Grammy Awards about to begin at Staples Center

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The 59th Annual Grammy Awards are set to begin at 5 p.m. PT. A star-studded Red Carpet show is taking place as musical artists from around the world descend on Downtown Los Angeles for the awards show.

Beyoncé Knowles and Jay-Z at a Clippers game last year (Claudia Gestro)

Beyoncé Knowles could make history tonight if she wins eight awards. In her career, Beyoncé has received 62 Grammy nominations, more than any other female artist and she has won 20 Grammys. She has nine nominations this year, which is an amazing number for one artist in one year. if she wins all nine awards, Beyoncé will break the record for most wins in one awards show.

Kanye West has 21 Grammys, Henry Mancini has 20 and country singer Alison Krause holds the record with 27 Grammys. This will add some drama and excitement to a night that is expected to be filled with both anyway.

One of the big issues with all the awards show is diversity. For some the Grammys will be a referendum on whether the Recording Academy is choosing to be diverse or not. We can also expect some commentary about or directed at President Donald Trump.

Up for three of the main awards with Knowles is British singer Adele. Both are nominated for Album of the Year with Justin Bieber, Drake and Sturgill Simpson. Adele and Beyoncé are also nominated for Record of the Year, with Lukas Graham, Rihanna featuring Drake and Twenty One Pilots. And both Beyoncé and Adele are nominated for Song of the Year as well, with Mike Posner, Justin Bieber and Lukas Graham.

Adele (Wikipedia)

Poway, CA band Blink-182 is up for Rock Album of the Year, along with Weezer, Panic! At The Disco, Cage The Elephant and Gojira.

David Bowie has already won the Grammy for Alternative Music Album for his final recording, Blackstar, released two days before Bowie passed away January 10, 2016.

Chance the Rapper featuring Lil Wayne & 2 Chainz have won for Rap Performance.

Carrie Underwood, Miranda Lambert, Brandy Clark, Keith Urban and Maren Morris are all up for Country Solo Performance.

There will be tributes to Prince and George Michael; John Legend and Cynthia Erivo will be singing the “In Memoriam” segment.

Adele, Katy Perry, Queen, Lady Gaga and Metallica will perform together. The Weekend and Daft Punk will perform together, Chance the Rapper and Bruno Mars perform, plus Alicia Keys and Maren Morris will perform together. Carrie Underwood and Keith Urban perform together, A Tribe Called Quest will take the stage with Anderson .Paak.  There will be other performers as well, including Beyoncé.

The actual show begins at 5 pm. and will be broadcast live.

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UPDATE Feb. 13, 11:30 a.m.: Adele scored big at the Grammys, winning Record of the Year for “Hello”, Album of the Year for 25, Song of the Year for “Hello,” Best Pop Solo Performance and Best Pop Vocal Album.

Beyoncé, who was up for many of the same awards, won Best Urban Contemporary Album for Lemonade and best Video for the political anthem “Formation.”

In an emotional speech after winning Album of the Year, Adele dedicated the honor to Beyoncé, saying, “I can’t possibly accept this award and I’m very humble and gracious but the artist of my life is Beyoncé and the Lemonade album was just so monumental, Beyoncé, so monumental and so well thought out and so beautiful and soul-baring and we got to see another side to you that you don’t always let us see. And we appreciate that. All us artists here we f****** adore you. You are our light.”

Chance the Rapper accepting the award for Best Rap Album (YouTube)

The Recording Academy had to have a seven-second delay on the live broadcast, due in large part to Adele’s salty vocabulary. During a tribute to the late George Michael she stopped the performance to start over, dropping F bombs as she explained to everyone what was going on.

Bruno Mars’ tribute to Prince, with Morris Day and the Time, was one of the best moments of the night. Morris Day and the Time performed “Jungle Love” and “The Bird,” before Mars came out, with Prince’s signature guitar to perform “Let’s Go Crazy.”

This is a list of some of the winners:

Best Pop Duo/Group Performance: Twenty One Pilots for “Stressed Out.”

Best New Artist: Chance the Rapper

Best Rock Performance: David Bowie for “Blackstar.”

Best Metal Performance: Megadeth for “Dystopia.” Interesting note: the house band played “Master of Puppets” by Metallica as Megadeth walked up to accept the award. In a tweet on Monday, Megadeth founder Dave Mustaine said, “Ah, you can’t blame ’em for not being able to play @Megadeth”

Best Rock Album: Tell Me I’m Pretty, by Cage the Elephant.

Best Alternative Rock Album: Blackstar by David Bowie.

Best Rap Performance: “No Problem,” by Chance the Rapper featuring Li’l Wayne and 2 Chainz.

Best Rap Song: “Hotline Bling” by Drake, Aubrey Graham and Paul Jefferies

Best Rap Album: Coloring Book by Chance the Rapper

Jazz Guitarist John Scofield (Wikipedia)

Best Country Solo Performance: “My Church,” by Maren Morris

Best Country Album: A Sailor’s Guide to Earth, by Sturgiss Simpson

Jazz guitarist John Scofield won Best Improvised Jazz Solo for “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry” and Best Jazz Instrumental Album for Country For Old Men.

The host was Late, Late Show host James Corden who did a good job. He also appeared in a cardboard cut out of a car to do a Car Pool Karaoke bit with several of the musicians there, including Jennifer Lopez, Neil Diamond. They are pictured above in a YouTube screen shot.

For the complete list and to see what all the stars were wearing, Click Here.