Rap artists and women have felt shunned by the Grammy Awards in recent years. But this year, they both took centre stage.

Childish Gambino鈥檚 disturbing look at race relations, 鈥淭his is America,鈥� won record and song of the year on Sunday鈥檚 telecast. It was the first time a rap-based song won both of those awards, considered 鈥� with album of the year 鈥� the recording industry鈥檚 most prestigious.

Kacey Musgraves won top album and matched Childish Gambino with four Grammys total. A year after many women felt left out of the Grammy telecast, they delivered the night鈥檚 most memorable performances. The best new artist winner, British singer Dua Lipa, also cast major shade on the outgoing recording academy president.

Lady Gaga and Brandi Carlile won three Grammys apiece, and former first lady Michelle Obama was a surprise guest at the top of the show on CBS.

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Childish Gambino, the stage name of actor Donald Glover, and another prominent rap nominee, Kendrick Lamar, both declined invitations to perform or attend Sunday鈥檚 show. Some rap artists feel the Grammys have been slow to recognize how the genre now dominates popular music.

Ludwig Goransson, a songwriter and producer on 鈥淭his is America,鈥� said backstage that he was surprised the victories were so historic. Just listening to the radio, watching the culture and seeing how many rap songs are downloaded is evidence of rap鈥檚 impact.

鈥淚t鈥檚 about time something like this happened with the Grammys as well,鈥� Goransson said.

Cardi B became the first solo woman to win best rap album , although Lauryn Hill was the lead singer of the Fugees, which won the same award at the 1997 Grammys. Cardi B was so nervous accepting the award that she joked, 鈥淢aybe I need to start smoking weed.鈥�

She looked anything but rattled earlier, when her rendition of 鈥淢oney鈥� was among the night鈥檚 performance highlights. Janelle Monae delivered a smoking version of her hit 鈥淢ake Me Feel鈥�; St. Vincent and Dua Lipa鈥檚 duet on 鈥淢asseduction鈥� was steamy; H.E.R. turned heads with 鈥淗ard Place鈥�; and Carlile sang an inspired version of her hit 鈥淭he Joke.鈥�

Being part of a big night for women was huge to her, Carlile said backstage after the show.

鈥淚鈥檓 a kid from the 鈥�90s and Lilith Fair, you know, and those women were just dominating those platforms,鈥� she said. 鈥淭hey were dominating those arena and amphitheatre stages. They were getting record deals. They were becoming record executives themselves. They completely controlled the airwaves. They were on the radio. And to watch that backslide for the last 20 years has been heartbreaking. Tonight, it gives me hope as a mother of two young daughters.鈥�

鈥� iamcardib (@iamcardib)

When she accepted her best new artist award, Dua Lipa pointedly said, 鈥淚 guess this year we really stepped up.鈥�

That was a reference to outgoing Recording Academy CEO Neil Portnow, who said women needed to 鈥渟tep up鈥� when he was asked about the lack of women in top categories in 2018. He later acknowledged it was a poor choice of words and delivered another mea culpa on Sunday鈥檚 show.

Yet Dua Lipa was rewarded by having her acceptance speech cut off mid-sentence. She wasn鈥檛 alone, however, as a handful of other artists were also hustled off the stage, and the show seemed disjointed at the end, rushing through its final awards. Under the circumstances, having a lengthy tribute to Portnow before he gave his own speech seemed tone-deaf.

Lipa said later she would have thanked her fans, her inspirations and team if she had more time.

When she was onstage, Lipa was one of a handful of winners who paid special tribute to fellow artists. Another was Drake, whose appearance to accept the Grammy when 鈥淕od鈥檚 Plan鈥� won best rap song was a surprise because he鈥檚 not big on award shows.

He reminded fans and fellow artists that awards are based on the subjective views of others, and aren鈥檛 contests in which there are clear winners and losers.

鈥淵ou鈥檝e already won if you have people who are singing your songs word for word, if you鈥檙e a hero in your hometown. Look, if there are people who have regular jobs who are coming out in the rain and the snow, spending their hard-earned money to buy tickets to come to your shows, you don鈥檛 need this right here. I promise you. You already won,鈥� he said at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.

Musgrave picked up album of the year for 鈥淕olden Hour,鈥� which is labeled country but had wider appeal.

鈥淚 never dreamed that this record would be met with such love, such warmth, such positivity,鈥� said Musgraves, who performed a stately version of her song 鈥淩ainbow.鈥�

Dolly Parton starred in the best of the night鈥檚 two tributes to veteran artists, performing a medley of her songs with Miley Cyrus, Katy Perry and Maren Morris. The highlight of Diana Ross鈥� night was the cute introduction by a grandson with a mountain of hair.

The Grammys took some online blowback by having Jennifer Lopez deliver a tribute to Motown , once the nation鈥檚 preeminent label for black artists. Despite her hustle, Lopez was outshone by show host Alicia Keys and Smokey Robinson delivering one verse of 鈥淭racks of My Tears鈥� a capella.

