BEYONCE HAS FINALLY won the Grammy award for best album of the year, while pop singers like Sabrina Carpenter and Charli XCX have received their first wins at the annual music awards.

The 67th Grammy Awards took place last night in Los Angeles, where the film, tv and music industries have been shaken by the recent devastating wildfires.

Beyonce’s win for her album “Cowboy Carter” makes her the most nominated, most decorated artist at the Grammys ever — as well as the first Black woman to claim the top prize in this century. Despite her highly successful career, she had never clinched the album of the year award before last night.

Beyonce accepts the award for album of the year at the Grammys accompanied by her 13-year-old daughter Blue Ivy Carter Alamy Alamy

“I just feel very full and very honored,” she said as she accepted the prize. She dedicated the win to Linda Martell, a pioneering Black country musician who was featured on the album. “I hope we just keep pushing forward, opening doors,” Beyonce said.

The singer also won prizes for best country album and for her song II Most Wanted, a collaboration with Miley Cyrus.

The first award of the day, best pop solo performance, went to Sabrina Carpenter for Espresso, her first Grammy win.

Carpenter won a second Grammy later in the evening for best pop vocal album. She gave an Old Hollywood-inspired performance of her nominated hits Espresso and Please Please Please.

Sabrina Carpenter poses in the press room with the awards for best pop solo performance and best pop vocal album Alamy Alamy

Shakira won Best Latin Pop Album and Charli XCX won three prizes including best dance/electronic album for Brat.

Charli XCX performs with The Dare at the Grammys Alamy Alamy

Sierra Ferrell won her first Grammys for Americana performance, Americana roots song, Americana album and American roots performance.

Former US president Jimmy Carter won a posthumous Grammy Award for narrating Last Sundays in Plains: A Centennial Celebration, which were recordings from his final Sunday School lessons that were delivered at Maranatha Baptist Church in the US state of Georgia.

Kendrick Lamar’s album Not Like Us received trophies for music video, rap song and rap performance. He won in all five categories in which he was nominated, including Record of the Year and Song of the Year. He lost only to himself — he was up twice for two of the rap genre prizes.

Kendrick Lamar accepts the award for song of the year for his song Not Like Us Alamy Alamy

Doechii emerged as another big winner, becoming just the third woman to ever win the prize for best rap album. Cardi B, who was the second-ever winner, presented her with the award.

Best New Artist was scooped by Chappell Roan, the finale of a meteoric year for the Midwestern artist who rapidly rose to international fame in 2024.

As Los Angeles tries to recover from recent devastating wildfires that destroyed more than 14,000 structures and displaced tens of thousands, the Recording Academy, which runs the Grammys, reformatted the show to raise funds to help wildfire victims.

In his opening remarks, the Recording Academy’s chief executive Harvey Mason Jr said the awards were “also going to recognise the resilience of our community and celebrate our first responders and do our very best to lift up this city that we love”.

On Saturday, at the annual pre-Grammy benefit gala, the Grammys and its affiliated MusiCares charity raised “almost five million dollars in aid” for those in the music industry hit by the wildfires.

Additional reporting by Press Association and AFP