In glittery gown, gilded crown and gold choker, a pregnant Beyoncé took the Grammy stage Sunday in a lengthy performance of two songs from her critically acclaimed album Lemonade.
She was introduced by her mother and former stylist, Tina Knowles: “Ladies and gentlemen, with my mother’s pride, my daughter, Beyoncé.
Beyoncé sang on top of a long table, even leaning back on a chair while singing Love Drought. She later sang Sandcastles while sitting down, hitting high notes.
She earned a loud applause from the audience at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, including daughter Blue Ivy and husband Jay Z. Earlier, Beyoncé won best music video for Formation.
David Bowie, who died last year from cancer, won all four awards he was nominated for. He won three in the pre-telecast, and took home best rock song for Blackstar during the live show.
Blackstar, his final album released days after he died, also won best alternative music album, rock performance, and engineered album, non-classical (Bowie is listed as one of the engineers on Blackstar.) In the latter category, he beat out Prince, who also died last year.
Adele won two Grammys before the show started and opened the night by performing her hit Hello. (Lucy Nicholson/Reuters)
Adele kicked off the 2017 Grammy Awards with a live rendition of her comeback anthem, Hello, which helped her win two early Grammys on Sunday, and may put her on track to win album, song and record of the year.
Hello won best pop solo performance and 25 won pop vocal album in the pre-telecast ceremony. In the top three categories, Adele will go head-to-head with Beyoncé who is scheduled to perform later in the show.
Beyoncé, who recently announced that she is pregnant with twins, is the overall leader with nine Grammy nominations, including bids in the rock, pop, R&B and rap categories. Adele is nominated for five awards.
Chance the Rapper won the first award in the live telecast for best new artist. He also won best rap performance during the pre-show awards.
“Glory be to God. I claimed this victory in the name of the Lord. I want to thank God for my mother and my father who supported me since I was young,” Chance the Rapper said onstage at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.
James Corden, hosting the Grammys for the first time, rapped some of his monologue at the top of the show, namedropping Prince, Rihanna and Drake.
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.
Toronto’s Drake, who isn’t attending the live show, won best rap song and rap/sung performance for the smash hit, Hotline Bling.
Nominees battling Formation and Hello for record of the year include Rihanna and Drake’s Work,” Twenty One Pilots’ Stressed Out and Lukas Graham’s Seven Years.
Song of the year nominees are Formation, Hello, Seven Years, Mike Posner’s I Took a Pill in Ibiza and Bieber’s Love Yourself, shared with co-writer Ed Sheeran.
The Chainsmokers, who have dominated the pop charts, are nominated for best new artist with Chance the Rapper, Maren Morris, Anderson Paak and Kelsea Ballerini..
Comedien Margaret Cho shows nominees how they should hold their awards during the pre-show for the 59th Grammy Awards Sunday. ( Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)
The pre-show
Margaret Cho kicked off Sunday’s Grammy Awards with a few ground rules — keep the speeches short and kiss your loved ones later.
The comedian and Grammy nominee is one of the hosts of the Grammys pre-show, which hands out awards in 75 categories before the main show airs on CBS later Sunday.
She told winners they should keep their acceptance speeches to 45 seconds and kiss their loved ones in the audience later because time was so tight.
She also told nominees to stay in their seats if they don’t win and referenced rapper Kanye West, who famously interrupted Taylor Swift’s speech at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards. “Kanye’s not here, so that will be fine,” said Cho.
Tonight’s performances
Beyoncé, Katy Perry and Bruno Mars performed at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, as will Simpson, Graham.
Collaborative performances include Lady Gaga and Metallica, the Weeknd and Daft Punk, Chance the Rapper and Kirk Franklin, Alicia Keys and Maren Morris, Carrie Underwood and Keith Urban, and A Tribe Called Quest and Anderson Paak.
Tributes are planned for Prince and George Michael, while Demi Lovato, Andra Day and Tori Kelly will honour the Bee Gees and the 40th anniversary of Saturday Night Fever.
Other performers include, Kelsea Ballerini, Cynthia Erivo and John Legend, William Bell and Gary Clark Jr.
The Weeknd was the Grammys second performer and was introduced by Paris Jackson. (Lucy Nicholson/Reuters)
Canadian connections
The second performer of the night was the Weeknd, who was introduced by Paris Jackson, daughter of the late Michael Jackson.
Canadian songwriter Bernie Herms came out an early winner at the pre-telecast Grammy Awards ceremony on Sunday.
The London, Ont.-born and Edmonton-raised musician took home a golden gramophone for best contemporary Christian music performance or song for Thy Will by Hillary Scott and the Scott Family.
Scott, who is a singer in Lady Antebellum, also won best contemporary Christian music album for Love Remains, which features Herms’ song.
Several other Canadians will be going for glory at tonight’s Grammy Awards.
And two of the country’s biggest music stars are in the running for the night’s biggest prize — album of the year. Drake and Justin Bieber square off against country singer Sturgill Simpson and pop powerhouses Adele and Beyoncé.
Hip-hop star Drake leads Canadian musicians with eight nominations, including one for best rap album for Views. He took home early awards for best rap song and for best rap/sung performance.
He’s also up for record of the year with Rihanna for the smash Work.
Meanwhile, Bieber’s hit single Love Yourself is in the running for best song and best pop solo performance.
His album Purpose is up for best pop vocal album nomination.
Canadians hoping to take home Grammy hardware also include Indigenous singing group Northern Cree, filmmaker Miles Jay and electronic duo Bob Moses.
Toronto singer Kai is up for best dance recording.
And Calgary-born James Teej has a nod for his work remixing the Paul McCartney and Wings track Nineteen Hundred and Eighty Five.
