Rap artists and women have felt shunned by the Grammy Awards in recent years. But this year, they both took centre stage.

Childish Gambinosa国际传媒檚 disturbing look at race relations, sa国际传媒淭his is America,sa国际传媒� won record and song of the year on Sundaysa国际传媒檚 telecast. It was the first time a rap-based song won both of those awards, considered sa国际传媒� with album of the year sa国际传媒� the recording industrysa国际传媒檚 most prestigious.

Kacey Musgraves won top album and matched Childish Gambino with four Grammys total. A year after many women felt left out of the Grammy telecast, they delivered the nightsa国际传媒檚 most memorable performances. The best new artist winner, British singer Dua Lipa, also cast major shade on the outgoing recording academy president.

Lady Gaga and Brandi Carlile won three Grammys apiece, and former first lady Michelle Obama was a surprise guest at the top of the show on CBS.

READ MORE: Women dominated in Grammys nominations, but will they win?

READ MORE: Kendrick Lamar leads Grammy noms, where women make a comeback

Childish Gambino, the stage name of actor Donald Glover, and another prominent rap nominee, Kendrick Lamar, both declined invitations to perform or attend Sundaysa国际传媒檚 show. Some rap artists feel the Grammys have been slow to recognize how the genre now dominates popular music.

Ludwig Goransson, a songwriter and producer on sa国际传媒淭his is America,sa国际传媒� said backstage that he was surprised the victories were so historic. Just listening to the radio, watching the culture and seeing how many rap songs are downloaded is evidence of rapsa国际传媒檚 impact.

sa国际传媒淚tsa国际传媒檚 about time something like this happened with the Grammys as well,sa国际传媒� Goransson said.

Cardi B became the first solo woman to win best rap album , although Lauryn Hill was the lead singer of the Fugees, which won the same award at the 1997 Grammys. Cardi B was so nervous accepting the award that she joked, sa国际传媒淢aybe I need to start smoking weed.sa国际传媒�

She looked anything but rattled earlier, when her rendition of sa国际传媒淢oneysa国际传媒� was among the nightsa国际传媒檚 performance highlights. Janelle Monae delivered a smoking version of her hit sa国际传媒淢ake Me Feelsa国际传媒�; St. Vincent and Dua Lipasa国际传媒檚 duet on sa国际传媒淢asseductionsa国际传媒� was steamy; H.E.R. turned heads with sa国际传媒淗ard Placesa国际传媒�; and Carlile sang an inspired version of her hit sa国际传媒淭he Joke.sa国际传媒�

Being part of a big night for women was huge to her, Carlile said backstage after the show.

sa国际传媒淚sa国际传媒檓 a kid from the sa国际传媒�90s and Lilith Fair, you know, and those women were just dominating those platforms,sa国际传媒� she said. sa国际传媒淭hey were dominating those arena and amphitheatre stages. They were getting record deals. They were becoming record executives themselves. They completely controlled the airwaves. They were on the radio. And to watch that backslide for the last 20 years has been heartbreaking. Tonight, it gives me hope as a mother of two young daughters.sa国际传媒�

sa国际传媒� iamcardib (@iamcardib)

When she accepted her best new artist award, Dua Lipa pointedly said, sa国际传媒淚 guess this year we really stepped up.sa国际传媒�

That was a reference to outgoing Recording Academy CEO Neil Portnow, who said women needed to sa国际传媒渟tep upsa国际传媒� when he was asked about the lack of women in top categories in 2018. He later acknowledged it was a poor choice of words and delivered another mea culpa on Sundaysa国际传媒檚 show.

Yet Dua Lipa was rewarded by having her acceptance speech cut off mid-sentence. She wasnsa国际传媒檛 alone, however, as a handful of other artists were also hustled off the stage, and the show seemed disjointed at the end, rushing through its final awards. Under the circumstances, having a lengthy tribute to Portnow before he gave his own speech seemed tone-deaf.

Lipa said later she would have thanked her fans, her inspirations and team if she had more time.

