* Beyonce wins 2 Grammys from 9 nominations
* David Bowie's final album 'Blackstar' wins five
Adele swept the Grammy Awards on Sunday, taking home statuettes for the top prizes - album, record and song of the year - in a shock, history-making victory over Beyonce on a night marked by political statements and emotional tributes.
Adele, 28, won all five Grammys for which she was nominated, including for her comeback album 25 and her soaring ballad Hello.
She became the first person in Grammy history to win the top three awards twice, following her wins for her last album 21 in 2012.
Beyonce, 35, had gone into Sunday's awards show with a leading nine nominations for her powerful Lemonade album about race, feminism, and betrayal. She had been hoping to win her first album of the year Grammy.
Adele, who now has a career total of 15 Grammys, seemed stunned, telling reporters backstage that she "felt like it was her (Beyonce's) time to win."
"My queen and my idol is Queen B. I adore you," the British singer said to Beyonce, seated in the front row, as she accepted her award.
"I can't possibly accept this award, and I'm very humble and very grateful. But my artist of my life is Beyonce. This album for me, the 'Lemonade' album, was so monumental," she added.
Show-stopper
Beyonce and Adele also had the most talked-about moments on the Grammys stage.
In her first public appearance since her announcement 12 days ago that she is expecting twins, Beyonce donned a sheer, glittering gold dress and halo crown to perform her ballads Love Drought and Sandcastles.
Singing seated on a chair and surrounded by petals, she also appeared in video projections wearing a gold-chain string bikini.
Moments later, Adele literally stopped the show after flubbing the start of a tribute to the late British pop star George Michael.
"I'm sorry. I know it's live TV," she said, cursing, stopping her slow ballad version of Michael's Fastlove and asking to start again. "I can't mess this up for him (Michael)," she said. She later apologised for causing any offence.
Later, Minneapolis band The Time and Bruno Mars performed an up-tempo tribute to Prince, celebrating his musical legacy.
Political statements
As with other recent Hollywood award shows, artists wasted no time getting political.
Katy Perry wore a glittering armband saying "Persist" and her performance of Chained to the Rhythm featured banners showing the words "We the People", the opening sentence of the US Constitution.
Host James Corden, opening the show with an extended rap about the power of music, sang "Live it all up, because this is the best, and with President Trump, we don't know what is next."
The other big winner was late British singer David Bowie, whose final album Blackstar won all five of its nominations, including best alternative album. The British singer had never won in his lifetime for an individual album or song.
Blackstar was released two days before his death in January 2016 of cancer.
Other winners on Sunday included Chicago's Chance the Rapper, who won three Grammys including best new artist while Twenty One Pilots won best pop duo/group performance for Stressed Out.
Drake and Kanye West, who each had eight nominations, were no shows, as well as Justin Bieber. Drake, who won two Grammys for single Hotline Bling, is on tour in England.
Adele breaks the Grammy for Record of the Year for \'Hello\' after receiving it at the 59th Annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles on Sunday.
Adele holds her five Grammys during the 59th Annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles
Adele addresses the crowd after receiving the Best record and Best album of the year awards
Adele accepts the Grammy for Record of the Year for ‘Hello’
Beyonce performs at the 59th Annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles
Beyonce performed two songs from her critically acclaimed album ‘Lemonade’
Adele sings ‘Hello’ at the Grammy Awards in Los Angeles
Singer Gnarly Davidson arrives for the 59th Annual Grammy Awards on Sunday
Bruno Mars performs during the Grammy Awards in Los Angeles
Jennifer Lopez arrives for the Grammy Awards on Sunday
Katy Perry arrives for the 59th Grammy Awards
Chance the Rapper performs at the 59th Annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles
Metallica\'s James Hetfield and Lady Gaga perform ‘Moth into Flame’