LOS ANGELES: "Babel" by British folk rockers Mumford&Sons won the coveted Album of the Year award at the 55th Grammy Awards on Sunday.
They beat "El Camino" by The Black Keys, "Some Nights" by fun., "Channel Orange" by R&B singer Frank Ocean and "Blunderbuss" by Jack White, at the climax of the music industry's biggest awards show.
The top prize largely came as a surprise after Mumford&Sons lost out in other key categories, although they took the Best Long Form Music Video for "Big Easy Express."
Mumford&Sons had been nominated for Grammys the previous two years, including for Record of the Year in 2012, but had not taken home a prize until Sunday.
"Somebody That I Used to Know" by Gotye featuring Kimbra won the coveted Record of the Year award.
The song beat "Lonely Boy" by The Black Keys, "Stronger (What Doesn't Kill You)" by Kelly Clarkson, "We Are Young" by fun., "Thinkin Bout You" by Frank Ocean and "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together" by Taylor Swift.
Belgian-Australian Gotye had already won the 2013 best pop duo/group performance and best alternative music album for "Making Mirrors," his third studio album.
He was presented with the best record award by pop icon Prince. "We're pretty huge fans, we've grown up listening to his music...that's pretty cool," he said, speaking backstage.
"We didn't expect to win... There are so many amazing artists and pieces of music... it's a little bit flabbergasting," he added.
"Somebody That I Used to Know" has been a hit in several countries.
Indie pop band fun. won the best new artist prize at the awards, their second win in the top four categories.
The New York band had already taken the Best Song Grammy for "We Are Young" and are also shortlisted in Album of the Year category, although they fell short of a landmark clean sweep when Record of the Year went to Gotye.
For the best new artist award, fun. beat out high-selling R&B singer Frank Ocean, Americana rockers Alabama Shakes, folk band The Lumineers and country singer Hunter Hayes.
The members of fun. were joined at the Grammy ceremony by Lena Dunham, creator of the critically acclaimed dark comedy "Girls," who is said to be dating the band's guitarist Jack Antonoff.
Their beaten rivals in the best song category were Ed Sheeran for "The A Team," Miguel for "Adorn," Carly Rae Jepsen for "Call Me Maybe" and the songwriters of Kelly Clarkson's "Stronger (What Doesn't Kill You)."
The band topped Grammy nominations announced in December.
If they were to win all four of the major categories, it would mark the first such achievement in more than 30 years, according to The New York Times.
British songstress Adele won the Grammy for best pop solo performance, the first award handed out during the main event.
She also gave a typically straight-talking answer when asked how she is feeling about the Oscars later this month, where she is nominated for best song for the theme tune to Bond movie "Skyfall," admitting she was nervous.
The 24-year-old singer, who swept the board with six Grammys at last year's awards show, took the pop performance prize for a live rendition of her hit "Set Fire to the Rain."
"My good luck charm, J-Lo," she said as she accepted the award from Jennifer Lopez and Pitbull. "This is amazing. I wanted to come and be part of the night. I loved it last year, obviously," she added.
Last year she won best song, best record, best album for her breakthrough "21," best short video, best pop album and best pop artist, winning all six categories in which she was nominated.
Speaking backstage after accepting her award Sunday, Adele said it was less stressful this year than last, even though she is now a mother, having given birth in October.
"I've been up since 6:00 am so I'm quite tired," she told reporters, but added that, as a new mother "it's nice, I haven't been as stressed out... you have to prioritize what you stress about and worry about."
Here are the winners of the main categories at the 55th Grammy Awards:
Album of the Year: "Babel" - Mumford&Sons
Record of the Year: "Somebody That I Used To Know" - Gotye featuring Kimbra
Song of the Year: "We Are Young" - fun.
Best New Artist: fun.
Best Rock Song: "Lonely Boy" - The Black Keys
Best Rock Album: "El Camino" - The Black Keys
Best R&B Song: "Adorn" - Miguel
Best R&B Album: "Black Radio" - Robert Glasper Experiment
Best R&B Performance: "Climax" - Usher
Best Traditional R&B Performance: "Love on Top" - Beyonce
Best Urban Contemporary Album: "Channel Orange" - Frank Ocean
Best Pop Performance, Solo: "Set Fire to the Rain (live)" - Adele
Best Pop Performance, Duo or Group: "Somebody That I Used to Know" - Gotye featuring Kimbra
Best Pop Vocal Album: "Stronger" - Kelly Clarkson
Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album: "Kisses On The Bottom" - Paul McCartney
Best Rap Song: "Ni**as In Paris" - Jay-Z & Kanye West
Best Rap Album: "Take Care" - Drake
Best World Music Album: "The Living Room Sessions Part 1" - Ravi Shankar
Best Alternative Music Album: "Making Mirrors" - Gotye
Best Orchestral Performance: "Adams: Harmonielehre & Short Ride In A Fast Machine" - San Francisco Symphony
Best Opera Recording: "Wagner: Der Ring Des Nibelungen" - The Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, The Metropolitan Opera Chorus
Best Jazz Instrumental Album: "Unity Band" - Pat Metheny Unity Band
Best Country Song: "Blown Away" - Carrie Underwood
Best Country Album: "Uncaged" - Zac Brown Band
Best Hard Rock/Metal Performance: "Love Bites (So Do I)" - Halestorm
Best New Age Album: "Echoes of Love" - Omar Akram
- AFP/ir
"Babel" by Mumford&Sons wins best album Grammy
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"Babel" by Mumford&Sons wins best album Grammy
