- Written by Mark Savage and Ian Youngs
- BBC News
WATCH: Celine Dion, Taylor Swift and Jay-Z take the spotlight at the Grammy Awards
Taylor Swift stole the show at this year's Grammy Awards, becoming the first female artist to win Album of the Year four times.
The star previously had three best album wins with Stevie Wonder, Paul Simon and Frank Sinatra.
The award was received by Celine Dion, who appeared unexpectedly amid health concerns. Swift also used the event to reveal a surprise new album.
Miley Cyrus and Billie Eilish took home the other top awards at Sunday's ceremony.
Women dominated the Los Angeles show, with R&B stars SZA and Victoria Monet and female indie group Boygenius taking home numerous awards, and music icons Tracy Chapman and Joni Mitchell giving rare and poignant performances.
Killer Mike was the first winner, taking home three rap awards. But his success was overshadowed by an apparent backstage altercation, which led to him being “arrested for assault and battery.” Los Angeles police said.
Top Grammy Awards
- Album of the Year – Taylor Swift, Midnight
- Record of the Year – Miley Cyrus, Flowers
- Song of the Year – Billie Eilish, What Were You Created For?
- Best New Artist – Victoria Monet
Song of the Year is different from Record of the Year – the former recognizes songwriters and achievements in composition while the latter is concerned with the technical recording process – taking into account production, engineering and performance.
Celine and Taylor celebrated
“When I say I'm happy to be here, I really mean it from my heart,” she told the audience.
There was an equally enthusiastic response when Dion announced that Swift had won best album.
The historic achievement is one of many the star has achieved in recent years. “I would tell you this is the best moment of my life,” she said, but just finishing a song or rehearsing or getting ready to play a show makes her just as happy.
Celine Dion's appearance will dispel some concerns about her health condition
“For me, the reward is the work,” she said. “All I want to do is continue to be able to do this. I love it so much. It makes me so happy. It makes me incredibly amazed because it makes some people happy who voted for this award as well.”
Swift previously won Album of the Year in 2010 for Fearless, in 2016 for 1989, and in 2021 for Folklore.
More about the Grammy Awards
Big night for Billy and Barbie
Billie Eilish won Song of the Year and Best Song Written for Visual Media
On Sunday, Midnights also won best pop vocal album, but surprisingly Swift did not take home the award for song or record of the year.
Eilish's contribution to the Barbie movie soundtrack, What Was I Made For?, beat out Swift's Anti-Hero to win song of the year this time around. The paths of SZA, Cyrus, and Olivia Rodrigo were also in contention.
Accepting the award with her brother and co-writer Finneas, Eilish told the audience: “Everyone in this category – that was an insane list of amazing people, amazing artists, amazing music. I feel crazy right now.”
The tune also won Best Song Written for Visual Media, while Barbie's album – compiled by producer Mark Ronson – won Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media.
Miley grammy hack
Mariah Carey presented Miley Cyrus with her first Grammy Award
Elsewhere, Record of the Year went to Flowers by Cyrus, which also took home Best Pop Vocal Performance.
It was the star's first ever Grammy Award, a fact she noted in her performance when she changed one of the song's lyrics to: “I just won my first Grammy!”
In her first acceptance speech, she told the story of a boy whose failed attempts to catch a butterfly ended when it stopped swinging around the net and remained still.
“And when he did that, a butterfly came and landed on the tip of his nose. And this song, 'Flowers,' is my butterfly,” Cyrus said.
SZA sizzling
Image source, Getty Images
SZA (center) had a hit with a song named after Quentin Tarantino's 2003 movie “Kill Bill.”
SZA led the nominations with nine awards, and finished with three.
She also performed at the concert, recreating the Crazy 88 fight scene from Quentin Tarantino's Kill Bill to accompany her song of the same name., Which won the title of Best R&B Song.
She was joined by a phalanx of sword-wielding female dancers who quickly dispatched hordes of men in suits – a reference to her tune's comedic tale of her ex-husband's murder.
Image source, Getty Images
Dua Lipa won the Best Song of the Year award for her song Barbie, Dance the Night
Described as “the biggest night in music,” the Grammy Awards are the industry's most prestigious awards.
Dua Lipa opened the ceremony with a medley of sports tunes including her contribution to Barbie's album Dance the Night, which also took home the award for Song of the Year.
Rodrigo, Eilish, Burna Boy and Travis Scott were among other performers, and stars such as Beyoncé, Doja Cat and Meryl Streep were in attendance.
But the emergence of two music legends overshadowed the younger stars.
Spine tingling moments
Image source, Getty Images
Tracy Chapman's hit song Fast Car was given a makeover last year when country star Luke Combs covered it
Chapman has only performed in public a handful of times since semi-retirement in 2009, but she joined country singer Luke Combs, who had a smash hit with a cover of her song Fast Car last year.
Mitchell then gave a spine-tingling, spine-tingling performance of her classic “Both Sides Now” — her first Grammys performance at the age of 80.
The Canadian singer-songwriter was previously named best pop album for a live album that marks her return to the stage in 2022 after suffering a brain aneurysm.
This was one of several awards to be given out during the four-hour “first ceremony” on Sunday afternoon.
Brandi Carlile joined Joni Mitchell on stage
Kylie's back
This previous concert also saw multiple wins for Boygenius, whose debut album The Record combines 70s California rock harmonies with lyrics about love and friendship.
Kylie Minogue has won her second ever Grammy Award – Best Pop Dance Recording for the viral hit Padam Padam – two decades after her first win.
Olivia Rodrigo received six nominations but went home empty-handed
South African singer Tila made history by winning the first ever award for Best African Performance.
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