Latest: The 2019 Grammy Awards

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Shout out to Kacey Musgraves’ little sister.

Musgraves thanked her sis for shooting and designing all of her album covers, including the one for her latest, “Golden Hour” – which took home the prestigious album of the year Grammy.

The album takes Musgraves’ country sound in a poppier direction, adding dance beats on a few songs.

In all, the singer-songwriter took home four Grammys, making her one of the night’s biggest winners.

And Musgraves’ acceptance speech may have been the closest we had all night to a political statement.

“Life is pretty tumultuous for all of us right now…and because of that I feel like art is really important right now,” the 30-year-old country star said.

She also won for best country album, best country solo performance for “Butterflies” and best country song for “Space Cowboy.”

Some of the music industry’s biggest names were no-shows at tonight’s Grammy Awards.

Taylor Swift skipped the show at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, according to Variety. The 10-time Grammy winner is filming the musical adaptation of “Cats” in London.

Childish Gambino, who won record of the year, best rap/sung performance and best music video, didn’t attend the show, even though his hit “This is America” made history by being the first rap tune to win song of the year.

Rapper Kendrick Lamar was also a no-show. His song “King’s dead” tied with Anderson .Paak’s “Bubblin” for best rap performance.

Meanwhile, Ariana Grande was so over the Grammys. She took to Twitter on Thursday to air her grievances after she said Grammy producer Ken Ehrlich stifled her creativity and self-expression.

“It’s just a game y’all.. and i’m sorry but that’s not what music is to me,” she tweeted. 

Kelly Clarkson, who was also nominated tonight, didn’t walk the red carpet and go to the show because she’s on tour.

And Lady Gaga and her “A Star is Born” co-star Bradley Cooper split award-show duties tonight. Cooper attended the BAFTAs in London while Gaga performed “Shallow” at the Grammys and won for best pop duo/group performance.

Childish Gambino’s “This is America” just took home record of the year. It’s the first time a rap song has won in that category.

Earlier tonight, Gambino’s ambitious record also made history by being the first rap song to win song of the year.

The artist, the musical alter ago of actor Donald Glover, reportedly declined an invitation to perform at the Grammys.

Listen up awards shows: This is how you do a tribute.

You gather performers like Andra Day, Fantasia and Yolanda Adams, who can sing their faces off, and then you get the hell out of the way.

Because it should give you chills.

That’s just what the trio’s version of “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman” did.

It was worthy of giving honor to the Queen of Soul, who died in August.

Dua Lipa followed up her sexy performance with St. Vincent with a win for best new artist.

The “New Rules” singer thanked her team and fans “who have allowed me to be the best version of myself.”

“I’m so nervous, so grateful and so excited,” said Lipa, who beat out H.E.R, Chloe x Halle and five others for the award.

The singer continued to talk even as she was played off. She paid tribute to individuality and being true to yourself.

Cardi B just won best rap album for “Invasion of Privacy,” becoming the first solo woman artist to win the Grammy in that category.

(In case you’re wondering, Lauryn Hill won in 1999 for R&B album, not rap album.)

She was clearly emotional, appeared to be shaking and held tight to husband rapper Offset’s hand, telling him at one point, “I can’t breathe, babe.”

Cardi then joked, “Maybe I need to start smoking weed.”

She thanked her daughter, Kulture, explaining that her pregnancy forced her to get her album and videos done before her stomach started showing.

“I want to thank all the artists that took their time and did verses for my album,” Cardi B said before turning to Offset. “You, husband, thank you.”

Beyonce chose well.

Queen Bey signed Chloe x Halle, sisters and former YouTube stars, to her label in 2015.

The R&B duo were up for best new artist tonight. And they didn’t disappoint.

The pair paid tribute to the late singer Donny Hathaway by performing a flawless rendition of “Where Is The Love,” his 1972 hit duet with Roberta Flack.

Newcomer H.E.R. won best R & B Album for her self-titled project and promptly reminded the audience that it’s actually an EP, not an LP. (An EP is a smaller collection of songs.)

It’s almost not correct to call her a “newcomer” to the business, either, as she was signed to her label, RCA, when she was 14 years old (she’s now 21).

H.E.R. said she was overwhelmed by the honor, thanked God, invited her team to join her on stage and got played out as she tried to thank the rest of the village that has contributed to her success.

Full album or not, H.E.R. is having a moment.

Who thought it was a good idea that Jennifer Lopez perform a medley of Motown hits?

No, seriously, we need a word.

Had they not been reading the tweets for the past week? Twitter was not here for the idea when it was first announced.

Even during the performance folks seemed puzzled.

Lopez is an amazing dancer. We acknowledge that. And it was definitely a high-energy set.

And don’t get it twisted: This is not at all a race thing. She’s Latina, and the Motown legacy is a rich and diverse one.

One of the songs Lopez sang, “Square Biz,” was by the late singer Teena Marie, who was white.

But having her join Smokey Robinson and Ne Yo to pay tribute to the legendary R&B label was a bit head-scratching.

It was sweet that she dedicated it all to her mom Lupe, though.

Don’t at us if you disagree. Take it up with Twitter.

A line in Travis Scott’s hit “NO BYSTANDERS” goes “The party never ends,” and he proved that with his Grammy performance.

Scott performed most of the song in a cage, surrounded by a huge swarm of people who rushed the stage and pretty much turned it into a rave.

But how else was he supposed to crowd surf if he didn’t have a ton of people up there with him?

Scott started out his performance a tad bit more mellow, singing another song with James Blake and Philip Bailey from Earth, Wind and Fire.

A cage, though? This year’s show is oh, so many things.

Raif-Henok Emmanuel Kendrick speaks onstage during the 61st Annual GRAMMY Awards at Staples Center on Feb. 10, 2019 in Los Angeles, California.

