Singers make Grammy history

Beyonce earns 28th; Swift 1st female 3-time album winner

Taylor Swift poses in the press room at the 63rd annual Grammy Awards at the Los Angeles Convention Center on Sunday, March 14, 2021. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP)
Taylor Swift poses in the press room at the 63rd annual Grammy Awards at the Los Angeles Convention Center on Sunday, March 14, 2021. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP)

NEW YORK -- The Grammys are drunk in love with Beyonce and Taylor Swift: The singers both made history at the 2021 show Sunday night.

Also, Billie Eilish's "Everything I Wanted" won record of the year -- duplicating her feat of last year with "Bad Guy."

Swift, 31, became the 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 "Fearless" and "1989."

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Beyonce made history by surpassing Alison Krauss to become the most decorated female act in Grammy history.

Beyonce earned her 28th Grammy on Sunday, picking up honors including best R&B performance for "Black Parade" and 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," Beyonce 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."

Beyonce 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 9-year-old Blue Ivy Carter -- who won best music video alongside her mother -- became the second-youngest act to win a Grammy in the 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 win best rap song. She's also the fifth rap-based act to win best new artist.

Beyonce was the night's top contender with nine nominations. She didn't perform, but Swift did.

She sang "cardigan" and "august" from "folklore," as well as "willow" from "evermore," 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 "Don't Start Now" and "Levitating," where she was joined by DaBaby, who was an all-star during his own performance of his guitar-tinged rap hit "Rockstar," flipping the song for an exceptional live rendition featuring R&B singer Anthony Hamilton, a skilled violinist and background singers.

And country singer Mickey Guyton -- the first Black female nominated for best country solo performance -- gave an impressive performance of her song "Black Like Me."

Other performers included Eilish, Cardi B, Bad Bunny, Miranda Lambert, Maren Morris and Harry Styles, who won best pop solo performance for his hit "Watermelon Sugar."

"To everyone who made this record with me, thank you so much," said Styles, the first member of One Direction to win a Grammy.

Host Trevor Noah kicked off the show telling jokes about the coronavirus pandemic and the year that was 2020. He was live from downtown Los Angeles, with attendees wearing masks and sitting, socially distanced, at small round tables.

R&B singer H.E.R. won two honors, including song of the year for her protest anthem "I Can't Breathe," becoming one of the rare R&B songs to win the top prize.

Another track about the Black experience -- Anderson Paak's "Lockdown," released on Juneteenth -- also won a Grammy, picking up best melodic rap performance.

Other double winners include Fiona Apple, Kaytranada and late performers John Prine and Chick Corea.

Taylor Swift poses in the press room at the 63rd annual Grammy Awards at the Los Angeles Convention Center on Sunday, March 14, 2021. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP)
Taylor Swift poses in the press room at the 63rd annual Grammy Awards at the Los Angeles Convention Center on Sunday, March 14, 2021. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP)
Taylor Swift poses in the press room at the 63rd annual Grammy Awards at the Los Angeles Convention Center on Sunday, March 14, 2021. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP)
Taylor Swift poses in the press room at the 63rd annual Grammy Awards at the Los Angeles Convention Center on Sunday, March 14, 2021. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP)
FILE - In this Oct. 15, 2016, file photo, singer Beyonce Knowles attends the Tidal X: 1015 benefit concert in New York.  (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP, File)
FILE - In this Oct. 15, 2016, file photo, singer Beyonce Knowles attends the Tidal X: 1015 benefit concert in New York. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP, File)
In this video grab provided by CBS and the Recording Academy, Bruno Mars performs "Leave The Door Open"at the 63rd annual Grammy Awards at the Los Angeles Convention Center on Sunday, March 14, 2021. (CBS/Recording Academy via AP)
In this video grab provided by CBS and the Recording Academy, Bruno Mars performs "Leave The Door Open"at the 63rd annual Grammy Awards at the Los Angeles Convention Center on Sunday, March 14, 2021. (CBS/Recording Academy via AP)
Beyonce accepts the award for best R&B performance for "Black Parade" at the 63rd annual Grammy Awards at the Los Angeles Convention Center on Sunday, March 14, 2021. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)
Beyonce accepts the award for best R&B performance for "Black Parade" at the 63rd annual Grammy Awards at the Los Angeles Convention Center on Sunday, March 14, 2021. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)
Taylor Swift appears at the American Music Awards in Los Angeles on Nov. 24, 2019, left, and Beyonce appears at the world premiere of "The Lion King" in Los Angeles on July 9, 2019. Swift could become the first woman to win the show’s top prize, album of the year, three times. Her first surprise album of 2020, the folky, alternative adventure “folklore,” is competing for the top honor. While Beyonce has never won album of the year, she is the most nominated act. With 24 previous wins and nine nominations this year, she could surpass Alison Krauss’ 27 wins and become the most decorated woman in Grammys history. (AP Photo)
Taylor Swift appears at the American Music Awards in Los Angeles on Nov. 24, 2019, left, and Beyonce appears at the world premiere of "The Lion King" in Los Angeles on July 9, 2019. Swift could become the first woman to win the show’s top prize, album of the year, three times. Her first surprise album of 2020, the folky, alternative adventure “folklore,” is competing for the top honor. While Beyonce has never won album of the year, she is the most nominated act. With 24 previous wins and nine nominations this year, she could surpass Alison Krauss’ 27 wins and become the most decorated woman in Grammys history. (AP Photo)
FILE - Beyonce, right, and her daughter Blue Ivy Carter arrive at the world premiere of "The Lion King" in Los Angeles on July 9, 2019. Blue Ivy's name was added to the nominee list for best music video for her mother's "Brown Skin Girl." (Photo by Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP, File)
FILE - Beyonce, right, and her daughter Blue Ivy Carter arrive at the world premiere of "The Lion King" in Los Angeles on July 9, 2019. Blue Ivy's name was added to the nominee list for best music video for her mother's "Brown Skin Girl." (Photo by Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP, File)
Carlotta Kohl, left, and Jack Antonoff pose in the press room at the 63rd annual Grammy Awards at the Los Angeles Convention Center on Sunday, March 14, 2021. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP)
Carlotta Kohl, left, and Jack Antonoff pose in the press room at the 63rd annual Grammy Awards at the Los Angeles Convention Center on Sunday, March 14, 2021. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP)
Beyonce, left, and Megan Thee Stallion accept the award for best rap song for "Savage" at the 63rd annual Grammy Awards at the Los Angeles Convention Center on Sunday, March 14, 2021. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)
Beyonce, left, and Megan Thee Stallion accept the award for best rap song for "Savage" at the 63rd annual Grammy Awards at the Los Angeles Convention Center on Sunday, March 14, 2021. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

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