French electronic duo Daft Punk, teenage Lorde take top Grammys
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Two unconventional acts, French electronic music DJs Daft Punk and New Zealand teen Lorde, took home the top Grammy awards in Los Angeles on Sunday, in a night that rewarded robots and newcomers — and recognized marriage equality.
In a first for the Grammys or any big US awards show, thirty-three couples, both same-sex and straight, were married by singer Queen Latifah, to the Macklemore & Ryan Lewis gay rights anthem, “Same Love.” Madonna emerged in a white suit and cowboy hat to conclude the singing ceremony with “Open Your Heart.”
The music industry’s glamorous gathering also saw the two surviving Beatles, Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, come together for a rare joint performance coinciding with the 50th anniversary of the British group’s breakthrough on American television.
Robotic duo Daft Punk scored the double win of album of the year for “Random Access Memories,” and record of the year with the summer dance hit “Get Lucky,” featuring Pharrell Williams and Nile Rodgers.
Rodgers praised the French DJ duo for creating their electronic music album using live music recorded on to analog tape, calling it “a labor of love.”
Formed in the early 1990s by Thomas Bangalter and Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo, Daft Punk were pioneers of the electronic dance music phenomenon.
It was impossible to know what the two masked musicians thought about their big win because they choose not to speak as part of their act.
Lorde, 17, won the Grammy for song of the year with her breakout hit “Royals,” sharing the award for songwriters with Joel Little.
“Thank you to everyone who has let this song explode because it has been mental,” said Lorde, whose real name is Ella Yelich-O’Connor, and is known for a gothic aesthetic.
The Recording Academy also anointed Seattle-based rapper-producer newcomers Macklemore & Ryan Lewis with the Grammy for best new artist and three other awards in rap categories.
With their homage to marriage equality, the duo also presided over the biggest dramatic moment of the night.
“I hope this is inspiration to all the rappers out there and hip hop artists out there that they can continue to tackle any subjects you want,” Queen Latifah, said backstage, before her power to marry in California expired at midnight.
The 56th Grammy Awards, the music industry’s top honors from the Recording Academy across 82 categories, also rewarded a crop of newcomers.
Kacey Musgraves, 25, won best country album with “Same Trailer Different Park,” while alt-rockers Imagine Dragons won best rock performance for “Radioactive.”
There was also 71-year-old McCartney, who teamed up with former members of grunge rock band Nirvana to win best rock song for “Cut Me Some Slack.”
With McCartney at the piano and Starr at his drums on Sunday night — in a surprise reunion — the two played a new song, “Queenie Eye.”
The final performance by Nine Inch Nails, Queens of the Stone Age, Grohl and Fleetwood Mac’s Lindsey Buckingham hit a sour note as CBS rolled the end credits over the music.
Nine Inch Nails lead Trent Reznor later sent out a tweet with the words “Music’s biggest night ... to be disrespected.”
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