British singer Sam Smith was the big winner at the music industry’s 57th annual Grammy Awards Sunday in Los Angeles. His soulful tune Stay With Me won Record of the Year and Song of the Year. Smith also won the best new artist prize and his album In the Lonely Hour won best pop vocal album.
However, the British phenomenon lost the best album prize to Beck’s Morning Phase, which also triumphed over works by Beyonce, Pharrell Williams and Ed Sheeran.
The 22-year-old Smith said when he accepted the award for record of the year, “I want to thank the man who this record is about, who I fell in love with last year. Thank you so much for breaking my heart because you got me four Grammys.”
Performances were staged by new and old artists. The ageless Tony Bennett sang Dancing Cheek to Cheek with an elegantly clad Lady Gaga. The odd couple won the Grammy for best traditional pop vocal album.
Other Grammy winners included:
Pop solo performance: Happy by Pharrell Williams
R and B song: Drunk in Love by Beyonce and Jay Z
Country song: I’m Not Gonna Miss You by Glen Campbell
Rock Performance: Lazaretto by Jack White
R and B Album: Love, Marriage and Divorce by Toni Braxton and Babyface
Country Album: Platinum by Miranda Lambert
Rap Album: The Marshall Mathers LP2 by Eminem
LL Cool J was the host for the show.
Paul McCartney, Rihanna and Kanye West performed their new single Four Five Seconds, in what was likely the most anticipated performance of the evening. Madonna sang her new Living for Love in a scanty outfit, accompanied by dancers in bull masks.
The afro-coifed Prince, who announced the award for best album, asked the audience if they remembered what albums are. He told the audience that albums still matter “like books and black lives still matter,” in a reference to the “black lives matter” slogan that has been used in protests in the U.S. challenging instances of police brutality against black men.
Common and John Legend closed out the show with a performance of their song Glory from the film Selma.
LISTEN: VOA One Grammy Podcast
