Adele walked away with five Grammys on Sunday night, including album, record and song of the year to beat Beyonce in the top three categories. Like all recent awards shows, the night was full of political moments.
Adele used her speech to honor Beyonce and her groundbreaking "Lemonade" album, which was also nominated, reported The Associated Press.
"The way you make my friends feel, the way you make my black friends feel is empowering," Adele said at the Staples Center in Los Angeles when accepting album of the year.
"I adore you. You move my soul everyday ... I adore you and I want you to be my mommy," Adele said to a very pregnant Beyonce just minutes before picking up song of the year for "Hello."
The night for Adele wasn't all good though: The singer, who had trouble with her live performance at last year's Grammys, asked to restart her tribute to George Michael, telling the audience: "I can't mess this up for him." She stopped and used an expletive after singing some of a new arrangement of Michael's "Fastlove," as videos and photos of Michael played in the background. She re-sang the song and earned applause and support from the crowd, though Adele was teary eyed.
Michael died on Christmas Day. At last year's show, the British singer had a hiccup after a microphone inside a piano fell onto the instrument's strings.
A number of other icons were honored, including Prince: Bruno Mars — rocking a glittery, Prince-like purple blazer, worked the guitar like a pro while singing the icon's "Let's Go Crazy." The Time — who worked closely with the Prince — brought the audience to its feet with funky performances of "Jungle Love" and "The Bird."
"Make some noise for Prince y'all," Mars yelled.
Mars was also a winner Sunday — he won for his producing work on Adele's album. Adele's other wins included best pop vocal album and pop solo performance.
Until Adele's abrupt restart, Beyonce was the talk of the show. In glittery gown, gilded crown and gold choker, a pregnant Beyonce took the Grammy stage in a lengthy performance of two songs from her critically acclaimed album "Lemonade." She was introduced by her mother and former stylist, Tina Knowles: "Ladies and gentlemen, with my mother's pride, my daughter, Beyonce."
Beyonce sang on top of a long table, even leaning back on a chair while singing "Love Drought." She later sang "Sandcastles" while sitting down in a chair that tilted alarmingly backward, hitting high notes.
She earned a loud applause from the audience, including daughter Blue Ivy and husband Jay Z. Beyonce, who walked into the show with nine nominations, won two: best music video ("Formation") and urban contemporary album ("Lemonade").
"My intention for the film and album is to create a body of work that would give voice to our pain, our struggles, our doubts, 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, so they can grow in a world, where they look in the mirror, first with their own families as well as in the Super Bowl, the Olympics, the White House and the Grammys and see themselves," said Beyonce, reading from a card. "This is something that I want for every child of every race, and I feel that it's vital that we learn from the past and recognize our tendencies to repeat our mistakes."
Beyonce's speech wasn't the only political moment: A Tribe Called Quest, along with Anderson .Paak and Busta Rhymes, gave a rousing performance and shouted "resist, resist" at their end of the performance, which featured a number of people onstage, including women in hijabs.
David Bowie, who died last year from cancer, won all four awards he was nominated for. "Blackstar," his final album released days after he died, won best alternative music album and engineered album, non-classical (Bowie is listed as one of the engineers on "Blackstar.") In the latter category, he beat out Prince, who also died last year.
The title track won best rock song and rock performance.
Adele and Mars worked overtime onstage, performing twice. Adele kicked off the show with "Hello" and Mars and his groovy band gave a memorable performance of "That's What I Like" — as Jennifer Lopez, Faith Hill, Rihanna and even some of the men in the audience watched closely, looking impressed.
Chance the Rapper won the first award in the live telecast for best new artist. He also won best rap album — the first streaming-only album to do so — and bested Drake and Kanye West.
"I didn't think we were gonna get this one," said Chance, who also won best rap performance.
Twenty one pilots won best pop duo/group performance for the hit "Stressed Out." They removed their pants when accepting the award in homage to their earlier days when they watched the Grammys at home in their boxers.
In the pre-telecast, Beyonce's younger sister, critical R&B darling Solange, won her first Grammy for best R&B performance (it was her first-ever nomination). Drake, who didn't attend the live show, won best rap song and rap/sung performance for the smash hit, "Hotline Bling."
Justin Timberlake's "Can't Stop the Feeling!" — which is nominated for an Oscar — won best song written for visual media. Best new artist nominees The Chainsmokers won best dance recording for the pop hit "Don't Let Me Down," while Simpson, an album of the year nominee, won best country album for "A Sailor's Guide to Earth."
The country music rebel thanked his wife, who he said told him to quit his job on the railroad years ago and move to Nashville.
Joey + Rory won best roots gospel album for "Hymns," and Rory Feek was emotional onstage as he remembered his wife Joey, who died last year from cancer.
Some actors won Grammys, too: Don Cheadle picked up best compilation soundtrack for visual media for "Miles Ahead," where he is credited as a compilation producer, and Carol Burnett won the best spoken word album Grammy.
"The Color Purple" won best musical theater album, giving Jennifer Hudson her second Grammy and earning Tony winner Cynthia Erivo and "Orange Is the New Black" actress Danielle Brooks their first Grammys, said the AP.
Here's the complete winner's list, per Entertainment Tonight
Song of the Year
Beyonce- "Formation"
Adele- "Hello" *WINNER*
Mike Posner- "I Took a Pill in Ibiza"
Justin Bieber - "Love Yourself"
Lukas Graham - "7 Years"
Album of the Year
Beyonce- Lemonade
Adele- 25 *WINNER*
Drake- Views
Justin Bieber - Purpose
Sturgill Simpson- A Sailor's Guide to Earth
Best New Artist
Kelsea Ballerini
The Chainsmokers
Chance the Rapper *WINNER*
Maren Morris
Anderson .Paak
Record of the Year
Adele- "Hello" *WINNER*
Beyonce - "Formation"
Lukas Graham - "7 Years"
Rihanna featuring Drake - "Work"
Twenty One Pilots - "Stressed Out"
Best Pop Vocal Album
Adele- 25 *WINNER*
Justin Bieber- Purpose
Ariana Grande- Dangerous Woman
Demi Lovato- Confident
Sia- This Is Acting
Best Pop Solo Performance
Adele- "Hello" *WINNER*
Beyonce- "Hold Up"
Justin Bieber- "Love Yourself"
Kelly Clarkson- "Piece by Piece"
Ariana Grande- "Dangerous Woman"
Best Pop Duo/Group Performance
The Chainsmokers featuring Halsey- "Closer"
Lukas Graham- "7 Years"
Rihanna featuring Drake- "Work"
Sia featuring Sean Paul- "Cheap Thrills"
Twenty One Pilots- "Stressed Out" *WINNER*
Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album
Andrea Bocelli- Cinema
Bob Dylan- Fallen Angels
Josh Groban- Stages Live
Willie Nelson- Summertime: Willie Nelson Sings Gershwin *WINNER*
Barbra Streisand- Encore: Movie Partners Sing Broadway
Best Dance Recording
Bob Moses- "Tearing Me Up"
The Chainsmokers featuring Daya- "Don't Let Me Down" *WINNER*
Flume featuring Kai- "Never Be Like You"
Riton featuring Kah-Lo- "Rinse & Repeat"
Sofi Tukker- "Drinkee"
Best Dance/Electronic Album
Flume- Skin *WINNER*
Jean-Michel Jarre- Electronica 1: The Time Machine
Tycho- Epoch
Underworld- Barbara Barbara, We Face a Shining Future
Louie Vega- Louie Vega Starring ...XXVII
Best Contemporary Instrumental Album
Herb Alpert- Human Nature
Bill Frisell- When You Wish Upon a Star
Steve Gadd Band- Way Back Home: Live From Rochester, NY
Chuck Loeb- Unspoken
Snarky Puppy- Culcha Vulcha *WINNER*
Best Rock Performance
Alabama Shakes - "Joe" (Live From Austin City Limits)
Beyonce Featuring Jack White- "Don't Hurt Yourself"
David Bowie- "Blackstar" *WINNER*
Distrubed- "The Sound of Silence" (Live on Conan)
Twenty One Pilots- "Heathens"
Best Metal Performance
Baroness- "Shock Me"
Gojira- "Silvera"
Korn- "Rotting In Vain"
Megadeath- "Dystopia" *WINNER*
Periphery- "The Price Is Wrong"
Best Rock Song
David Bowie- "Blackstar" *WINNER*
Radiohead- "Burn the Witch"
Metallica- "Hardwired"
Twenty One Pilots- "Heathens"
Highly Suspect- "My Name Is Human"
Best Rock Album
Blink-182- California
Cage the Elephant- Tell Me I'm Pretty *WINNER*
Gojira- Magma
Panic! At the Disco- Death of a Bachelor
Weezer- Weezer
Best Alternative Rock Album
Bon Iver- 22,100
David Bowie- Blackstar *WINNER*
PJ Harvey- The Hope Six Demolition Project
Iggy Pop- Post Pop Depression
Radiohead- A Moon Shaped Pool
Best R&B Performance
BJ The Chicago Kid- "Turnin' Me Up"
Ro James- "Permission"
Musiq Soulchild- "I Do"
Rihanna- "Needed Me"
Solange- "Cranes In the Sky" *WINNER*
Best Traditional R&B Performance
