LOS ANGELES (AP) - The Latest on the 61st annual Grammy Awards, which are being presented Sunday at the Staples Center in Los Angeles (all times local):
9:50 p.m.
Even Childish Gambino’s collaborators say they aren’t sure of his whereabouts on Grammy night.
Gambino won four trophies on Sunday, but the rapper whose real name is Donald Glover didn’t attend.
“This Is America” won record and song of the year honors, two of the three biggest categories.
Co-producer Ludwig Goransson says he tried to call Gambino after the show but it didn’t go through. He says he would try again.
Riley Mackin, an engineer-mixer on the song, said he last saw Gambino when they were working in the studio a couple days ago.
“He walked out and I haven’t seen him since,” Mackin said.
Asked if Gambino’s absence was odd, Mackin said, “Everything Donald does is a little strange.”
- Beth Harris (@bethharrisap) backstage at the Grammys.
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9:30 p.m.
Ariana Grande has tweeted and quickly deleted criticism of the Grammys after the late Mac Miller - her ex - lost to Cardi B for rap album of the year.
Grande called Miller’s loss during the show “trash” and also used an expletive. She later clarified she wasn’t criticizing Cardi B.
Miller died of an accidental drug overdose last year at age 26.
Grande got into a war with the producer of the Grammys a few days ago, claiming Ken Ehrlich’s assertion that she didn’t have enough time to prepare a performance a lie. Grande won a Grammy for best pop vocal album but did not attend.
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9:10 p.m.
A spokesman for the Grammys says that show producers didn’t mean to cut Drake off mid-speech.
Drake’s comments were interrupted as he accepted the best rap song trophy for “God’s Plan.”
The spokesman told reporters backstage that Drake took “a natural pause” and, assuming he was done talking, producers cut to a commercial.
The spokesman says Drake was offered a chance to return to the stage and finish his remarks, but he declined and explained that he was satisfied.
Others were cut off, including best new artist winner Dua Lipa and album of the year winner Kacey Musgraves.
- Beth Harris (@bethharrisap) backstage at the Grammys.
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8:40 p.m.
Kacey Musgraves is the winner of the album of the year Grammy Award, the night’s top honor.
Musgraves won for “Golden Hour,” which won earlier in the night for best country album.
She once again thanked her husband, who she has credited for helping make the album a possibility. She also thanked the other artists nominated, saying “winning this doesn’t make my album any better than anyone else’s.”
She also thanked her little sister for shooting and designing all her album covers.
The Grammys were a major showcase for Musgraves, who in addition to two wins on the telecast also performed twice during the prime-time ceremony, including during a tribute to Dolly Parton.
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8:30 p.m.
Childish Gambino’s “This Is America” has won the Grammy Award for record of the year.
Gambino is the alter ego of singer-actor Donald Glover, who did not attend Sunday’s ceremony.
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8:15 p.m.
Dua Lipa is the winner of the best new artist Grammy Award.
The British singer won moments after performing a sultry duet with St. Vincent.
The category featured six female acts, part of the wave of women recognized at this year’s Grammys a year after they were largely denied even nominations in the major categories.
As the Grammys ceremony stretched toward nearly 3 ½ hours with some top awards to go, producers cut off Lipa’s acceptance speech and went to commercial.
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8:05 p.m.
Cardi B has made history as the first woman to win the Grammy Award for best rap album.
The rapper won for her album “Invasion of Privacy.” She delivered much of her acceptance speech holding on to her husband Offset.
She was clearly overwhelmed at the win, pausing early in her speech to say, “the nerves are so bad. Maybe I need to start smoking weed.”
She spoke about her album not being finished when she found out she was pregnant and filming a music video before she started showing.
She also thanked several of her collaborators, including J Balvin and Bad Bunny.
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7:45 p.m.
H.E.R. is the winner of the best R&B album for her self-titled album.
The artist opened her remarks by saying that the compilation release is “not even an album, it’s an EP.”
She appeared overcome by the moment, saying she felt uncomfortable standing on the stage alone before inviting up some of her collaborators.
H.E.R. co-wrote and co-produced each song on her Grammy-winning release, and also plays guitar and piano. She also performed her song “Hard Place” earlier in the show.
H.E.R. is also up for best new artist later during Sunday’s show, and the night’s top award, album of the year.
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7:10 p.m.
Diana Ross has taken the Grammys stage an uplifting performance of a pair of her classics in honor of her forthcoming 75th birthday.
Introduced by her grandson and wearing a dress of flowing bright red chiffon, Ross told the audience Sunday night that “when I was a little girl, I felt the joy of singing. It made me happy, it made my parents happy, and it led to this day.”
