Beyoncé accepts the award for Best Dance/Electronic Music Album for Renaissance, during the 65th Annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles on 5 February, 2023. Photo: AFP
Pop superstar Beyoncé has broken the record for most career wins at the Grammy awards and is in the running for more, including the prestigious best album accolade.
The singer has so far picked up four Grammys, including best dance/electronic album for Renaissance, bringing her career total to 32. That surpassed the lifetime wins by late classical conductor Georg Solti.
"I am trying not to be too emotional. I am trying just to receive this night," Beyoncé said. "I want to thank God for protecting me. Thank you, God."
She also thanked her family and "the queer community for your love and for inventing the genre."
Beyoncé also took the best dance recording for the song Break My Soul, best traditional R&B performance for Plastic Off The Sofa and best R&B song for Cuff It.
Industry experts and award pundits said earlier 2023 may be her year, although it was by no means a sure thing.
She has been facing tough competition in a formidable, wide-ranging field that includes Puerto Rican rapper Bad Bunny, pop musician Harry Styles, singer and flutist Lizzo, and disco-era Swedish hitmaker ABBA.
Overall, Beyoncé has headed into this year's Los Angeles show with nine nominations.
Viola Davis joins exclusive winners' club
Actor Viola Davis won a Grammy for her audio recording of her memoir Finding Me, granting her entry into the elite ranks of EGOT winners with an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar and a Tony award.
Davis is the third Black woman to earn this title, and the 18th person in history, and was thrilled to celebrate the moment on stage.
The 57-year-old actor proudly said, "I got EGOT!" as she won a Grammy for best audio book, narration and storytelling recording.
Davis has a 2015 Emmy for TV series How To Get Away with Murder, won an Academy Award for best supporting actress in 2017 for her role in 2016's Fences and has two Tony awards for Fences and King Hedley II.
"Oh my God," she said on Sunday as she accepted her Grammy. "I wrote this book to honour the six-year-old Viola, to honour her, to honour her life, her joy, her trauma, her everything."
Davis was the only female nominee in her category this year alongside big names Lin-Manuel Miranda, Questlove, Mel Brooks and Jamie Foxx.
Viola Davis on stage accepting her award. Photo: AFP
Other early Grammy winners include Harry Styles who picked up best engineered album for Harry's House, which is also up for the night's biggest prize - album of the year.
Rock legend Ozzy Osbourne also won two awards, in the week he announced his retirement from touring.
His latest record, Patient Number Nine, was named best rock album, while the song Degradation Rules won best metal performance.
And British indie duo Wet Leg received two awards - including best alternative album and best alternative song for their breakout single, Chaise Longue.
"This is so funny," said singer-guitarist Rhian Teasdale. "What are we even doing here?"
Meanwhile composer and violinist Stephanie Economou received the first ever Grammy for best video game soundtrack, recognising her work on Assassin's Creed: Dawn Of Ragnarok.
The premiere ceremony is being hosted by YouTube star Randy Rainbow, who went viral during the Trump administration for videos that mixed political commentary with musical theatre numbers.
Taking to the stage at Los Angeles' Crypto,com Arena, he promised not to make cheap jokes about US Republican George Santos, who has admitted to making several false statements in his resume and biography.
"I will not even say his name," said Rainbow. "Even though he is nominated for best pop vocal album."
While Willie Nelson won the best country album award for A Beautiful Time.
- BBC / Reuters