National Geographic Music (National Geographic)

The 49th annual Grammy Awards were held this Sunday, February 11th, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, and some key world and international music artists were honored alongside the pop royalty. While the top honors went to such familiar acts as the Dixie Chicks, Justin Timberlake and Tony Bennett—and the Police mini-reunion was the talk of watercoolers from coast to coast—a bevvy of world music artists also took statues home to their respective countries.

South African gospel act Soweto Gospel Choir beat out Hossein Alizadeh & Djivan Gasparyan, The Academy of Maqâm, Aashish Khan & Zakir Hussain, and Andrea Hoag, Loretta Kelley & Charlie Pilzer in the Best Traditional World Music Album category with Blessed (Telarc/ Heads Up).

Meanwhile, America's own Klezmatics (pictured) took home top honors in the Best Contemporary World Music Album for their inspired reading of some of Woody Guthrie's unpublished lyrics on Wonder Wheel (JMG). The Klezmatics beat out an even stiffer field of competition that included Cameroonian bassist/composer Richard Bona, Malian icon Salif Keita, South African legends Ladysmith Black Mambazo, and last year's Grammy winner, the late, great Malian bluesman Ali Farka Toure.

In related categories, Ziggy Marley racked up another Grammy win for the Marley family in the Best Reggae Album category for Love Is My Religion, shutting out Buju Banton, Matisyahu, UB40 and Sly & Robbie. Oscar D'Leon's Fuzionando walked away with the award for Best Latin Tropical Album, beating Andy Montañez, Tito Nieves, Gilberto Santa Rosa, and newcomers Tiempo Libre.

Mexican rockeros Maná beat out worthy adversaries Guayaba, Tego Calderón, Calle 13 and Los Amigos Invisibles to win Best Latin Rock, Alternative or Urban Album for Amar Es Combatir. While in the Best Latin Pop Album category, Mexican-American singer Julieta Venegas racked up her second Grammy win with Limón y Sal, beating out Arjona, Obie Bermúdez, Fulano and Marco Antonio Solis.

Amy Hanaiali'i took home a statue for Best Hawaiian Album with Generation Hawai'i, and Mary Youngblood won the Best Native American Music Album category with Dance With The Wind. Chente Barrera's Sigue El Taconazo won Best Tejano Album; Pepe Aguilar's Historias De Mi Tierra won Best Mexican/Mexican-American Album, Conjunto Primavera's Algo de Mí won Best Norteño Album and Banda Machos' Mil Heridas took home the award for the Best Banda Album.

For a complete list of 2007 Grammy winners, please consult the official NARAS website, GRAMMY.com.