Rapper Kendrick Lamar on Sunday took an early lead at the Grammy Awards in Los Angeles with four prizes, as he, Bad Bunny and Lady Gaga looked to make history on the biggest night of the year for music. Lamar took four trophies including best rap album, while Lady Gaga won for best dance pop recording and Bad Bunny snapped up a gramophone for best global music performance. All three are angling to take home the gala’s most coveted award, Album of the Year, for the first time.
K-pop singer Rose and Bruno Mars kicked off the proceedings with a high-octane performance of “APT.,” before comedian Trevor Noah took to the stage. Noah — in his sixth and final outing as Grammys host — wasted no time getting topical after a quick walk around the room to point out the constellation of A-listers. “Nicki Minaj is not here… She is still at the White House with Donald Trump, discussing very important issues,” he said, in reference to Minaj’s recent backing of the Republican president.
“‘Actually, Nicki, I have the biggest ass. I have it,’” Noah said, doing a dead-on Trump impression. “‘Everybody’s saying it, Nicki, I know they say it’s you, but it’s me.’” The prize for Best New Artist went to Britain’s Olivia Dean, who topped charts at home and abroad with her monster hit “Man I Need.” Lady Gaga and Justin Bieber were also set to perform, along with Lauryn Hill and Post Malone, who will lead a tribute to late rocker Ozzy Osbourne. Lamar, the Pulitzer Prize-winning rapper, had nine nominations going into Sunday, the most of any artist, on the strength of his album “GNX.”
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