Beyonce, Swift get top honors
History made at 63rd annual Grammy Awards
YORK (AP) — The Grammys are drunk in love with Beyoncé and Taylor Swift: the singers both made history at the 2021 show.
Swift, 31, became first woman to win album of the year three times.
“We just want to thank the fans,” said Swift, who won the top prize with “folklore.”
Swift previously won album of the year with her albums “Fearless” and “1989.”
Beyoncé made history by surpassing Alison Krauss to become the most decorated female act in Grammy history.
Beyoncé earned her 28th Grammy on Sunday, picking up honors like best R&B performance for “Black Parade,” best music video for “Brown Skin Girl” as well as best rap performance and best rap song for “Savage,” with Megan Thee Stallion.
“As an artist I believe it’s my job, and all of our jobs, to reflect time and it’s been such a difficult time,” Beyoncé said onstage as she won best R&B performance for “Black Parade,” which was released on Juneteenth.
She went on to say she created the song to honor the “beautiful Black kings and queens” in the world.
She added: “I have been working my whole life ... This is such a magical night.”
Beyoncé is now tied with producer and multi-instrumentalist Quincy Jones for the second most Grammy wins. The late conductor Georg Solti is the most decorated Grammy winner with 31 wins.
The royal family of music all won honors Sunday: Jay-Z shared the best rap song win since he co-wrote “Savage” and nine-year-old Blue Ivy Carter — who won best music video alongside her mother — became the second youngest act to win a Grammy in show’s 63-year history.
Leah Peasall was 8 when The Peasall Sisters won album of the year at the 2002 show for their appearance on the T Bone Burnett-produced “O Brother, Where Art Thou?” soundtrack.
Megan Thee Stallion, who won three honors, also made history and became the first female rapper to best rap song. She’s also the fifth rapbased act to win best new artist.
Beyoncé was the night’s top contender with nine nominations, and she’s still up for record of the year, where she’s a double nominee thanks to “Black Parade” and “Savage.”
Beyoncé didn’t perform but Swift did.
She sang “cardigan” and “august” from “folklore,” as well as “willow” from “everNEW more,” and was joined by the collaborators who helped her make the albums, Jack Antonoff and Aaron Dessner, who both won album of the year with Swift.
Silk Sonic, aka Bruno Mars and Anderson Paak, also performed, bringing a throwback R&B vibe to the show with their smooth new single, “Leave the Door Open.”
Dua Lipa, who won best pop vocal album, proved her pop star status with a performance of her hits.
Other performers included Billie Eilish, Cardi B, Bad Bunny, Miranda Lambert, Maren Morris and Harry Styles, who won best pop solo performance for the hit “Watermelon Sugar.”
Other double winners include Fiona Apple, Kaytranada and late performers John Prine and Chick Corea.