Bowie Is Big Early Winner at Grammys; Adele, Drake and Beyonce Also Win During Pre-Ceremony

Courtesy the Recording AcademyThe Grammy Awards telecast hasn’t begun yet, but David Bowie already is a big winner.  The late rock legend has already won four Grammys during the Grammy Awards Premiere Ceremony, when awards in 70 categories were given out before the start of the main event at 8 p.m. ET.

Bowie’s final album, Blackstar, released days before his death in January 2016, won for Best Alternative Album, Best Recording Package and Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical.  The album’s title track also won in the Best Rock Performance category. Bowie could still win a fifth: “Blackstar” is also nominated for Best Rock Song

Adele was also an early winner. Her album 25 won in the Best Pop Vocal Album category, and its lead single, “Hello,” won for Best Pop Solo Performance. 25 also is up for Album of the Year.

Drake, also an album of the year nominee, already has two Grammys tonight: “Hotline Bling” won in the categories of Best Rap/Sung Performance and Best Rap Song.

Beyonce, the night’s leading nominee, has won a Grammy already too.  Her “Formation” visual won for Best Music Video.  But her Lemonade visual album lost out in the Best Music Film category to Ron Howard‘s The Beatles: Eight Days a Week the Touring Years.

Other early winners included Justin Timberlake, who’s “Can’t Stop the Feeling!” from Trolls won for Best Song Written for Visual Media; Solange‘s “Cranes in the Sky” for Best R&B Performance and The Chainsmokers and Daya‘s “Don’t Let Me Down” for Best Dance Recording.

Cage the Elephant’s Tell Me I’m Pretty for Best Rock Album; and a surprise victory for Sturgill Simpson‘s A Sailor’s Guide to Earth in the Best Country Album category.  Also in the country category, the Best Country Duo or Group Performance was won by a cappella group Pentatonix and Dolly Parton, for their team-up on Parton’s classic “Jolene.”

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