Pop superstar Beyonce broke the record for most career wins at the Grammy awards on Sunday and was in the running for more, including the prestigious best album accolade.
The singer 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,” Beyonce 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.”
Earlier, the singer was absent when she won best R&B song for “Cuff It.” Host Trevor Noah said she was stuck in traffic. He later handed the award to Beyonce at her seat in the audience.
She remained in contention for the night’s top awards - song of the year, record of the year and album of the year, an accolade she has never won.
Beyonce faces a formidable, wide-ranging field that includes Bad Bunny, Styles, singer and flutist Lizzo, British vocalist Adele and disco-era Swedish hitmaker ABBA.
Styles won best pop vocal album for “Harry’s House,” which also was in the race for album of the year.
“This album from start to finish has been the greatest experience of my life,” Styles, 29, said as he held his Grammy trophy. He performed his single “As It Was” during the ceremony, decked head to toe in silver fringe.
Puerto Rican rapper Bad Bunny opened the show with a rousing Spanish-language medley surrounded by dozens of dancers.
“Every time I listen to him, I get hips I never knew I had,” host Trevor Noah joked.
Bad Bunny took home the award for best música urbana album for “Un Verano Sin Ti.”
“I want to dedicate this award to Puerto Rico, the cradle of reggaeton,” Bad Bunny said in a mix of English and Spanish.
For best rap album, Kendrick Lamar triumphed with “Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers.”
“I finally found imperfection with this album,” Lamar said on stage.
The show was broadcast live on the CBS network and streaming service Paramount+.
Honorees were chosen by roughly 11,000 members of the Recording Academy, which has faced complaints that it has not given Black talent proper recognition. The organization has worked to diversity its membership in recent years.
In the best new artist category, contenders include Italian rock band Maneskin, jazz artist Samara Joy, American bluegrass singer Molly Tuttle and TikTok phenol Gayle, who rose to fame with “abcdefu.”
Taylor Swift’s 10-minute version of her 2012 song “All Too Well” won best music video. Her latest album, “Midnights,” was released after this year’s eligibility window, which ran from October 2021 through September 2022.
Like other awards shows, the Grammys have seen their television audience decline in recent years. Last year’s ceremony drew roughly 9 million viewers, the second-smallest on record.