Host LL Cool J pays tribute to singer Whitney Houston onstage at the 54th Annual GRAMMY Awards held at Staples Center on February 12, 2012 in Los Angeles, California. [Photo: CFP]

The 54th annual Grammy Awards ceremony began with a tribute to Whitney Houston, the pop superstar who was found dead Saturday afternoon, as a clip of her was shown live to the audience at the Staples Center.

"Heavenly Father, we thank you for sharing our sister Whitney with us. Today our thoughts are with her mother, her daughter and all of her loved ones. And although she is gone too soon, we remain truly blessed to have been touched by her beautiful spirit, and to have her lasting legacy of music to cherish and share forever. Amen," Host LL Cool J paid the tribute to the late singer with a prayer.

Houston, 48-year-old, was found dead at the Beverly Hills Hilton Hotel. Authorities believed Houston may have fallen asleep or lapsed into unconsciousness while taking a bath and drowned.

An autopsy was conducted Sunday which revealed she did have water in her lungs when she died, but the medical examiner needs to determine exactly how much before they can rule whether she died as a result of drowning. 

Whitney Houston, who was also an actress, producer and model, was best known for her chart-topping single "I Will Always Love You" from the film "The Bodyguard" in 1992.

As one of the most successful pop singers in modern music history, Houston was remembered as the most awarded female vocalist of all time, garnering a total of 415 awards, including six Grammy Awards, 22 American Music Awards and countless other accolades, according to Guinness World Records.