She sang “The Best Years of My Life” followed by “Reach Out And Touch (Somebody’s Hand)” and strode out into an audience at the Staples Center in Los Angeles that included her fellow Motown star Smokey Robinson and Motown founder Berry Gordy.
Ross has been nominated for 12 Grammys, but has never won except for a lifetime achievement award in 2012.
She talked to the crowd throughout the performance and ended it by twice declaring, “Happy birthday to me!”
Ross turns 75 on March 26.
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6:55 p.m.
Drake is the winner of the Grammy Award for best rap song for “God’s Plan.”
The Canadian rapper was last year’s most successful artist, and he is still up for one of the night’s top honors: record of the year.
There was some quick backlash online to Drake’s acceptance speech getting cut short.
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6:30 p.m.
Kacey Musgraves has won best country album for “Golden Hour.”
Musgraves kissed her husband Ruston Kelly right after her name was called Sunday night. She thanked him, saying the album would not have been possible without him.
Earlier Sunday, Musgraves told The Associated Press that she was looking forward to sitting next to Kelly during the show, saying she hasn’t had much time because of a heavy touring schedule.
Musgraves hasn’t been in her seat much Sunday - she has performed twice during Sunday’s telecast, including during a tribute to Dolly Parton.
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5:50 p.m.
Childish Gambino’s “This Is America” has won the Grammy Award for song of the year.
Donald Glover, whose alter ego is Childish Gambino, got the award Sunday night along with his fellow songwriter Ludwig Goransson and Young Thug, whose real name is Jeffery Lamar Williams.
Glover was not at the Staples Center in Los Angeles to accept the award.
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5:20 p.m.
Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper have won the Grammy Award for best pop duo/group performance for the song “Shallow” from “A Star Is Born.”
A tearful Gaga accepted the award Sunday night, thanking Cooper, who she noted was in England from the British film academy awards known as the BAFTAs.
It is Gaga’s third Grammy win Sunday. In a pre-telecast ceremony, she was among the winners for best song written for visual media, which was also awarded to “Shallow.” She also won best pop solo performance for “Joanne (Where Do You Think You’re Going’?)”
The song is also nominated at Academy Awards, where “A Star Is Born” is competing for best picture and other honors. Gaga said Sunday, “I just wanted to say, if I don’t get a chance to again, that I’m so proud to be a part of a movie that addresses mental health issues.”
She said artists often suffer from mental health problems, and told the musicians in front of her that “If you’re hurting, try to find that bravery to dive deep.”
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5:15 p.m.
Michelle Obama has made a surprise appearance at the Grammys.
Host Alicia Keys during her opening monologue Sunday night invited Lady Gaga, Jada Pinkett Smith and Jennifer Lopez to join her on stage at the Staples Center in Los Angeles to say what music meant to them.
Obama then appeared to even bigger screams than the stars already on stage got.
The former first lady talked about the Motown records that got her through her Chicago youth and said “whether we like country, rap or rock, music helps us share ourselves.”
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5:05 p.m.
Camila Cabello has created a retro Cuban street scene at the Staples Center in downtown Los Angeles to open the Grammy Awards with her hit “Havana.”
Cabello got ready to party inside a neon-lit house at the beginning of the song’s performance Sunday night then took to the mock nighttime streets in a bright yellow dress with a crowd of dancers.
She was joined on stage first by Young Thug, who collaborates on the recording, then by Ricky Martin and J Balvin.
The Cuban-American Cabello said on the red carpet before the show that the performance was based on the childhood of her grandmother, who was in the audience.
“Havana” is nominated for best pop solo performance at the Grammys.
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4:45 p.m
Brandi Carlile is heading in to Sunday’s Grammy Awards a big winner, having already won three awards and delivered a moving acceptance speech.
In a pre-telecast ceremony, Carlile won three honors in the Americana category: American Roots Performance and American Roots Song, for “The Joke,” and Americana Album for “By the Way, I Forgive You.”
Carlile, who is a lesbian, spoke about how much she appreciated how much the music community has accepted her.
She said: “Americana music is the island of misfit toys. I am such a misfit. It is this music that has shaped my life and made me who I am and even given me my family,” she said, thanking co-writers Tim and Phil Hanseroth.
She said she came out when she was 15-years-old and wasn’t invited to parties and never attended a dance when she was in school. She told the audience, “to be embraced by this loving community has been the dance of a lifetime. Thank you for being my island.”
Carlile will compete for the Grammys’ biggest awards during the live show: album, song and record of the year.
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4:20 p.m.
Shawn Mendes has strolled the Grammy carpet in a navy suit after being nervous about how to dress for music’s biggest awards show.
The 20-year-old Canadian says he debated how to be classy and also stand out in his choice of clothing.
