Adele, the English queen of pop heartbreak and redemption, scored a perfect five for five Sunday at the 59th Grammy Awards, sweeping the top categories of album, record and song of the year in a triumphant return to the spotlight following a long, trying hiatus.
She also won points for humility and grace, restarting a tribute to George Michael that she began off-key and paying homage, in the evening’s final moments, to the artist considered her key rival for the top awards.
For the record:
2:10 p.m. Aug. 18, 2019An earlier version of this story incorrectly identified the Grammy category for which Beyonce’s “Lemonade” won. It was named the urban contemporary album and not the urban alternative album.
As she accepted the album of the year award for the blockbuster “25,” the singer, born Adele Adkins, paid homage to Beyoncé.
“The ‘Lemonade’ album is monumental, so monumental, so well-thought-out, so beautiful and soul-baring,” Adele said as Beyoncé looked on from her seat in Staples Center and mouthed the words “Thank you.”
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Rihanna arrives at the 59th Grammy Awards.
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Lady Gaga arrives at the 59th Grammy Awards.
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Adele arrives at the 59th Grammy Awards.
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Jennifer Lopez arrives at the 59th Grammy Awards.
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Chrissy Teigen and John Legend arrive at the 59th Grammy Awards.
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Katy Perry arrives at the 59th Grammy Awards.
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CeeLo Green alter ego Gnarly Davidsonn arrive at the 59th Annual Grammy Awards.
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Host James Corden and Julia Carey arrive at the 59th Grammy Awards.
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Chance the Rapper arrives at the 59th Grammy Awards.
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Celine Dion arrives at the 59th Grammy Awards.
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From left, Jack Lawless, JinJoo Lee, Joe Jonas and Cole Whittle of DNCE arrive at the 59th Grammy Awards.
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Carrie Underwood arrives at the 59th Grammy Awards.
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Solange Knowles arrives at the 59th Grammy Awards.
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Demi Lovato arrives at the 59th Grammy Awards.
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Laverne Cox arrives at the 59th Grammy Awards.
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Lea Michele arrives at the 59th Grammy Awards.
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Kool and The Gang arrive at the 59th Grammy Awards.
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From left, Jimi Westbrook, Karen Fairchild, Kimberly Schlapman and Philip Sweet of Little Big Town arrive at the 59th Grammy Awards.
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Jason Derulo arrives at the 59th Grammy Awards.
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Leon Bridges, left, and Brittni Jessie arrive at the 59th Grammy Awards.
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Lars Ulrich of Metallica, at right, and Jessica Miller arrive at the 59th Grammy Awards.
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Charli XCX arrives at the 59th Grammy Awards.
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Cassadee Pope and Chris Young arrive at the 59th Grammy Awards.
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Rappers Rick Ross and Lil Yachty arrives at the 59th Grammy Awards.
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Nick Jonas arrives at the 59th Grammy Awards.
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Singer-songwriter Tinashe arrives at the 59th Grammy Awards.
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Heidi Klum arrives at the 59th Grammy Awards.
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Rapper Desiigner arrives at the 59th Grammy Awards.
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Ryan Seacrest arrives at the 59th Grammy Awards.
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Girl Crush wears a dress of colorful balls during the arrivals at the 59th Grammy Awards.
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TV personality Giuliana Rancic arrives at the 59th Grammy Awards.
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Halsey arrives at the 59th Grammy Awards.
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Weezer arrives at the 59th Grammy Awards.
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Tori Kelly arrives at the 59th Grammy Awards.
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Rapper 2 Chainz arrives at the 59th Grammy Awards.
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Elle King and Dierks Bentley arrive at the 59th Grammy Awards.
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Camila Cabello arrives at the 59th Grammy Awards.
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LOS ANGELES, CA - February 12, 2017 Paris Jackson during the arrivals at the 59th Annual GRAMMY Awards at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, CA. Sunday, February 12, 2017. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times)
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Kelsea Ballerini arrives at the 59th Grammy Awards.
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The band Cage the Elephant arrives at the 59th Grammy Awards.
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Musician Skrillex arrives at the 59th Grammy Awards.
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The band Korn arrives at the 59th Grammy Awards.
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DJ Steve Aoki arrives at the 59th Grammy Awards.
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Megadeth arrives at the 59th Grammy Awards.
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From left, Tim Nordwind, Damian Kulash, Dan Konopka, and Andy Ross of OK Go arrive at the 59th Grammy Awards.
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Gaby Moreno arrives at the 59th Grammy Awards.
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Electronic/dance nominees Riton and Kah-Lo arrive at the 59th Grammy Awards.
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Raging Fyah arrive at the 59th Grammy Awards.
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Blink-182 arrives at the 59th Grammy Awards.
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Patton Oswalt arrives at the 59th Grammy Awards.
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New Age nominees White Sun (Adam Berry, Gurujaas and Hari Jiwan Singh Khalsa) arrive at the 59th Grammy Awards.
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Mela Dailey, Carr Hornbuckle and Rikk Gabrillo arrive at the 59th Grammy Awards.
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Ted Nash Big Band arrives at the 59th Grammy Awards.
(Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) FULL COVERAGE: Grammys 2017 »
Adele’s hit single “Hello” also collected the song award, which recognizes songwriting, and record of the year, which factors in vocal performance and record production. In addition, she won the awards for pop vocal album and solo performance.
Beyonce, who received the the most nominations this year, won two of her nine categories; “Lemonade” won for urban contemporary album, and “Formation” won the music video award.
David Bowie’s final album “Blackstar” also picked up five Grammy Awards for alternative music album, rock song, rock performance, engineered nonclassical album and recording package.
Not surprisingly given the mood of the country, the ceremony featured several moments of political commentary, ranging from calls for unity to blatant criticism.
In accepting the urban contemporary album award, Beyoncé said, “My intention for the film and album was to create a body of work that will give a voice to our pain, our struggles, our darkness and our history, to confront issues that make us uncomfortable.
“It’s important to me to show images to my children that reflect their beauty,” she continued, “so they can grow up in a world where they look in the mirror, first through their own families, as well as the news, the Super Bowl, the Olympics, the White House and the Grammys, and see themselves. And have no doubt that they’re beautiful, intelligent and capable.
Far more direct was the call-out to “President Agent Orange” from hip-hop collective A Tribe Called Quest.
The group performed a medley of songs that included its rap “We the People” with a chorus that states: “All you black folks, you must go / All you Mexicans, you must go, / And all you poor folks, you must go, / Muslims and gays, boy, we hate your ways, / So all you bad folks, you must go.”
The music was choreographed with people taking the stage in burkas and other attire representing a variety of ethnicities and genders.
The changing times were also represented by Chance the Rapper, who also had a big night with three Grammys. In the first award handed out Sunday night, he was crowned best new artist, solidifying the industry’s broader definition of “record” and “album.”
Because Chance the Rapper’s debut “Coloring Book” was available only as a free stream, the academy altered the long-standing requirement that music considered for awards be available in physical form, an acknowledgement of the shifting tide of consumers’ preferred way to listen.
Before the telecast, the Chicago rapper raced to the stage to collect his first Grammy, in the rap performance category, for the track “No Problem,” featuring Lil Wayne and 2 Chainz.
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Beyonce backstage at the 59th Grammy Awards at Staples Center in Los Angeles.
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Adele backstage with her five awards.
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Patton Oswalt holds the trophy for comedy album in the press room.
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Solange Knowles, winner of the award for R&B performance, backstage at the 59th Grammy Awards.
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Maren Morris holds her Grammy for country solo performance.
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Singer Lalah Hathaway holds her trophies for traditional R&B performance and R&B album.
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Melina Matsoukas, video director for Beyonce’s “Formation,” with her Grammy for music video.
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Kalani Pe’a, winner for regional roots music, backstage at the 59th Grammy Awards.
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Tamela Mann blows a kiss to her award for gospel performance/song.
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Songwriter Anthony Paul Jefferies, known professionally as Nineteen85, holds his award for “Hotline Bling.”
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The Chainsmokers, with their award for dance recording, in the press room at the 59th Grammy Awards at Staples Center.
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Sarah Jarosz, winner for folk album and American roots performance.
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Ted Nash, winner for large jazz ensemble and instrumental composition.
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Chucho Valdes shows some love to his award for Latin jazz album backstage at the Grammys.
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From left: Matthan Minster, Daniel Tichenor, Matthew Shultz, Jared Champion, Nick Bockrath and Brad Shult of the musical group Cage the Elephant pose in the press room with the award for rock album for “Tell Me I’m Pretty.”
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Singer Daya poses with her Grammy for dance recording for “Don’t Let Me Down.”
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William Bell poses in the press room with his Grammy for Americana album for “This Is Where I Live.”
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Singer-songwriter Lori McKenna poses with the country song Grammy for “Humble and Kind.”
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Greg Kurstin stands with his Grammy for producer of the year, non-classical in the press room backstage.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) The complete list of 2017 Grammys winners and nominees »
Beyoncé was not the only artist with a wide nomination/win gap. Rihanna, Drake and Kanye West had eight nominations each, yet only Drake scored Grammys; his single “Hotline Bling,” won for rap/sung performance and rap song. Given the multiple awards to Adele and Bowie, the Recording Academy could open itself to complaints along the line of the #OscarsSoWhite controversy.
In the pre-show ceremony, comedy album winner Patton Oswalt, nominee and award presenter Margaret Cho and sibling pop duo Jesse & Joy, who won the Latin pop album Grammy for “Un Besito Mas,” also referenced social and political issues.
“We are so proud to be Mexican Americans,” said Joy Huerta, accompanied by her brother, Jesse. “This goes to all the Hispanics in this country, to every minority group. We are with you, we stand with you.”
And in the ceremony preceding the telecast, roots country artist Sturgill Simpson, the long-shot overall album-of-the-year nominee for his boundary-pushing effort, “A Sailor’s Guide to Earth,” won the country album category over works by veterans Loretta Lynn and Keith Urban and relative newcomers Brandy Clark and Maren Morris.
“I guess the revolution won’t be televised,” he quipped.
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