Obama appeared on the show鈥檚 opening with Keys, Gaga, Lopez and Jada Pinkett Smith to describe the role music had played in their lives 鈥� seemingly a pointed reference to last year鈥檚 controversy over women artists.

鈥淢usic has always helped me tell my story,鈥� Obama said. 鈥淲hether we like country or rap or rock, music helps us share ourselves. It allows us to hear one another.鈥�

Another ex-White House resident was awarded a Grammy on Sunday. Former President Jimmy Carter, who is 94, won an award for best spoken word recording.

It鈥檚 his second Grammy.

A list of top winners at the 61th annual Grammy Awards.

Album of the year: 鈥淕olden Hour鈥� by Kacey Musgraves

Record of the year: 鈥淭his Is America鈥� by Childish Gambino

Song of the year: 鈥淭his Is America鈥� by Childish Gambino and Ludwig Goransson

Best rap/sung performance: 鈥淭his Is America鈥� by Childish Gambino

Best music video: 鈥淭his Is America鈥� by Childish Gambino

Best rap album: 鈥淚nvasion of Privacy鈥� by Cardi B

Best rap song: 鈥淕od鈥檚 Plan鈥� by Drake

Best new artist: Dua Lipa

Best country album: 鈥淕olden Hour鈥� by Kacey Musgraves

Best pop duo/group performance: 鈥淪hallow鈥� by Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper

Best pop vocal album: 鈥淪weetener鈥� by Ariana Grande

Best pop solo performance: Lady Gaga鈥檚 鈥淛oanne (Where Do You Think You鈥檙e Goin鈥�?)鈥�

Best R&B album: 鈥淗.E.R.鈥� by H.E.R.

Best R&B song: 鈥淏oo鈥檇 Up鈥� by Ella Mai, DJ Mustard, Larrance Dopson and Joelle James

Best R&B performance: 鈥淏est Part鈥� by H.E.R. featuring Daniel Caesar

Producer of the year, non-classical: Pharrell Williams

Best rap performance: (tie) 鈥淜ing鈥檚 Dead鈥� by Kendrick Lamar, Jay Rock, Future and James Blake, and 鈥淏ubblin鈥� by Anderson.Paak

Best urban contemporary album: 鈥淓verything Is Love鈥� by The Carters

Best traditional pop vocal album: Willie Nelson鈥檚 鈥淢y Way鈥�

Best rock song: 鈥淢asseduction鈥� by St. Vincent

Best rock album: 鈥淔rom the Fires鈥� by Greta Van Fleet

Best rock performance: 鈥淲hen Bad Does Good鈥� by Chris Cornell

Best dance recording: 鈥淓lectricity鈥� by Silk City and Dua Lipa featuring Diplo and Mark Ronson

Best country song: 鈥淪pace Cowboy,鈥� Kacey Musgraves (Luke Laird, Shane McAnally and Kacey Musgraves)

Best reggae album: 鈥�44/876鈥� by Sting & Shaggy

Best country solo performance: Kacey Musgraves鈥� 鈥淏utterflies鈥�

Best duo/group country performance: Dan + Shay鈥檚 鈥淭equila鈥�

Best jazz vocal album: 鈥淭he Window鈥� by Cecile McLorin Salvant

Best alternative music album: 鈥淐olours,鈥� Beck

Best comedy album: 鈥淓quanimity & the Bird Revelation,鈥� Dave Chappelle

Best Latin pop album: Claudia Brant鈥檚 鈥淪incera鈥�

Best spoken word album: Jimmy Carter鈥檚 鈥淔aith 鈥� A Journey for All鈥�

Best folk album: Punch Brothers鈥� 鈥淎ll Ashore鈥�

Best contemporary Christian music album: Lauren Daigle鈥檚 鈥淟ook Up Child鈥�

Best musical theatre album: 鈥淭he Band鈥檚 Visit鈥�

Best American roots song: Brandi Carlile鈥檚 鈥淭he Joke鈥�

Best American roots performance: Brandi Carlile鈥檚 鈥淭he Joke鈥�

Best Americana album: Brandi Carlile鈥檚 鈥淏y the Way, I Forgive You鈥�

Best gospel album: Tori Kelly鈥檚 鈥淗iding Place鈥�

Best contemporary Christian music performance/song: Lauren Daigle鈥檚 鈥淵ou Say鈥�

Best world music album: Soweto Gospel Choir鈥檚 鈥淔reedom鈥�

Best compilation soundtrack for visual media: 鈥淭he Greatest Showman鈥�

Best score soundtrack for visual media: 鈥淏lack Panther鈥�

Best song written for visual media: 鈥淪hallow鈥� from 鈥淎 Star Is Born鈥�

Best traditional blues album: Buddy Guy鈥檚 鈥淭he Blues Is Alive and Well鈥�

Best music film: Quincy Jones鈥� 鈥淨uincy鈥�

Best boxed or special limited edition package: 鈥淪queeze Box: The Complete Works of 鈥榃eird Al鈥� Yankovic鈥�

___

Associated Press writers Mesfin Fekadu, Nekesa Mumbi Moody, Jonathan Landrum and Beth Harris contributed to this report.

David Bauder, The Associated Press

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