Sam Smith was the king of the Grammys, taking home three of the top four awards, including song and record of the year for Stay With Me, and best new artist, while Beck won album of the year.
“I want to thank the man who this record is about ... Thank you so much for breaking my heart because I have four Grammys,” said the 22-year-old British soul singer, who also won best pop vocal album for In the Lonely Hour.
Smith, along with Beyonce, Pharrell Williams and Ed Sheeran, lost album of the year to Beck’s Morning Phase, which also won best rock album.
Photo: EPA
Kanye West, who famously interrupted Taylor Swift when she beat Beyonce at the MTV Video Music Awards, almost walked onstage when Prince announced Beck’s name. Some in the audience seemed shocked, from Williams to Questlove.
Beck’s album debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 albums chart and sold about 300,000 units.
Williams and Rosanne Cash walked away with three awards each. Williams won best pop solo performance for a live version of Happy, released in 2013.
He also won best music video for the song and best urban contemporary album for G I R L, beating Beyonce.
“I am going to moonwalk my way off the stage right now,” said Williams, wearing a blazer and shorts.
Williams’ performance of Happy was dramatic with background dancers in black, musicians in yellow and a choir in white. When the chorus was supposed to come in, Lang Lang played the piano skillfully. Hans Zimmer also played the guitar.
“Thank you, God,” Williams, in a bell-boy hat, said at the end of the performance.
Rihanna gave an impressive vocal performance of FourFiveSeconds with Paul McCartney to her right and Kanye West to her left. Her hair was slicked back, and she rocked a black suit like her co-stars.
Katy Perry, in all white, sang the ballad By the Grace of God after a woman who had been abused talked about getting help and moving on with her life. A video of US President Barack Obama appeared before she spoke, and he encouraged artists to help out.
“It’s on us, all of us, to create a culture where violence isn’t tolerated,” he said.
Annie Lennox was a powerhouse when she sang I Put A Spell On You and joined Hozier for Take Me to Church, nominated for song off the year.
Beyonce won best R&B song and R&B performance for Drunk In Love and surround sound album for Beyonce.
“This has been such an incredible year,” she said, thanking her “beloved husband” and “my daughter who is watching.”
In one of 23 performances, AC/DC began the show with a performance of their latest single, Rock or Bust, and then transitioned into the classic Highway to Hell.
Cash led the pre-show with three Grammys, while Eminem, Kendrick Lamar, Chick Corea and the Frozen soundtrack earned two awards apiece.
Lamar, who lost in seven categories last year, marked a redemption by winning best rap performance and rap song for i.
Eminem won best rap album. He also won best rap/sung collaboration for The Monster with Rihanna.
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