Mendes describes it as “a nice rich color” and more importantly he feels good in it.
He’s nominated in the song of the year category for “In My Blood.”
Brit Ella Mai stunned in a purple pleated strapless gown with a long train. The “Boo’d Up” singer says “no one has ever seen me in a dress before.”
Country star Chris Stapleton says he’s not necessarily thrilled about donning a black suit for the Grammys, adding that he’s “as glam as I can get.”
Linda Perry, a rare female nominee for non-classical producer of the year, sported her trademark tall black hat. She calls her hat “a security blanket. It just feels good.”
- Beth Harris (@bethharrisap) on the Grammy red carpet.
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4:15 p.m.
Leon Bridges has personalized his matching gold corduroy jacket and pants on the Grammy carpet to paty tribute to Texas.
The soul singer looked a little bit country in the outfit that was hand-colored and stenciled with a guitar, musical notes, horse shoes, playing cards and a tiger, among other things. Lyrics, including the phrase “Naw I ain’t married,” also decorated the jacket.
Bridges says the outfit “just reflects my favorite artists back home in Texas.” He was born in Atlanta but came out of Fort Worth.
He performed at Friday’s tribute honoring Dolly Parton as MusiCares Person of the Year. Bridges says it was “rad” singing with gospel legend Mavis Staples.
Bridges was nominated in two R&B categories, winning one award for best traditional R&B performance for his song “Bet Ain’t Worth the Hand.” He shared the honor in a tie with PJ Morton.
- Beth Harris (@bethharrisap) on the Grammy red carpet.
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4 p.m.
Kacey Musgraves arrived on the Grammy red carpet having just found out she’s a winner.
The singer earned trophies for country song and country solo performance. They were announced before the telecast began.
Musgraves says she’s as competitive as anyone and it takes some pressure off to know she’s not going home empty-handed. But she says winning awards isn’t why she makes music.
Musgraves is looking forward to sitting with husband Ruston Kelly, with whom she hasn’t had much time because of a heavy touring schedule.
- Beth Harris (@bethharrisap) on the Grammy red carpet.
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3:40 p.m.
Chris Cornell has won a posthumous Grammy Award, which two of his young children accepted Sunday.
Cornell’s daughter Toni and son Christopher accepted the award for best rock performance for “When Bad Does Good.”
The song was released as part of a posthumous album of unreleased music that Cornell’s estate put out last year.
Toni Cornell held the award while her brother spoke at the Grammys pre-telecast ceremony, telling the audience “His voice was his vision and his music was his peace.”
Cornell died in May 2017 at age 52.
Toni Cornell ended the speech by saying, “This is for you daddy, and we love you so much.”
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3:05 p.m.
Best new artist nominee Margo Price is rocking her baby bump on the Grammy carpet.
Price says her baby was kicking on her way to Staples Center and she thinks it’s because “babies can kind of feel your adrenaline.”
The 35-year-old country singer says it’s interesting and exciting to be 6 ½ months pregnant with her daughter at the same time as music’s biggest awards show.
Price says she needed to be regularly measured to ensure her red gown fit her changing body. She was wearing heels, too.
She says her appearance makes “a powerful statement” because often society doesn’t believe pregnant women are sexy. Price thinks it’s the opposite.
- Beth Harris (@bethharrisap) on the Grammy red carpet.
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2:45 p.m.
Ariana Grande, who this week publicly clashed with a Grammys producer, has won her first Grammy Award.
Grande won Sunday for best pop vocal album for her song “Sweetener.” She was not in attendance at a pre-telecast ceremony to accept the honor.
The superstar accused Grammy producer Ken Ehrlich of lying about discussions with Grande about performing at Sunday’s ceremony. Ehrlich told The Associated Press on Thursday that Grande had told producers that she said she didn’t have adequate time to prepare.
Grande blasted the comments in a social media post, saying she could have prepared a performance overnight.
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2:30 p.m.
A week ago, PJ Morton was playing the Super Bowl halftime show with Maroon 5. Now, he’s at the Grammys and nominated for four awards.
Maroon 5 caught plenty of flack online about its Super Bowl show.
Morton says the band knew going in that “we had a lot stacked up against us in general. We knew it would be hard to please everybody.” Still, he says Maroon 5 is proud of the show it put on.
The keyboardist has three nods in the R&B categories and one for pop duo/group performance for “Girls Like You.”
- Beth Harris (@bethharrisap) on the Grammy red carpet.
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2:20 p.m.
“Weird Al” Yankovic says winning his fifth Grammy is one of his most standout moments in his career.
The comedic musician’s box set “Squeeze Box: The Complete Works of ’Weird Al’ Yankovic” won Sunday for best boxed or special limited edition package. The award recognizes the art direction of the project.