The Grammys are celebrating the legendary Diana Ross’ 75th birthday.

But her 9-year-old grandson Raif-Henok Emmanuel Kendrick, who introduced her, might have stolen the show.

Host Alicia Keys welcomed the “distinguished little guy” to the stage. But Raif-Henok wasn’t having it.

He quipped, “Did she say little guy? I’m almost 4 foot 9.”

Raif-Henok went on to thank Keys and express his feelings about his “grand mommy Diana Ross.”

“She is amazing and young people like me can look up to her for her independence, confidence and her willingness to be her unique self. She has shown the whole world that nothing is beyond our reach,” Raif-Henok said.

Ross – who has actually never won a Grammy, although they gave her a lifetime achievement award – went on to perform “The Best Years of My Life” and “Reach Out and Touch (Somebody’s Hand).”

Let’s be honest: This is Gaga’s time to shine.

People knew her as a singer and fashion icon, but she stunned critics with the depth of her acting in “A Star Is Born.”

It didn’t seem to matter Sunday that she had lost to Glenn Close in the best actress category at the Golden Globes and Screen Actors Guild Awards.

The Grammys are her people, and Gaga was right at home inside the Staples Center.

She gave a full-throated, rock star performance of “Shallow,” her big song from the movie.

Going full David Bowie/Ziggy Stardust in a sparkly body suit, platinum blonde hair and platform shoes, Gaga was mesmerizing.

Which is good news for the rest of us. She’ll sing the song again in two weeks at the Oscars.

Country fans already know that Dan + Shay have perfect pitch.

They proved that with their performance of their single “Tequila” which earned them a standing ovation.

Earlier the song won them the best country duo/group performance Grammy.

They also presented the best rap song Grammy to Drake for “God’s Plan.”

Now Drizzy didn’t perform, but unlike fellow winner Childish Gambino he did turn up to collect his trophy.

Drake had some deep things to say to the young people pursuing music.

That was until the producers cut him off mid-sentence and went to commercial.

Oops!

Alicia Keys just took us to her super chill and timeless world, which she called “Club Keys.”

The 15-time Grammy winner used her musical prowess to dazzle the audience with a performance packed with major hits.

Flanked by two pianos, Keys performed everything from Lauryn Hill’s “Doo Wop (That Thing)” to Roberta Flack’s “Killing Me Softly With His Song” to Kings of Leon’s “Use Somebody.”

At one point during her medley, Keys played on both pianos at the same time.

Yes, the Recording Academy has historically had an issue with a lack of women among the Grammy winners and nominees.

But damn – someone forgot to tell tonight’s show that.

The women presenters and performers have been killing it all night.

From the impassioned words of Alicia Keys and Michelle Obama to the singular visions of Janelle Monáe and H.E.R. to the female-driven Dolly Parton tribute to Kacey Musgraves’ killer ballad to Camilla Cabello reminding us of why we love Havana and East Atlanta, it’s been a total ladies night.

Then there was Cardi B.

Her performance was a basically a full-on cabaret show. And maybe a preview of her forthcoming Las Vegas residency?

It was fire okkkurrrrr?

Cardi’s husband Offset clearly thought so too, based on his expressions whenever the camera caught him in the audience.

So, yes, lack of diversity – both with race and gender.– has sometimes been a problem for the Grammys. But tonight’s performances so far have once again underscored the point that there’s so much talent to be recognized.

Chris Cornell won a Grammy award for best rock performance, almost two years after the Soundgarden singer’s death.

Cornell’s song “When Bad Does Good” took the top honor. Greta Van Fleet, Arctic Monkeys, Halestorm, and The Fever 333 were also nominated in the category.

Cornell, 52, died in May 2017. The official autopsy results ruled the cause of death as suicide by hanging.

Dolly Parton’s song catalogue is massive.

Don’t believe it?

You need only to have checked out Sunday’s Parton tribute, in which performers of all ages joined her in singing some of her biggest hits

It was worth it just to get a reprisal of Miley Cyrus singing “Jolene” with Parton. (The two once paired up to sing it on “The Voice.”)

Miley catches lots of flack on social media sometimes, but the woman can SING (yes, all caps). And Dolly is Miley’s godmother, don’t you know.

Katy Perry, Kacey Musgraves, Maren Morris and Little Big Town also joined Parton on stage.

Of course it wouldn’t be a true Dolly Parton tribute unless they sang “9 to 5.” And they did.

The performance turned into a bit of a sing-along, with the audience on their feet and swaying to the beat.

It was enough to drive you crazy (with joy) if you let it.

Post Malone just performed his mega-hit “Rockstar” without 21 Savage, who’s in a detention facility awaiting immigration proceedings that will determine if the British-born rapper can stay in the country.

21 Savage was scheduled to perform, publicist Tammy Brook told CNN. The song earned two Grammy nominations.

Instead, Post Malone took the stage with legendary rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers.

Childish Gambino reportedly declined an invitation to perform at the Grammys, and he also wasn’t in the house tonight to pick up his award.

His “This Is America” took home the Grammy for song of the year, beating out “Shallow,” “The Middle” and other huge hits. But presenters John Mayer and Alicia Keys had to accept for the absent rapper.

The song caused a stir last May when Gambino released its ambitious video, which was full of racial symbolism and violent imagery.

The win made it the first rap song to ever take home the prestigious award.

Although Gambino didn’t show, we did learn that Mayer and Keys split a Grammy years ago after his “Daughters” beat her out for the award. Like, Mayer literally split the award in half and wrote “If I Ain’t Got You” on it for her.

That’s love.

The song of the year award goes to the song’s writers, unlike record of the year, which goes to the artist.