s puppets, giving a funny and unforgettable performance of Forget You.