Yankovic says: “In my entire career, and it’s been like 40 years, I would have to say this one right now stands out to me the most.”
He adds that he always wanted to be an art director and “this is special to me.”
The retrospective box set includes all 14 of his studio albums along with an additional disc. It’s packaged inside a replica of Yankovic’s accordion.
Yankovic won his first career Grammy in 1984 for best comedy recording. He won best comedy album in 2014 and 2003, and best concept music video in 1988.
- Jonathan Landrum Jr. (@MrLandrum31 on Twitter) backstage at the Grammy Awards
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2:05 p.m.
Former president Jimmy Carter is now a three-time Grammy winner.
The 39th president won the best spoken word album honor at Sunday’s Grammy Awards for his work, “Faith - A Journey for All.”
It is Carter’s third win, all in the spoken word category. He won in 2016 for “A Full Life: Reflections at Ninety” and his first Grammy in 2007 for “Our Endangered Values: America’s Moral Crisis.”
Carter did not attend the Grammys’ pre-telecast ceremony, where dozens of awards are handed out before the main show starts at 8 p.m. Eastern. The early awards are being livestreamed on www.grammy.com and the main show is airing on CBS.
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This story has been corrected to show that Carter has now won three Grammy Awards, not two.
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1:40 p.m.
Lady Gaga has won a Grammy Award for her song “Shallow” from “A Star is Born.”
The superstar was not in attendance to accept the award for best song written for visual media, which she shares with Mark Ronson, Anthony Rossomando and Andrew Wyatt.
Gaga beat out “All the Stars” from the “Black Panther” soundtrack, as well as songs from “Coco” and “The Greatest Showman.”
Hugh Jackman also became a Grammy winner Sunday when he was among the winners for the best compilation soundtrack for visual media for “The Greatest Showman.” Jackman wasn’t present to accept the honor.
“Black Panther” composer Ludwig Goransson won the best score soundtrack Sunday during the Grammys premiere ceremony. The ceremony, where dozens of Grammy Awards are handed out, is being livestreamed on www.grammy.com.
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1:15 p.m
At no other awards show is fashion more all over the place than the Grammys.
Faux fur, leather, lace, velvet, rubber, studs and sequins are all at home on the red carpet.
And no one exemplifies the individual aesthetic more than nominee Fantastic Negrito, the Oakland, California-born blues artist.
He wore a red suit with colorful swatches of fabric making up the pockets. A large silver necklace in the form of two fish hung from his neck.
Negrito says it used to be a belt buckle.
He says his sartorial choices are inspired by upcycling, which is using discarded objects or material to create something of higher quality than the original.
- Beth Harris (@bethharrisap) on the Grammy red carpet.
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12:45 p.m.
Dave Chappelle has won a Grammy Award for best comedy album, the first honor handed out Sunday.
Chappelle won for “Equanimity & the Bird Revelation,” which was turned into a two-part Netflix special.
The comedian’s win came during the premiere ceremony, where dozens of Grammy Awards are handed out before the main telecast begins at 8 p.m. Eastern. The ceremony is being livestreamed at www.grammy.com .
Chappelle was not in attendance to accept the award Sunday.
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12:40 p.m.
Grammy nominees and performers are making their way to the red carpet under gray skies and rain drops in downtown Los Angeles.
Some attendees are toting furry coats to ward off temperatures in the lower 50s.
The forecast calls for a chance of rain over the next three hours when the carpet reaches its apex and awards are being handed out before the telecast begins at Staples Center.
The red carpet is tented with black chandeliers hung from the ceiling so once under cover attendees need not worry about the weather.
Shaggy, who is hosting the premiere ceremony where dozens of awards will be presented ahead of the telecast, noted the cool weather in his opening remarks, noting his efforts to bring warm Jamaican weather weren’t successful.
- Beth Harris (@bethharrisap) on the Grammy red carpet.
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3 a.m.
Janelle Monae remembers being frustrated at last year’s Grammy Awards, where male acts dominated in nominations and the only woman competing for the night’s top award, Lorde, didn’t get a chance to perform onstage.
But this year, Monae is looking forward to the show, where women are now leading in nominations for big categories like album of the year and best new artist.
Monae’s “Dirty Computer” is one of five albums by women nominated for the top prize at Sunday’s show. Cardi B, Kacey Musgraves, Brandi Carlile and H.E.R. also in contention.
Women also have a strong presence in song and record of the year, including Lady Gaga, SZA, Maren Morris and Ella Mai.
H.E.R., Chloe x Halle, Margo Price, Dua Lipa, Bebe Rexha and Jorja Smith are also up for best new artist.
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