Winehouse a Grammy Winner, Sinner

Amy Winehouse won five Grammys last night.

But unlike fellow winners Alicia Keys, Carrie Underwood, and Kanye West, the 24 year-old soul singer was not at the Staples (SPLS) Center in Los Angeles to accept her awards. Visa complications stemming from Winehouse’s very public substance abuse problems and recovery attempts prevented her from making the trip from London, England. Still thanks to a satellite broadcast she performed a medley of her hit singles, "You Know I'm No Good" and "Rehab" and appeared delighted in accepting her recognition. “I can't believe I've won five awards," Winehouse said.

While her performance via video drew raves, it did not erase memories of another recent Winehouse video, the one of her allegedly smoking crack cocaine which was first reported by The Sun in the U.K. "Sometimes life trumps awards shows," said Cuba Gooding Jr. before introducing Winehouse. And despite winning Song of the Year, Record of the Year, and Best New Artist, Winehouse’s hardware will likely be worth less than previous Grammys, says Drew Lipsher, a partner at Greycroft, a digital media venture capital firm. “Twenty years ago, before illegal downloads, winning a Grammy could translate into a 30% bump in sales,” says Lipsher. “The more likely windfall today would be a contract endorsing a brand."

In Amy Winehouse’s case she’s not a prime candidate. Even without an endorsement deal from say Coke (KO) or Nike (NKE), Winehouse will probably be OK as long as she stays somewhat sober and keeps releasing albums that sell more than 3 million copies. But if you are struggling with addiction your career might not be doing as well. "Sometime we just can't battle things on our own," says Jane Mitchell, an HR recruiter for Adventist Home Health, a health care provider in Maryland. "Sometimes we need help. These days we all have anxiety from the pressures of life. You can't always hide it. You have to be able to open up and ask for help without having a finger pointed at you."