Nominees' Most Memorable On-Stage Looks

Carrie Underwood

's style and song choices are always in sync. For her performance of the ballad "I Told You So" at the 2009 Academy of Country Music Awards, the two-time Grammy nominee wowed the audience with a cascading taffeta Rafael Cennamo gown that consumed so much of the stage, her accompanying musicians had to watch their step.

Thank goodness for fashion tape! Rihanna's strategically placed white bandage suit from the 2009 American Music Awards showcased her daring sense of style and unshakable confidence. Along with on-trend bold shoulders, the addition of a fake tattoo on the Best Rap/Sung Collaboration nominee's decollete helped spike heartrates and AMA ratings.

Eight-time Grammy nominee Taylor Swift went a more theatrical route on her "Fearless" tour. While performing the Romeo and Juliet-inspired song, "Love Story," Swift donned a ruby red Renaissance-style gown amid a castle backdrop. Fans immediately recognized her allusion to the music video, in which Swift also wears a ball gown.

During her performance of "Paparazzi" at the 2009 MTV Music Video Awards, five-time Grammy nominee Lady Gaga appeared a vision in a white belly-baring, shoulder padded bodysuit and Mardi Gras-worthy mask. The outfit didn't stay pristine for long, however-soon after, Gaga began gushing fake red blood. Click here to view more of Lady Gaga's outrageous outfits.

Katy Perry

literally went bananas for her 2009 Grammy Awards outfit. Channeling both Carmen Miranda and Josephine Baker for her performance of "I Kissed a Girl," the Best Female Pop Vocal nominee emerged from a giant banana in a glittering fruit bustier custom made for her by The Blondes.

Not to be upstaged by the rest of the Victoria's Secret models, six-time Grammy nominee Fergie went decidedly more glam with her show-stopping emerald green corset for the Black Eyed Peas' Victoria's Secret Fashion Show performance. Victoria's Secret enlisted the help of Seattle's Period Corsets to construct the silk taffeta piece, which they styled with a long gaping skirt.

For her 2009 "Circus" tour, Britney Spears delivered a fantasy lineup of on-stage characters, from a sexy cop to a sultry big top ringmaster. However, Star Wars robot C3PO was the most memorable character the Best Dance Recording nominee referenced with a gold metal bodysuit. Spears wore the corset once during her first performance in Newark, New Jersey.

The 10-time Grammy nominee has never shied away from a trend, and 2009's bodysuit craze was one that Beyonce fully embraced. The dazzling gold, Thierry Mugler bodysuit she wore on her "I Am…Sasha Fierce" tour mesmerized audiences with its exaggerated sculpted hips and jewel-encrusted bodice.