When she was onstage, Lipa was one of a handful of winners who paid special tribute to fellow artists. Another was Drake, whose appearance to accept the Grammy when sa国际传媒淕odsa国际传媒檚 Plansa国际传媒� won best rap song was a surprise because hesa国际传媒檚 not big on award shows.

He reminded fans and fellow artists that awards are based on the subjective views of others, and arensa国际传媒檛 contests in which there are clear winners and losers.

sa国际传媒淵ousa国际传媒檝e already won if you have people who are singing your songs word for word, if yousa国际传媒檙e a hero in your hometown. Look, if there are people who have regular jobs who are coming out in the rain and the snow, spending their hard-earned money to buy tickets to come to your shows, you donsa国际传媒檛 need this right here. I promise you. You already won,sa国际传媒� he said at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.

Musgrave picked up album of the year for sa国际传媒淕olden Hour,sa国际传媒� which is labeled country but had wider appeal.

sa国际传媒淚 never dreamed that this record would be met with such love, such warmth, such positivity,sa国际传媒� said Musgraves, who performed a stately version of her song sa国际传媒淩ainbow.sa国际传媒�

Dolly Parton starred in the best of the nightsa国际传媒檚 two tributes to veteran artists, performing a medley of her songs with Miley Cyrus, Katy Perry and Maren Morris. The highlight of Diana Rosssa国际传媒� night was the cute introduction by a grandson with a mountain of hair.

The Grammys took some online blowback by having Jennifer Lopez deliver a tribute to Motown , once the nationsa国际传媒檚 preeminent label for black artists. Despite her hustle, Lopez was outshone by show host Alicia Keys and Smokey Robinson delivering one verse of sa国际传媒淭racks of My Tearssa国际传媒� a capella.

Obama appeared on the showsa国际传媒檚 opening with Keys, Gaga, Lopez and Jada Pinkett Smith to describe the role music had played in their lives sa国际传媒� seemingly a pointed reference to last yearsa国际传媒檚 controversy over women artists.

sa国际传媒淢usic has always helped me tell my story,sa国际传媒� Obama said. sa国际传媒淲hether we like country or rap or rock, music helps us share ourselves. It allows us to hear one another.sa国际传媒�

Another ex-White House resident was awarded a Grammy on Sunday. Former President Jimmy Carter, who is 94, won an award for best spoken word recording.

Itsa国际传媒檚 his second Grammy.

A list of top winners at the 61th annual Grammy Awards.

Album of the year: sa国际传媒淕olden Hoursa国际传媒� by Kacey Musgraves

Record of the year: sa国际传媒淭his Is Americasa国际传媒� by Childish Gambino

Song of the year: sa国际传媒淭his Is Americasa国际传媒� by Childish Gambino and Ludwig Goransson

Best rap/sung performance: sa国际传媒淭his Is Americasa国际传媒� by Childish Gambino

Best music video: sa国际传媒淭his Is Americasa国际传媒� by Childish Gambino

Best rap album: sa国际传媒淚nvasion of Privacysa国际传媒� by Cardi B

Best rap song: sa国际传媒淕odsa国际传媒檚 Plansa国际传媒� by Drake

Best new artist: Dua Lipa

Best country album: sa国际传媒淕olden Hoursa国际传媒� by Kacey Musgraves

Best pop duo/group performance: sa国际传媒淪hallowsa国际传媒� by Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper

Best pop vocal album: sa国际传媒淪weetenersa国际传媒� by Ariana Grande

Best pop solo performance: Lady Gagasa国际传媒檚 sa国际传媒淛oanne (Where Do You Think Yousa国际传媒檙e Goinsa国际传媒�?)sa国际传媒�

Best R&B album: sa国际传媒淗.E.R.sa国际传媒� by H.E.R.

