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Kendrick Lamar wins big at Grammy’s

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Kendrick Lamar (188617)
Kendrick Lamar

In a ceremony that honored a wide range of musical styles, Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars walked off with the top prize of Record of the Year for “Uptown Funk” at the 58th Grammy Awards Monday, while TaylorSwift’s “1989” won Album of the Year and Ed Sheeran’s “Thinking Out Loud”was named Song of the Year.

The biggest winner of the evening was Compton’s Kendrick Lamar who took home five awards. Ronson and Mars’ “Uptown Funk” also won Grammys for best pop duo/group performance and best re-mixed recording.

“This is dedicated to the fans right here,” Mars told the crowd at Staples Center `”We wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for the people out there dancing to this song.”

For Swift, “1989” was her second career Album of the Year prize. She also won the award in 2010 for “Fearless.”

“I want to thank the fans for the last 10 years and the Recording Academy for giving us this unbelievable honor,” Swift said.

Swift offered words of encouragement to women to beware of people who might try to take advantage of their success.

“As the first woman to win Album of the Year at the Grammys twice, I want to say to all the young women out there: There are going to be people along the way who will try to undercut your success or take credit for your accomplishments or your fame, but if you just focus on the work and you don’t let those people sidetrack you someday when you get where you’re going, you’ll look around and you’ll know it was you and the people who love you who put you there, and that will be the greatest moment in the world,” she said.

The album also won best pop vocal album, and she and Lamar shared the prize for best music video for “Bad Blood.”

Ed Sheeran and co-writer Amy Wadge took home the coveted Song of the Year Grammy for penning his hit, “Thinking Out Loud.”

“We wrote it on a couch in my house after having dinner,” Sheeran said. “Quite odd.”

He gave special thanks to his parents, who were in the audience, saying they come to the show every year.

“Every time I lose they go’`Maybe next year,”’ he joked, holding up the award.

Lamar was the top nominee heading into the Grammys with 11 nods. He wound up winning Best Rap Album for “To Pimp a Butterfly,” Best Rap Performance and Best Rap Song for “Alright” and Best Rap/Sung Collaboration for “These Walls.” He also shared a Grammy with Swift for his feature role on her hit “Bad Blood,” making him one of the top winners of the night

Alabama Shakes was honored for Best Rock Performance for “Don’t Wanna Fight.”

“When we started this we were in high school … we just did it for fun,” singer/guitarist Brittany Howard said. “We never thought we’d be getting any awards or recognition like this. My heart is beating a mile a minute.

“This is beautiful, and I promise we’re going to keep going,” said the Athen, Ala.-born singer whose mother is White and father is African American. [The band received Grammys during the pre-telecast portion of the award show for Best Rock Song for “Don’t Wanna Fight” and Best Alternative Music Album fro “Sound and Color,” which also won for Best Engineered Non-Classical Album.

Meghan Trainor was named Best New Artist, and she fought back tears as she struggled to thank a list of supporters, including her mom and dad.

“I have to go cry. Thank you to the Grammys. I love you so much,” she said.

Chris Stapleton, who took home four Country Music Association Award last year, won the Grammy for Best Country Album for “Traveller.”

“This is something that you never, ever, ever dream of,” the 37-year-old Kentucky native said. “I’m super grateful for it.”

Former President Jimmy Carter was a notable standout on the list of Grammy winners during the pre-telecast ceremony. Carter won in the Best Spoken Word Album category for “A Full Life: Reflections at Ninety.”

During the ceremony, the surviving members of the Eagles joined with Jackson Browne to perform “Take It Easy,” in tribute to band co-founder Glenn Frey, who died Jan. 18.

Surviving members of Earth, Wind and Fire honored founder Maurice White, who died Feb. 3, while they presented the award for Album of the Year. White was also honored with a performance by Stevie Wonder and Pentatonix. Earth, Wind & Fire is being recognized by The Recording Academy with a lifetime achievement award this year.

Lady Gaga, meanwhile, performed a theatrical medley of hits by David Bowie, who died Jan. 10. Chris Stapleton and Bonnie Raitt performed in tribute to blues legend B.B. King, who died May 24, 2015.

The Broadway cast of the hip-hop musical “Hamilton” performed live from New York, marking the first time the Grammy ceremony has featured a Broadway musical performance. Not surprisingly, the cast later won the Grammy for Best Musical Theater Album.

The cast burst on stage at the Richard Rodgers Theatre on Broadway to accept the honor, with the show’s writer and lead performer, Lin-Manuel Miranda, delivering an energetic rap to thank the cast and crew.

Also performing during the show were Justin Bieber, Luke Bryan, Adele, Travis Barker, Lamar, John Legend, Little Big Town, Demi Lovato, Carrie Underwood, Chris Stapleton and Meghan Trainor.

Alice Cooper, Johnny Depp and Joe Perry also teamed up for a performance, taking the stage as The Hollywood Vampires.

Twelve-year-old Indonesian jazz pianist and child prodigy Joey Alexander brought the crowd to its feet with a short performance toward the end of the show.

Rihanna was scheduled to perform but canceled at the last minute. TMZ and Billboard reported that she was suffering from bronchitis.

Other highlights include:

Best R&B Performance “Earned It” (Fifty Shades Of Grey) The Weeknd Track from: “Fifty Shades Of Grey” (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)

Best Traditional R&B Performance, “Little Ghetto Boy” Lalah Hathaway

Best R&B Song, “Really Love,” D’Angelo and Kendra Foster, songwriters (D’Angelo and The Vanguard)

Track from: “Black Messiah”

Best Urban Contemporary, “Beauty Behind The Madness,” The Weeknd

Best R&B Album, “Black Messiah,” D’Angelo And The Vanguard

Best Rap Performance, “Alright,” Kendrick Lamar, Track from: “To Pimp A Butterfly”

Best Rap/Sung Collaboration, “These Walls” Kendrick Lamar featuring Bilal, Anna Wise and Thundercat, Track from: “To Pimp A Butterfly”

Best Rap Song, “Alright,” Kendrick Duckworth, Kawan Prather, Mark Anthony Spears & Pharrell Williams, “To Pimp A Butterfly”

Best Rap Album, “To Pimp A Butterfly” Kendrick Lamar

Best Improvised Jazz Solo, “Cherokee,” Christian McBride, Track from: “Live At The Village Vanguard” (Christian McBride Trio)

Best Jazz Vocal Album, “For One To Love,” Cécile McLorin Salvant

Best Gospel Performance/Song, “Wanna Be Happy?,” Kirk Franklin

Best Gospel Album, “Covered: Alive In Asia [Live],” Israel and NewBreed

Best Roots Gospel Album, “Still Rockin’ My Soul,” The Fairfield Four

Best American Roots Performance, “See That My Grave Is Kept Clean,” Mavis Staples, Track from: “Your Good Fortune”

Best Blues Album, “Born To Play Guitar,” Buddy Guy

Best Reggae Album, “Strictly Roots,” Morgan Heritage

Best World Music Album, “Sings,” Angelique Kidjo

Best Musical Theater Album, “Hamilton”

Best Song Written for Visual Media, “Glory,” Lonnie Lynn, Che Smith and John Stephens, songwriters (Common & John Legend) Track from: “Selma”

Best Instrumental Composition, “The Afro Latin Jazz Suite,” Arturo O’Farrill, composer (Arturo O’Farrill and The Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra Featuring Rudresh Mahanthappa) Track from: “Cuba: The Conversation Continues”

By MARTY SAUERZOPF

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