Grammy Awards 2015

09 กุมภาพันธ์ 2558

Beyonce & Pharrell Williams win three awards, newcomer Sam Smith wins four, Madonna dances with half-naked male dancers in bull horns & Lady Gaga wins for jazz duet Cheek to Cheek with Tony Bennett.

Happy (Live) by Pharrell Williams won for Best Pop Solo Performance.

ENTERTAINMENT

Sam Smith dominates Grammys, but Beck gets surprise win

Mon, 9. February 2015

Lady Gaga kisses her Grammy for Best Traditional Pop Vocals for her album "Cheek to Cheek" with Tony Bennett (out of frame) during the 57th annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles, California AFP PHOTO / FREDERIC J. BROWN

Los Angeles, Feb 9, 2015 (AFP) - Sam Smith, the British soul singer who was virtually unknown a year ago, dominated the Grammy Awards on Sunday with four awards, although adventurous rocker Beck unexpectedly took home Album of the Year honors.

Superstar Beyonce and "Happy" creator Pharrell Williams took home three prizes each on the music industry's biggest night, which was marked by displays of artist activism against domestic violence and police brutality.

The 22-year-old Smith swept up three of the night's four top trophies -- Record of the Year, Song of the Year and Best New Artist -- as well as Best Pop Vocal Album honours.

Smith, who not long ago was working as a bartender in London, thanked the man he fell in love with last year and who inspired "Stay With Me" -- his mega-hit ballad about a one night stand.

"Thank you so much for breaking my heart because you got me four Grammys," Smith said to applause.

Stay with Me by Sam Smith won for Song of the Year.

"Before I made this record, I was doing everything to try to get my music heard. I tried to lose weight and ... I was making awful music," said Smith.

"It was only until I started to be myself that the music started to flow and people started to listen. So, thank you, guys, for accepting me to be just me."

Smith was prevented from a clean sweep of the top categories by Beck, whose introspective "Morning Phase" -- full of lush orchestration around his acoustic guitar -- won the Album of the Year prize.

Heart is a Drum by Beck from Album of the Year Morning Phase.

Beck, who also won Best Rock Album, has for two decades been known for his inventive and often ironic style which has won him critical acclaim and a cult following, if not the mainstream success usually recognised by the Grammys.

Beck's Album of the Year award was presented by the often-elusive Prince who, sporting a futuristic orange suit and carrying a staff, pointedly spoke out against a series of killings of African Americans that has galvanized public opinion.

"Like books and black lives, albums still matter," Prince said.

The theme was echoed throughout the Grammys....

...US President Barack Obama also appeared unexpectedly on an overhead screen to urge action to stop violence against women.

Saying that more than one in four women has experienced some form of domestic violence, Obama declared: "It's not okay. It has to stop." (See here)

...In a less grand gesture, rapper Kanye West defiantly raised his middle finger to the world as he performed with Paul McCartney and Rihanna.

Cheek to Cheek by Lady Gaga & Tony Bennett won for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album.

Madonna -- who was furious last month when songs from her upcoming album leaked - performed her new song "Living for Love" in a red matador-inspired outfit with half-naked male dancers in bull horns. (See here)

The music industry's top names opened the night by wearing red devil horns as ageing hard rockers AC/DC performed two songs including "Highway to Hell" ... (See here)

Beyonce won for Best R&B Song and Best R&B Performance with "Drunk In Love," her tale of marital bliss sung with her husband Jay-Z, as well as for the more technical Best Surround Sound Album.

With the latest honour, Beyonce has won 20 Grammys -- topping Aretha Franklin for the woman with the second biggest all-time haul, although still well behind the country music star Alison Krauss at 27....

Pharrell Williams took home prizes for Best Pop Solo Performance and Best Video for "Happy," as well as Best Urban Contemporary Album honours for "Girl."

...Eminem won a record sixth Grammy for Best Rap Album for "The Marshall Mathers LP 2."...