Adele sweeps Grammy awards in upset victory over Beyonce
Singer Demi Lovato arrives at the 59th Annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles, California, U.S. , February 12, 2017. REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni
The group Little Big Town arrives at the 59th Annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles, California, U.S. , February 12, 2017. REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni
Rock group Cage the Elephant poses with the award they won for Best Rock Album for 'Tell Me I'm Pretty' at the 59th Annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles, California, U.S. , February 12, 2017. REUTERS/Mike Blake
Heidi Klum arrives at the 59th Annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles, California, U.S. , February 12, 2017. REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni
Lalah Hathaway holds the awards she won for Best Traditional R&B Performance and Best R&B Album at the 59th Annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles, California, U.S. , February 12, 2017.
Musicians Tim McGraw and Faith Hill arrive at the 59th Annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles, California, U.S. , February 12, 2017. REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni
Singer Carrie Underwood arrives at the 59th Annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles, California, U.S. , February 12, 2017. REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni
Show host James Corden performs at the 59th Annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles, California, U.S., February 12, 2017. REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson
Musician John Legend arrives at the 59th Annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles, California, U.S. , February 12, 2017. REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni
Daya holds the award for Best Dance Recording for 'Don't Let Me Down' at the 59th Annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles, California, U.S. , February 12, 2017. REUTERS/Mike Blake
Singer Celine Deon arrives at the 59th Annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles, California, U.S. , February 12, 2017. REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni
Adele sings 'Hello' at the 59th Annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles, California, U.S., February 12, 2017. REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson
Singer Katy Perry arrives at the 59th Annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles, California, U.S. , February 12, 2017. REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni
The group Metallica and Lady Gaga arrive at the 59th Annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles, California, U.S. , February 12, 2017. REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni
Singer Adele arrives at the 59th Annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles, California, U.S. , February 12, 2017. REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni
Singer Jennifer Lopez speaks at the 59th Annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles, California, U.S. , February 12, 2017. REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson
British Pop Star David Bowie screams into the microphone as he performs on stage during his concert in Vienna February 4, 1996. REUTERS/Leonhard Foeger/File Photo
Metallica's James Hetfield and Lady Gaga perform 'Moth into Flame' at the 59th Annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles, California, U.S. , February 12, 2017. REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson
Adele sings 'Hello' at the 59th Annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles, California, U.S., February 12, 2017. REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson
Singer Adele performs a tribute to the late George Michael (on screen) at the 59th Annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles, California, U.S. , February 12, 2017. REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson
Beyonce performs at the 59th Annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles, California, U.S. , February 12, 2017. REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson
Beyonce performs at the 59th Annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles, California, U.S. , February 12, 2017. REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson
Beyonce performs at the 59th Annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles, California, U.S. , February 12, 2017. REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson
Adele and co writer Greg Kurstin accept the Grammy for Record of the Year for 'Hello' at the 59th Annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles, California, U.S., February 12, 2017. REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson
Beyonce (R) performs at the 59th Annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles, California, U.S. , February 12, 2017. REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson
Beyonce holds the awards she won for Best Urban Contemporary Album for 'Lemonade' and Best Music Video for 'Formation' at the 59th Annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles, California, U.S. , February 12, 2017. REUTERS/Mike Blake
Singer Adele accepts the Grammy for Song of the Year for 'Hello' as it is presented to her and co-writer Greg Kurstin (not pictured) by Singer Celine Dion. REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson
Adele accepts the Grammy for Record of the Year for 'Hello' given to her and co-writer Greg Kurstin (not pictured) at the 59th Annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles, California, U.S., February 12, 2017. REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson
Adele waves to singer Beyonce who is in the audience as she and co-song writer Greg Kurstin (not pictured) accept the Grammy for Song of the Year for 'Hello' at the 59th Annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles, California, U.S. , February 12, 2017. REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson
A combination photo shows Adele (L) singing 'Hello' and Beyonce performing at the 59th Annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles, California, ebruary 12, 2017. REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson
LOS ANGELES Adele swept the Grammy Awards on Sunday, taking home statuettes for the top prizes - album, record and song of the year - in a shock, history-making victory over Beyonce on a night marked by political statements and emotional tributes.
Adele, 28, won all five Grammys for which she was nominated, including for her comeback album "25" and her soaring ballad "Hello." She became the first person in Grammy history to win the top three awards twice, following her wins for her last album "21" in 2012.
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Beyonce, 35, had gone into Sunday's awards show with a leading nine nominations for her powerful "Lemonade" album about race, feminism, and betrayal. She had been hoping to win her first album of the year Grammy.
Adele, who now has a career total of 15 Grammys, seemed stunned, telling reporters backstage that she "felt like it was her (Beyonce's) time to win."
"My queen and my idol is Queen B. I adore you," the British singer said to Beyonce, seated in the front row, as she accepted her award.
"I can't possibly accept this award, and I'm very humble and very grateful. But my artist of my life is Beyonce. This album for me, the 'Lemonade' album, was so monumental," she added.
SHOW-STOPPER
Beyonce and Adele also had the most talked-about moments on the Grammys stage.
In her first public appearance since her announcement 12 days ago that she is expecting twins, Beyonce donned a sheer, glittering gold dress and halo crown to perform her ballads "Love Drought" and "Sandcastles."
Singing seated on a chair and surrounded by petals, she also appeared in video projections wearing a gold-chain string bikini.
Moments later, Adele literally stopped the show after flubbing the start of a tribute to the late British pop star George Michael.
"I'm sorry. I know it's live TV," she said, cursing, stopping her slow ballad version of Michael's "Fastlove" and asking to start again. "I can't mess this up for him (Michael)," she said. She later apologized for causing any offense.
Later, Minneapolis band The Time and Bruno Mars performed an up-tempo tribute to Prince, celebrating his musical legacy.
POLITICAL STATEMENTS
As with other recent Hollywood award shows, artists wasted no time getting political.
Katy Perry wore a glittering armband saying "Persist" and her performance of "Chained to the Rhythm" featured banners showing the words "We the People", the opening sentence of the U.S. Constitution.
Host James Corden, opening the show with an extended rap about the power of music, sang "Live it all up, because this is the best, and with President Trump, we don't know what is next."
The other big winner was late British singer David Bowie, whose final album "Blackstar" won all five of its nominations, including best alternative album. The British singer had never won in his lifetime for an individual album or song.
"Blackstar" was released two days before his death in January 2016 of cancer.
Other winners on Sunday included Chicago's Chance the Rapper, who won three Grammys including best new artist while Twenty One Pilots won best pop duo/group performance for "Stressed Out."
Drake and Kanye West, who each had eight nominations, were no shows, as well as Justin Bieber. Drake, who won two Grammys for single "Hotline Bling", is on tour in England.
(Reporting by Jill Serjeant; Editing by Mary Milliken and Bill Rigby)