Best R&B song: sa国际传媒淏oosa国际传媒檇 Upsa国际传媒� by Ella Mai, DJ Mustard, Larrance Dopson and Joelle James

Best R&B performance: sa国际传媒淏est Partsa国际传媒� by H.E.R. featuring Daniel Caesar

Producer of the year, non-classical: Pharrell Williams

Best rap performance: (tie) sa国际传媒淜ingsa国际传媒檚 Deadsa国际传媒� by Kendrick Lamar, Jay Rock, Future and James Blake, and sa国际传媒淏ubblinsa国际传媒� by Anderson.Paak

Best urban contemporary album: sa国际传媒淓verything Is Lovesa国际传媒� by The Carters

Best traditional pop vocal album: Willie Nelsonsa国际传媒檚 sa国际传媒淢y Waysa国际传媒�

Best rock song: sa国际传媒淢asseductionsa国际传媒� by St. Vincent

Best rock album: sa国际传媒淔rom the Firessa国际传媒� by Greta Van Fleet

Best rock performance: sa国际传媒淲hen Bad Does Goodsa国际传媒� by Chris Cornell

Best dance recording: sa国际传媒淓lectricitysa国际传媒� by Silk City and Dua Lipa featuring Diplo and Mark Ronson

Best country song: sa国际传媒淪pace Cowboy,sa国际传媒� Kacey Musgraves (Luke Laird, Shane McAnally and Kacey Musgraves)

Best reggae album: sa国际传媒�44/876sa国际传媒� by Sting & Shaggy

Best country solo performance: Kacey Musgravessa国际传媒� sa国际传媒淏utterfliessa国际传媒�

Best duo/group country performance: Dan + Shaysa国际传媒檚 sa国际传媒淭equilasa国际传媒�

Best jazz vocal album: sa国际传媒淭he Windowsa国际传媒� by Cecile McLorin Salvant

Best alternative music album: sa国际传媒淐olours,sa国际传媒� Beck

Best comedy album: sa国际传媒淓quanimity & the Bird Revelation,sa国际传媒� Dave Chappelle

Best Latin pop album: Claudia Brantsa国际传媒檚 sa国际传媒淪incerasa国际传媒�

Best spoken word album: Jimmy Cartersa国际传媒檚 sa国际传媒淔aith sa国际传媒� A Journey for Allsa国际传媒�

Best folk album: Punch Brotherssa国际传媒� sa国际传媒淎ll Ashoresa国际传媒�

Best contemporary Christian music album: Lauren Daiglesa国际传媒檚 sa国际传媒淟ook Up Childsa国际传媒�

Best musical theatre album: sa国际传媒淭he Bandsa国际传媒檚 Visitsa国际传媒�

Best American roots song: Brandi Carlilesa国际传媒檚 sa国际传媒淭he Jokesa国际传媒�

Best American roots performance: Brandi Carlilesa国际传媒檚 sa国际传媒淭he Jokesa国际传媒�

Best Americana album: Brandi Carlilesa国际传媒檚 sa国际传媒淏y the Way, I Forgive Yousa国际传媒�

Best gospel album: Tori Kellysa国际传媒檚 sa国际传媒淗iding Placesa国际传媒�

Best contemporary Christian music performance/song: Lauren Daiglesa国际传媒檚 sa国际传媒淵ou Saysa国际传媒�

Best world music album: Soweto Gospel Choirsa国际传媒檚 sa国际传媒淔reedomsa国际传媒�

Best compilation soundtrack for visual media: sa国际传媒淭he Greatest Showmansa国际传媒�

Best score soundtrack for visual media: sa国际传媒淏lack Panthersa国际传媒�

Best song written for visual media: sa国际传媒淪hallowsa国际传媒� from sa国际传媒淎 Star Is Bornsa国际传媒�

Best traditional blues album: Buddy Guysa国际传媒檚 sa国际传媒淭he Blues Is Alive and Wellsa国际传媒�

Best music film: Quincy Jonessa国际传媒� sa国际传媒淨uincysa国际传媒�

Best boxed or special limited edition package: sa国际传媒淪queeze Box: The Complete Works of sa国际传媒榃eird Alsa国际传媒� Yankovicsa国际传媒�

___

Associated Press writers Mesfin Fekadu, Nekesa Mumbi Moody, Jonathan Landrum and Beth Harris contributed to this report.

David Bauder, The Associated Press

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