Adele, Chance the Rapper, and David Bowie Among Top Honorees at 2017 Grammys

The 59th Annual Grammy Awards took place on Feb. 12 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, kicking off with the one and only Adele onstage belting out her emotional hit single, “Hello.” The British singer proved to be the evening’s big winner, taking home five Grammys, including the top awards, Song of the Year and Album of the Year. She showed humility when she dedicated the latter to her fellow nominee Beyoncé, whom she credited as being a major inspiration to herself and others. Beyoncé’s trophy count of two was less impressive, especially considering the impact her album “Lemonade” has had on culture since its release in April. However, it was Beyoncé who practically stopped the show with her performance that celebrated motherhood, children and diversity. Appearing on a set that was designed to be something out of a dream in a sparking costume that accentuated her pregnant belly, she sang two of the more soulful tracks “Love Drought,” and “Sandcastles.”

It was also a big night for Chicago’s own Chance the Rapper, who won the coveted Best New Artist award, plus Best Rap Album and Best Rap Performance. When it was his time to take the stage, Chance was joined by Kirk Franklin and a gospel choir for a performance that made a believer out of the biggest cynic.

Other memorable performances included Lady Gaga and Metallica, who killed it with “Moth to the Flame,” despite technical difficulties with James Hetfield’s mic. Also teaming up were R&B star Alicia Keys and country crooner Maren Morris for a stunning rendition of Morris’ “Once.” Ed Sheeran also won over the crowd with a performance of his new single “Shape of You.” Offstage, host James Corden gave Ellen Degeneres a run for her money by strapping on a cardboard car and wrangling Neil Diamond, Jennifer Lopez, John Legend and more into the Grammy-version of his famed “Carpool Karaoke” bit from “The Late Late Show.” The gang, along with the audience, sang a spirited version of Diamond’s “Sweet Caroline.”

The current political climate was not far from many artists’ and fans’ minds. Busta Rhymes directly addressed the man he referred to as “President Agent Orange,” speaking out against the controversial Muslim ban and calling for those watching to resist. Busta united with fellow hip-hop legends A Tribe Called Quest and rising star Anderson Paak for powerful renditions of A Tribe Called Quest’s classics, “Can I Kick It,” and “Award Tour,” plus two songs off of their 2016 album “We Got It from Here… Thank You 4 Your Service,” their first new album in 18 years. Katy Perry made a more subtle political statement during her performance of new single, “Chained to the Rhythm.” Perry donned a snazzy white pantsuit, which many saw as being a nod to Hillary Clinton, whom she ardently supported during the recent presidential race.

A lot of great artists passed away in 2016, including rock legend David Bowie, who was honored with five awards for his final album, “Blackstar.” This also earned him long-overdue recognition from The Recording Academy, who only awarded him one Grammy during his lifetime. Adele took the stage for a second time to honor George Michael by performing a slow version of his song “Fastlove,” an unusual choice considering Michael was best known for his upbeat dance-pop music. However, Adele further endeared the crowd to her after she made an error a minute in, dropped the f-bomb and asked to start over, declaring “I can’t mess this up for him.” Prince also received a fitting tribute, with his friends The Time performing “Jungle Love,” before a purple suit clad Bruno Mars brought the house down with “Let’s Go Crazy.”

Other winners included Twenty One Pilots, who accepted the award for Best Pop Group Performance in their undies. Off camera, Cage the Elephant scored best Rock Album, while legend Willie Nelson earned Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album, Jesse & Joy took Best Latin Pop Album, the cast of the Broadway show “The Color Purple” won Best Musical Theater Album and Patton Oswalt snagged Best Comedy Album. For a complete list of nominees and winners, go to the official Grammy website.

The 59th Annual Grammy Awards took place on Feb. 12 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.