LOS ANGELES — David Bowie’s final album, released days after he died of cancer last year, earned him three Grammy Awards on Sunday, while Beyoncé and Adele also picked up early awards.
“Blackstar” won best alternative music album, rock performance — where Bowie beat Beyoncé and Jack White — and engineered album, non-classical, where Bowie won over Prince (Bowie is listed as one of the engineers on “Blackstar.”)
Bowie was nominated for four Grammys, and his final category — best rock song — will be announced in the live telecast, which begins at 8 p.m. Eastern on CBS.
Adele won best pop vocal album (“25”) and pop solo performance (“Hello”) in the pre-telecast ceremony in Los Angeles. Beyoncé was also an early winner: She became a 21-time Grammy winner after picking up best music video for the hit “Formation.” She lost best music film (“Lemonade”) to the Ron Howard-directed “The Beatles: Eight Days A Week The Touring Years.”
Beyoncé’s younger sister, critical R&B darling Solange, won her first Grammy for best R&B performance (it was her first-ever nomination).
Drake, who isn’t attending the live show, won best rap song and rap/sung performance for the smash hit, “Hotline Bling.” Chance the Rapper, nominated for seven awards, won best rap performance for “No Problem,” also earning Grammys for Lil Wayne and 2 Chainz.
Justin Timberlake’s “Can’t Stop the Feeling!” — which is nominated for an Oscar — won best song written for visual media. His No.1 hit is from the “Trolls” soundtrack. Lady Antebellum’s Hillary Scott won two Grammys in the Christian category for the album she recorded with her family. Scott, who has won seven Grammys with Lady A, cried onstage both times when accepting the wins.
“We’ve been crying since this project started,” her father, Lang Scott, said.
Best new artist nominees The Chainsmokers won best dance recording for the pop hit “Don’t Let Me Down,” while album of the year nominee Sturgill Simpson won best country album for “A Sailor’s Guide to Earth.”
The country music rebel thanked his wife, who he said told him to quit his job on the railroad years ago and move to Nashville.
Joey + Rory won best roots gospel album for “Hymns,” and Rory Feek was emotional onstage as he remembered his wife Joey, who died last year from cancer.
“My wife’s dream was to make a hymns album. She didn’t have the chance to do it until she’d been diagnosed with stage 4 cancer, so she’d sing in hotel rooms while she did chemotherapy and radiation,” said Rory, who added that his wife said if they were nominated he had to attend the Grammys. “She got a big smile on her face and she said, ‘Remember, if we win, I’ll know before you will.”
Some actors won Grammys, too: Don Cheadle picked up best compilation soundtrack for visual media for “Miles Ahead,” where he is credited as a compilation producer, and Carol Burnett won the best spoken word album Grammy.
“The Color Purple” won best musical theater album, giving Jennifer Hudson her second Grammy and earning Tony winner Cynthia Erivo and “Orange Is the New Black” actress Danielle Brooks their first Grammys.
Beyoncé was the overall top nominee with nine. There are few things the pop diva has not conquered, and the Grammy for album of the year is one of them.
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