Sam Smith stole the show at the Grammy Awards, winning four awards as well as performing his hit Stay With Me with Mary J Blige.
But Madonna stole much of the attention on the red carpet, showing she is determined not to be overshadowed by the younger pop crowd.
The queen of pop later sang Living For Love with a pack of horned male dancers before being lifted to the skies.
Australian singer Sia - whose claim to fame is that she does not want to be famous - sang her hit Chandelier while facing the wall (right) while Bridesmaids actress Kristen Wiig and 12-year-old Maddie Ziegler danced in set made to look like a grotty, cluttered flat.
Sia had earlier arrived in a conspicuous disguise, accompanied by Ziegler.
Pharrell Williams was among the big winners, picking up three trophies as well as performing his song Happy while apparently dressed as a bell boy.
When Beck won best album, Kanye West invaded the stage and threatened to launch a tirade, before apparently thinking better of it and going back to his seat. In 2009, he grabbed the microphone from Taylor Swift as she tried to accept a prize at the VMAs.
Beck, who also won best rock album, performed a duet with Coldplay's Chris Martin.
Taylor Swift got a hand with her dress on the red carpet. She missed out on the awards for record of the year and song of the year.
The big-name pair-ups included Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga, who performed Irving Berlin's Cheek To Cheek.
Rihanna arrived in a pink layered dress by Giambattista Valli.
Katy Perry mingled with fans before swapping fashion tips (possibly) with Rihanna.
Perry then changed clothes - and hair - to perform her ballad By the Grace of God as part of a poignant segment highlighting domestic abuse.
Kanye West appeared in a single spotlight to perform Only One, which he wrote with Sir Paul McCartney.
He later returned with Sir Paul and Rihanna to perform their joint collaboration FourFiveSeconds.
Jessie J and Sir Tom Jones, former co-stars on The Voice UK, got together for a duet of You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'.
Charli XCX (left) and Iggy Azalea were up for record of the year for their hit Fancy - but lost out to Sam Smith.
Beyonce won three awards and also sang the gospel standard Take My Hand, Precious Lord.
Rita Ora warmed up for her performance at the Oscars later this month with an appearance at the Grammys.
Hard rock legends AC/DC opened the ceremony with Rock or Bust and Highway to Hell.
Recalling his Oscar-winning film role in Ray a decade ago, Jamie Foxx (right) got into character as Ray Charles as he joined Stevie Wonder to present the prize for record of the year.

Rajesh Shah, one of the shop's co-owners, told the BBC there would be a new name "tomorrow or the day after".
Jews in the city of Ahmedabad, where the shop opened last month, said using the Nazi dictator's name was offensive. Israeli diplomats also raised the issue with the Gujarat state government.
The owners said they did not know who Adolf Hitler was when the shop opened.
Mr Shah told the BBC: "Yes we are planning to change the name. There has been too much political pressure from the government."
He said officials had promised compensation for the rebranding of the store, which sells men's clothing, although he said they had provided nothing in writing.
His co-owner, Manish Chandani, told AFP news agency they had never intended to glorify Hitler.
"I was not aware of Hitler being responsible for the killings of six million people before the shop's inauguration. This time I will choose a non-controversial name."
Mr Chandani says the shop's name was a tribute to his grandfather who was nicknamed Hitler because he was "very strict".
Others saw the name as a marketing gimmick in a country where the former German leader attracts unusual interest in some sections of society.
"I am happy that the store owner decided to change the name. I guess he realised that it was not the right thing to do," Orna Sagiv, Israeli consul general in Mumbai, told AFP.
Some of the biggest stars in the music world have been on stage at the Grammy Awards in Los Angeles, the most prestigious night in the pop calendar.
[NEXT_CONCEPT]
The owners of a new Indian clothing store called Hitler say they will rename it after receiving complaints.