Grammy Awards 2021: Beyoncé, Taylor Swift win big

Pop diva Beyoncé, with four wins at the 2021 Grammys, became the most awarded female artiste in the history of the ceremony.

At the 63rd edition of Grammys, organised by the Recording Academy, Beyonce was nominated in nine categories and won an award with Megan Thee Stallion for Savage for best rap song as well as one for Black Parade for best R&B performance.

In the pre-telecast premiere ceremony, Beyoncé won the best music video award for ‘Brown Skin Girl’ and another trophy for ‘Savage’.

With 28 Grammy wins in all, Beyoncé broke a mark set by veteran singer Alison Krauss. She trails only classical conductor Sir George Solti, who still holds the all-time record with 31 Grammys.

“As an artist, I believe it's my job and all of our jobs to reflect the times. And it's been such a difficult time. And so, I want to uplift, encourage, and celebrate all the beautiful Black queens and kings that continue to inspire me and inspire the whole world,” the pop singer said after winning the R&B performance award for ‘Black Parade’.

She also congratulated her and music producer Jay Z's daughter Blue Ivy Carter, credited as a collaborator on the song, for the win.

“I know my daughter is watching. Blue, congratulations, she won a Grammy tonight. I'm so proud of you. And I'm so honored to be your Mommy,” she added.

Blue Ivy, nine, became the second youngest act to win a Grammy in show's history.

Singer Taylor Swift's album of the year win for Folklore at the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards has made her the first female artiste to win the top honour three times in her career.

She also won it in 2010 for her album Fearless and again in 2015 for 1989.

Prior to the pop singer, celebrated musicians Stevie Wonder, Frank Sinatra and Paul Simon have won the top prize thrice.

Swift's Folklore defeated nominated albums by Jhene Aiko, Black Pumas, Coldplay, Jacob Collier, HAIM, Dua Lipa and Post Malone to win the highest prize of the ceremony.

In her acceptance speech, the 31-year-old Taylor thanked her collaborators, Laura Sisk, Jack Antonoff and Aaron Dessner, and her boyfriend, actor Joe Alwyn, for helping her write the songs during the coronavirus pandemic.

The singer also performed at the Grammys for the first time in five years, singing a medley of songs from her albums Evermore and Folklore.

The audience-free performance scene was set up on a stage inside the Los Angeles Convention Center, where most of the performances were pre-recorded because of pandemic precautions.

Other notable wins include Billie Eilish winning Record of the Year for her track ‘Everything I Wanted’ and Dua Lipa winning best pop vocal album for Future Nostalgia.

H.E.R., Dernst Emile II and Tiara Thomas won the songwriter's Song of the Year award for the track ‘I Can't Breathe’. ‘Watermelon Sugar’ by Harry Styles won the best pop solo performance award and the best country album award was won by Miranda Lambert for Wildcard.

Indo-Canadian YouTube star and late-night talk show host Lilly Singh sported a 'I stand with farmers' mask at the red carpet of 2021 Grammy Awards to reiterate her support to the ongoing farmers agitation in India.

“I know red carpet/award show pictures always get the most coverage, so here you go media. Feel free to run with it. #IStandWithFarmers #GRAMMYs,” she captioned the photograph she shared on Twitter.

“Thank you so much @rihanna. This is a humanity issue! #IStandWithFarmers and this narrative is tired,” Singh had written.