Grammys 2024: Taylor Swift sets new record

The 66th Grammy Awards saw female artists dominate the nominations at America's biggest music night on Sunday, with Taylor Swift taking home the most coveted award of the night — album of the year for "Midnights."

"I would love to tell you this is the best moment of my life, but I feel this happy when I finish a song, or when I crack the code to a bridge that I love, or when I'm shortlisting a music video, or when I’m working with my dancers," Swift said as she accepted the album of the year Grammy for "Midnights."

“For me, the award is the work,” she added. She now has four Grammy Awards for album of the year, more than any other artist in the history of Grammys.

Swift won the Grammy for best pop vocal album earlier during the show and announced a new album, "The Tortured Poets Department," which sent the internet into a tizzy.

Miley Cyrus wins Grammy Awards for the 1st time

Miley Cyrus won her first Grammy for best pop solo performance for "Flowers" and won record of the year, also for the song, later in the night. She had been nominated eight times before but never won until today. SZA won best R&B song for "Snooze," taking home her third Grammy of the night. 

Billie Eilish and her brother Finneas O'Connell won the Grammys' biggest songwriting award for penning "What Was I Made For" from the "Barbie" soundtrack.

Victoria Monet was crowned best new artist, telling the audience in her acceptance speech that: "I just want to say to everybody who has a dream. I want you to look at this as an example."  

SZA, 'Barbie' led nominations

SZA was the lead nominee, with nine nods for her album, "SOS," which topped the Billboard 200 for 10 straight weeks. 

"Kill Bill," her revenge anthem cloaked in an R&B ballad, earned her nods for record of the year, song of the year, and best R&B performance.

And just like at the box office, "Barbie" dominated at the Grammys. Music from the hit film earned 11 nominations. British singer Dua Lipa was up for two awards for her song "Dance the Night."

Just behind SZA's nine nominations, the R&B singer Monet and the indie rocker Phoebe Bridgers of the group boygenius both had seven.

Jon Batiste, boygenius, the Americana singer-songwriter Clark, Cyrus, Eilish, Rodrigo and Swift had six nods each.

Winners of early awards before primetime event

Besides few major awards like album of the year or song of the year, the majority of the winners were announced and awards handed out during a special presentation, called the premiere ceremony, that took place before the primetime televised event.

The supergroup boygenius consisting of Phoebe Bridgers, Lucy Dacus and Julien Baker took three big trophies at the premiere ceremony. They won best rock performance, best rock song and best alternative music album for "The Record." Songs from "Barbie" won two awards, and SZA won two as well.

The best African music performance Grammy was one of three new additions to this year's award show and is meant to highlight regional musical traditions from across the African continent.

South African singer Tyla won the award for "Water" and the 22-year-old said in her acceptance speech that: "If you don't know me, my name is Tyla and I'm from South Africa. And last year, God decided to change my life."

rm/sri (AP, Reuters)