The Latest: Lizzo, Billie Eilish each win early Grammys

The 18-year-old Eilish won best pop vocal album for “When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?” and her brother and musical partner Finneas won best engineered album and producer of the year.

Lizzo and Eilish are among those nominated for the night’s biggest awards, including best new artist and album, song and record of the year, to be presented during the Grammys telecast that begins at 8 p.m. Eastern on CBS.

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2:50

The late Nipsey Hussle has won his first Grammy Award.

Hussle won best rap performance Sunday for “Racks in the Middle,” which also features Roddy Ricch and Hit-Boy.

Lauren London, Hussle’s partner and the mother of his child, accepted the award with several members of Hussle’s family.

London called Hussle “a phenomenal vessel” who “did it not just for the awards, but for the people.”

The Los Angeles rapper whose real name was Ermias Joseph Asghedom, got his first Grammy nomination last year.

Less than two months later, he was shot and killed at age 33 as he stood outside his clothing store.

The award comes on a day when Los Angeles is mourning another local hero, former NBA star Kobe Bryant, who died in a helicopter crash Sunday at age 41.

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2:40

At age 61, Tanya Tucker has won the first two Grammy Awards of her career, 48 years after her first hit at age 13.

Tucker won best country album Sunday during the pre-telecast ceremony at Staples Center in Los Angeles for “While I’m Livin’,” her first album of original material in 17 years.

She also won best country song for “Bring My Flowers Now,” which is also nominated for overall song of the year, to be presented during the main telecast later Sunday.

Tucker was a 13-year-old country child prodigy when her 1972 song “Delta Dawn” became a huge hit.

Her recordings became increasingly sparse through the years as she went through career and personal struggles, and last year’s “While I’m Livin’” represented the biggest of several comeback attempts.

Tucker has been nominated for Grammys 14 times.

Tucker is still very young compared to the winner of the other major country Grammy, 86-year-old Willie Nelson, who took home best country solo performance for “Ride Me Back Home.” It was Nelson’s ninth Grammy.

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2:15

Hildur Guðnadóttir is taking home a Grammy for music she first thought no one would care to hear.

The female composer won best score soundtrack for the HBO miniseries “Chornobyl” during the pre-telecast ceremony Sunday.

The soundtrack already won her an Emmy late last year. And in January she became the first woman in 19 years to win best original score for “Joker” at the Golden Globes.

“I think it fit really well with the images of the film, and I was happy with how the music worked with the narrative and characters in this series,” she said backstage of the “Chornobyl” soundtrack. “But I never thought anyone would ever listen to the soundtrack record, honestly. I’ve very surprised to be here today.”

She is also up next month for an Academy Award for “Joker.” If she wins an Oscar, she could have three of the four EGOT awards, after her Grammy and Emmy.

Guðnadóttir called the experience “surreal” and an “adventure.” She said she might have plans to go on Broadway, which could present some pressure for her to win a Tony Award.

“Now, I feel a lot of pressure,” she said with a chuckle. “That’ll be the next step. The next project, I guess.”

— Jonathan Landrum Jr.

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1:45 p.m.

Michelle Obama is a Grammy winner.

The former first lady won her first Grammy Award on Sunday for best spoken word album for the audio book of her 2019 memoir “Becoming.”

Obama was not on hand to accept the award handed out at the Staples Center in Los Angeles during the Grammys pre-telecast ceremony.

Her husband, former president Barack Obama, has two Grammys in the same category, one for his 2005 audio book “Dreams of My Father” and another for his 2007 audio book “The Audacity of Hope.”

The spoken word album category includes poetry, storytelling and audio books.

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1:15 p.m.

Beyoncé’s “Homecoming” has won the Grammy Award for best music film.

The Netflix film weaves together Beyoncé’s 2018 performances at the Coachella music festival, which included numerous nods to historically black colleges and universities.

Producer Steve Pamon in accepting the award said those working to graduate from the institutions are their inspiration. He also praised Beyoncé for her leadership on the project.

The superstar did not attend the pre-telecast ceremony where her Grammy win was announced.

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12:45 p.m.

The Grammy Awards pre-telecast ceremony opened with a moment of silence for Kobe Bryant.

Interim Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr. opened the ceremony where dozens of Grammys are handed out before the main show, telling attendees, “As most of you may know, we lost Kobe Bryant in a tragic helicopter accident today.”

“Since we are in his house, I would ask you to join me in a moment of silence,” Mason said.

Artists arriving at the show reacted to Bryant’s death and his influence.

Blues artist and Grammys nominee Keb’ Mo’ called Bryant’s death “a huge loss.”

“He’s just a huge role model,” Keb’ Mo’ said.

British artist Labrinth said: “It was insane news to hear this morning. He’s been part of my life for a very long time. … I couldn’t believe it.”

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10 a.m.

Lizzo, Billie Eilish and Lil Nas X are walking into what should be one of the most exciting days of their careers as they attend their first-ever Grammy Awards on Sunday, where they are the top-nominated acts. But 10 days before arguably the biggest night in music, the industry erupted when the Recording Academy announced it had put its recently hired CEO, Deborah Dugan, on administrative leave for misconduct.

Dugan and her lawyers fired back at the academy, claiming that the awards show is rigged. That energy puts a dark cloud over nominees like Lizzo, Eilish and Lil Nas X, breakthrough acts who are competing for top prizes.

The Grammy Awards are being presented Sunday at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. The main telecast begins at 8 p.m. Eastern on CBS.

The Associated Press

by Canadian Press

The Latest: Lizzo, Billie Eilish each win early Grammys

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