Quincy Jones, Prayers for Peace Prevail at Grammys : Music: Veteran entertainer becomes most honored pop artist. Julie Gold’s ‘From a Distance’ is best song.

NEW YORK —  Quincy Jones became the most honored pop artist in the 33-year history of the record industry’s Grammy Awards here Wednesday on a night when he and other key winners included prayers for peace in their acceptance speeches.

“Pray for peace on earth and when we get peace on earth, let’s take care of the earth,” Jones said after winning one of his six awards during the nationally televised ceremony at Radio City Music Hall.

Jones’ awards, including citations for best album of the year and best producer, gave the veteran producer-arranger a career total of 25 Grammys, five more than the previous record of 20 held by composer-conductor Henry Mancini. He is surpassed only by Sir Georg Solti, who has won 28 in the classical field.

In accepting the best song award given her for “From a Distance,” Julie Gold said: “To our soldiers, we pray for your speedy return. We pray for peace on earth.”

Her song, a warmly philosophical plea for brotherhood, has been adopted by radio stations in recent weeks as a sort of informal anthem during the Persian Gulf crisis.

Backstage, Gold, who wrote the song five years ago, added: “I’m 35 years old and have lived through the Vietnam War and the civil rights movement. I feel I have been writing that song all my life. . . . I really believe that war is an unnatural state . . . (and) I hope that it ends very soon.”

These and similar remarks added a touch of social consciousness to the recording industry competition in a year when the National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences had been attacked by Irish singer-songwriter Sinead O’Connor for promoting “false and materialistic values.”

O’Connor, who was nominated in four categories, announced earlier this month that she was withdrawing from the program, where she was scheduled to perform, and would not accept a Grammy award if one were voted her because she thinks the ceremony honors commercial success more than pop artistry.

When O’Connor was named the winner in the best alternative music category for her album “I Do Not Want What I Haven’t Got,” she became the first artist in the history of the Grammys to refuse the award.

Although an O’Connor spokeswoman said backstage after the award was announced during a pre-telecast ceremony that O’Connor, at home in Los Angeles, would have no comment even if she did win, the singer reaffirmed her opposition to the Grammy competition during an appearance Tuesday night on Arsenio Hall’s television show.

“I’ve said that if I win, I won’t accept it and I wouldn’t want it near me,” she said on the show. “As far as I’m concerned, it represents everything I despise about the music industry.”

Jones’ six awards--all related to his album “Back on the Block,” a survey of black music from be-bop to rap--tied him with country singer-songwriter Roger Miller (1965) for the second most awards in a single Grammy ceremony. Only Michael Jackson, who won eight awards in 1983, has walked away with more. Jones’ other Grammys on Wednesday were for rap performance by a duo or group, jazz fusion performance, instrumental arrangement and instrumental arrangement accompanying vocal.

Sharing top pop honors with Jones were Phil Collins, whose “Another Day in Paradise,” a reflection on the homeless population in America, was named best record of the year; Mariah Carey, who was honored as best new artist and for best female pop vocal, and rapper M. C. Hammer, who was honored for best solo rap performance, best R&B; song and best long-form video.

In his acceptance speech, Hammer, too, mentioned the Persian Gulf crisis, dedicating his Grammy awards to the military personnel who are “putting their lives on the lines for us.”

Other multiple winners included the late Leonard Bernstein, whose three Grammys included best classical album. Two awards each went to the blues-rockers the Vaughan Brothers, jazzman Oscar Peterson, the guitar duo of Chet Atkins and Mark Knopfler, and songwriters Alan Menken and Howard Ashman, and classical violinist Itzhak Perlman.

The peace theme was also reflected during “lifetime achievement” salutes to Bob Dylan and the late John Lennon. Dylan sang a blistering version of his old anti-war song “Masters of War,” while Tracy Chapman sang Lennon’s idealistic “Imagine.”

The late Roy Orbison was named best male pop singer for his update of his ‘60s hit “Oh Pretty Woman,” while Eric Clapton and Alannah Myles were named best male and female rock vocalists. Aerosmith, Living Colour and Metallica were saluted for rock group performance, hard-rock and metal recordings, respectively.

Anita Baker was named best female R&B; singer for the fourth time in five years, while Luther Vandross’ victory in the male R&B; competition was his first Grammy.

In the jazz competition, Ella Fitzgerald was declared best female vocalist, her 13th career Grammy, while Harry Connick Jr. was named best male singer for the second straight year. Peterson won in both the solo instrumental category and, with the Oscar Peterson Trio, in the group instrumental performance.

Vince Gill and Kathy Mattea won in the country male and female vocal competition, while the Atkins/Knopfler team was honored for country vocal collaboration and country instrumental.

The Rev. James Cleveland, the Los Angeles-based gospel giant who died earlier this month, was honored for best gospel album by a choir or chorus.

In the Latin field, Jose Feliciano, Tito Puente and the Texas Tornados were saluted for best Latin pop, tropical Latin and Mexican-American performances.

B. B. King won his fifth career Grammy, cited this time for best traditional blues recording, while “Robert Johnson: The Complete Recordings” was named the best historical package. “Les Miserables” was declared the best musical cast show album.