As entertainers began amassing in Los Angeles for tonight's presentation of the Grammys, some of the nominees headed over to the Hard Rock Cafe at the Beverly Center last night for the announcement of this year's Gibson Guitar Awards.

Courtney Love and her Hole band mate Melissa Auf Der Maur, Lisa Loeb, Jim Creeggan of the Barenaked Ladies, and Mike Ward of the Wallflowers were among the winners in attendance for the Gibsons -- which featured Brian Setzer receiving the 1999 Orville H. Gibson Lifetime Achievement Award.

But some of the evening's most entertaining moments were courtesy of the acceptance speeches offered up by Love and Auf Der Maur, who were named Best Female Rock Guitarist and Best Female Bassist, respectively.

"This is the last award I ever thought I would get -- a guitar award -- but it means so much to me," Love said. "When I was 14, I got a 1959 Gibson Melody Maker, and it really saved my life, it really helped me to communicate everything that I really

feel inside."

"It's a really important thing for young people, and young girls especially, to get a hold of guitars, particularly electric ones. I'm so thankful for people like Nancy Wilson and Joni Mitchell that showed me that you could play guitar and be a girl and get somewhere."

In Auf Der Maur's acceptance speech, the bassist talked about the importance of the Gibson tradition and its importance among her peers.

"When I found out a month ago I was up for this award, I started thinking back about growing up as a rock lover," Auf Der Maur said, "and I think that I knew about Gibson guitars before I even knew the difference between a bass and a guitar, so the aesthetic of that was always there."

"Obviously guitars and basses have been some of the world's greatest heroes' partners," she added. "and the relationship between me and my instrument is one of the most personal things I have in the whole world, and what a better institution to recognize that [than Gibson]."

David Strickland, the co-star of "Suddenly Susan," hosted the event, and all proceeds from the Gibson Awards will benefit the Nordoff-Robbins Music Therapy Foundation. The Foundation helps severely handicapped and autistic children through the use of improvisational music at their clinic based at New York University.

Here's the full list of winners of the 1999 Gibson Awards:

Best Rock Guitarist:

Best Acoustic Guitarist:

Best Blues Guitarist:

Best Jazz Guitarist:

Best Country Guitaris:

Best Bassist:

Les Paul Horizon Award for Most Promising New Guitarist:

Orville

H. Gibson Lifetime Achievement Award: