Singer-songwriteer Bruno Mars and rapper Kendrik Lamar won big at the 60th annual Grammy Awards on Sunday. Comedian and television host James Corden hosted the night at Madison Square Garden in New York City.
Mars bagged the major awards of the night – he won Album of the Year and Record of the Year for his “24K Magic” as well as Song of the Year for “That’s What I Like”. He also won Best R&B Performance and Best R&B Song for “That’s What I Like” and Best R&B Album and Best Engineered Album (Non-Classical) for “24K Magic”. Mars won every category in which he was nominated.
Lamar’s song “HUMBLE” won him the Grammy for Best Music Video, Best Rap Performance and Best Rap Song. His “DAMN” got the award for the Best Rap Album, and “LOYALTY” featuring Rihanna won the Best Rap/Sung Performance award.
The other major Grammys went to: Alessia Cara for Best New Artist, Ed Sheeran for Best Pop Solo Performance (“Shape of You”) and Best Pop Vocal Album (“Divide”), Foo Fighters for Best Rock Song (“Run”), The War on Drugs for Best Rock Album (“A Deeper Understanding”), The Weeknd for Best Urban Contemporary Album (“Starboy”).
Here is the complete list of winners.
Kendrick Lamar, who had the opening act, Kesha, Camila Cabello, Cindy Lauper, Pink, Bruno Mars and Sting performed for the audience at the awards. Daddy Yankee and Luis Fonsi had the crowd dancing to their popular “Despacito”.
The star-studded night was not without controversy. As has become the norm in most award shows based in the United States, the Grammys, too, became a platform where celebrities took jibes at President Donald Trump.
The surprising element of the 2018 Grammys, however, was former presidential candidate Hillary Clinton. Along with Cher, Snoop Dogg, Cardi B, John Legend and DJ Khaled, she read excerpts from writer Michael Wolff’s Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House, a controversial book about Trump administration’s first year.
In this segment, Grammy host Corden holds auditions for the book reading for those hoping to bag the award for the Best Spoken Word Album next year.
The US administration was not amused with this stunt at the Grammys. US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley said on Twitter: “I have always loved the Grammys, but to have artists read the Fire and Fury book killed it. Don’t ruin great music with trash. Some of us love music without the politics thrown in it.”
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