Adele on Sunday won the top two Grammys of Album and Record of the Year for her blockbuster hit Hello and the album 25.
The tearful English balladeer took the stage and paid tribute to her main award rival Beyonce, heaping praise on her album Lemonade and calling it an inspiration.
"All us artists adore you. You are our light," Adele said to a visibly moved Beyonce.
25 is the best-selling album of the past decade -- with the exception of Adele's last album, 21, which won Album of the Year in 2012.
Adele, who has named her albums after her ages at the time of recording, kept the same formula for "25" of emotional, often tear-jerking songs of heartache and nostalgia.
25 was led by the ubiquitous single Hello, which returns to Adele's theme of separation and the haunting feeling that ensues. Elsewhere on the album, Adele reminisces of her childhood in north London.
With a global fan base that crosses demographics, Adele adopted an unusual commercial strategy of not streaming 25 for more than six months after its release in November 2015.
But even with only CDs, vinyl and downloads, the success of 25 in the final weeks of 2015 made it the top-selling album of the whole year and it remained a chart success in 2016.
Adele recruited an impressive cast to help on 25 including a diverse team of producers and songwriters such as fellow pop star Bruno Mars and indie rocker Tobias Jesso Jr.
Mars was also a winner Sunday — he won for his producing work on Adele's album. Adele's other wins included best pop vocal album and pop solo performance.
Until Adele's abrupt restart, Beyonce was the talk of the show. In glittery gown, gilded crown and gold choker, a pregnant Beyonce took the Grammy stage in a lengthy performance of two songs from her critically acclaimed album "Lemonade." She was introduced by her mother and former stylist, Tina Knowles: "Ladies and gentlemen, with my mother's pride, my daughter, Beyonce."
Beyonce sang on top of a long table on "Sandcastles" and "Love Drought" and later sang while sitting down in a chair that tilted alarmingly backward, still hitting high notes.
She earned a loud applause from the audience, including daughter Blue Ivy and husband Jay Z. Beyonce, who walked into the show with nine nominations, won two: best music video ("Formation") and urban contemporary album ("Lemonade").
"My intention for the film and album is to create a body of work that would give voice to our pain, our struggles, our doubts, and our history, to confront issues that make us uncomfortable. It's important to me to show images to my children that reflect their beauty, so they can grow in a world, where they look in the mirror, first with their own families as well as in the Super Bowl, the Olympics, the White House and the Grammys and see themselves," said Beyonce, reading from a card. "This is something that I want for every child of every race, and I feel that it's vital that we learn from the past and recognize our tendencies to repeat our mistakes."
Beyonce's speech wasn't the only political moment: A Tribe Called Quest, along with Anderson .Paak and Busta Rhymes, gave a rousing performance and shouted "resist, resist" at their end of the performance, which featured a number of people onstage, including women in hijabs.
Like Adele, David Bowie — who died last year from cancer — won all four awards he was nominated for. "Blackstar," his final album released days before he died, won best alternative music album and engineered album, non-classical. The title track won best rock song and rock performance.
Adele and Mars worked overtime onstage, each performing twice. Adele kicked off the show with "Hello" and Mars and his groovy band gave a memorable performance of "That's What I Like" — as Jennifer Lopez, Faith Hill, Rihanna and even some of the men in the audience watched closely, looking impressed.
Chance the Rapper won the first award in the live telecast for best new artist. He also won best rap album — the first streaming-only album to do so — and bested Drake and Kanye West.
"I didn't think we were gonna get this one," said Chance, who also won best rap performance.
Twenty one pilots won best pop duo/group performance for the hit "Stressed Out." They removed their pants when accepting the award in homage to their earlier days when they watched the Grammys at home in their boxers.
Producer Greg Kurstin won four honors: He shared album, song and record of the year with Adele, and was also named producer of the year, non-classical.
In the pre-telecast, Beyonce's younger sister, critical R&B darling Solange, won her first Grammy for best R&B performance (it was her first-ever nomination). Drake, who didn't attend the live show, won best rap song and rap/sung performance for the smash hit, "Hotline Bling."
Justin Timberlake's "Can't Stop the Feeling!" — which is nominated for an Oscar — won best song written for visual media. Best new artist nominees The Chainsmokers won best dance recording for the pop hit "Don't Let Me Down," while Simpson, an album of the year nominee, won best country album for "A Sailor's Guide to Earth."
The country music rebel thanked his wife, who he said told him to quit his job on the railroad years ago and move to Nashville.
Joey + Rory won best roots gospel album for "Hymns," and Rory Feek was emotional onstage as he remembered his wife Joey, who died last year from cancer.
Some actors won Grammys, too: Don Cheadle picked up best compilation soundtrack for visual media for "Miles Ahead," where he is credited as a compilation producer, and Carol Burnett won the best spoken word album Grammy.
"The Color Purple" won best musical theater album, giving Jennifer Hudson her second Grammy and earning Tony winner Cynthia Erivo and "Orange Is the New Black" actress Danielle Brooks their first Grammys.
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