William Bell- "The Three of Me"
BJ The Chicago Kid- "Woman's World"
Fantasia- "Sleeping With the One I Love"
Lalah Hathaway- "Angel" *WINNER*
Jill Scott- "Can't Wait"
Best R&B Song
PartyNextDoor featuring Drake- "Come See Me"
Bryson Teller- "Exchange"
Rihanna- "Kiss It Better"
Maxwell- "Lake By the Ocean" *WINNER*
Tory Lanez- "Luv"
Best Urban Contemporary Album
Beyonce- Lemonade *WINNER*
Gallant- Ology
KING- We Are King
Anderson .Paak- Malibu
Rihanna- Anti
Best R&B Album
BJ The Chicago Kid- In My Mind
Lalah Hathaway- Lalah Hathaway Live *WINNER*
Terrace Martin- Velvet Portraits
Mint Condition- Healing Season
Mya- Smoove Jones
Best Rap Performance
Chance the Rapper featuring Lil Wayne & 2 Chainz- "No Problem" *WINNER*
Desiigner- "Panda"
Drake featuring The Throne- "Pop Style"
Fat Joe & Remy Ma featuring French Montana & Infared- "All the Way Up"
ScHoolboy Q featuring Kanye West - "That Part"
Best Rap/Sung Performance
Beyonce featuring Kendrick Lamar- "Freedom"
Drake- "Hotline Bling" *WINNER*
D.R.A.M. featuring Lil Yachty- "Broccoli"
Kanye West featuring Chance The Rapper, Kelly Price, Kirk Franklin & The-Dream- "Ultralight Beam"
Kanye West featuring Rihanna- "Famous"
Best Rap Song
Fat Joe & Remy Ma featuring French Montana & Infared- "All the Way Up"
Kanye West featuring Rihanna- "Famous"
Drake- "Hotline Bling" *WINNER*
Chance The Rapper featuring Lil Wayne & 2 Chainz- "No Problem"
Kanye West featuring Chance The Rapper, Kelly Price, Kirk Franklin & The-Dream- "Ultralight Beam"
Best Rap Album
Chance the Rapper- Coloring Book *WINNER*
De La Soul- And the Anonymous Nobody
DJ Khaled- Major Key
Drake- Views
ScHoolboy Q- Blank Face LP
Kanye West- The Life of Pablo
Best Country Solo Performance
Brandy Clark- "Love Can Go to Hell"
Miranda Lambert- "Vice"
Maren Morris- "My Church" *WINNER*
Carrie Underwood- "Church Bells"
Keith Urban- "Blue Ain't Your Color"
Best Country Duo/Group Performance
Dierks Bentley featuring Elle King- "Different for Girls"
Brothers Osbourne- "21 Summer"
Pentatonix featuring Dolly Parton- "Jolene" *WINNER*
Kenny Chesney and Pink- "Setting the World on Fire"
Chris Young with Cassadee Pope- "Think of You"
Best Country Song
Keith Urban- "Blue Ain't Your Color"
Thomas Rhett- "Die a Happy Man"
Tim McGraw- "Humble and Kind" *WINNER*
Maren Morris- "My Church"
Miranda Lambert- "Vice"
Best Country Album
Brady Clark- Big Day in a Small Town
Loretta Lynn- Full Circle
Maren Morris- Hero
Sturgill Simpson- A Sailor's Guide to Earth *WINNER*
Keith Urban- Ripcord
Best Spoken Word Album
Amy Schumer- The Girl With the Lower Back Tattoo
Carol Burnett- In Such Good Company: Eleven Years of Laughter, Mayhem, and Fun in the Sandbox *WINNER*
Patti Smith- M Train
Tom DeSavia, John Doe, Scott Sherratt & Dan Zitt - Under The Big Black Sun: A Personal History Of L.A. Punk (John Doe With Tom Desavia)
Elvis Costello- Unfaithful Music & Disappearing Ink
Best Comedy Album
David Cross- ...America...Great…
Margaret Cho- American Myth
Tig Notaro- Boyish Girl Interrupted
Amy Schumer- Live at the Apollo
Patton Oswalt- Talking for Clapping *WINNER*
Best Music Video
Beyonce- "Formation" *WINNER*
Leon Bridges- "River"
Coldplay- "Up & Up"
Jamie XX- "Gosh"
OK Go- "Upside Down & Inside Out"
Best Music Film
Steve Aoki- I'll Sleep When I'm Dead
Beyonce- Lemonade
The Beatles- The Beatles: Eight Days A Week The Touring Years *WINNER*
Yo-Yo Ma & The Silk Road Ensemble- The Music of Strangers
Various Artists- American Saturday Night: Live From The Grand Ole Opry
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.