Collaboration Performances Take Center Stage At 57th Annual GRAMMY Awards
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- As always GRAMMY night is dedicated to honoring the best in music, but Sunday night's awards ceremony was also a celebration of the old and new, brought together in phenomenal collaborations that brought down the house.
The GRAMMY Awards show took off with a rockin' performance by AC/DC that had the audience on their feet, CBS2's Hazel Sanchez reported.
Photos: 57th Annual GRAMMY Awards
From rock legends to the first big award: Best New Artist, which went to Sam Smith. Smith also won Best Pop Album, Song of the Year and Record of the Year.
Ahead of the awards, CBS2's Andea Grymes interviewed Christian Blauvelt, deputy culture editor of BBC.com, about some of his predictions for the show.
Blauvelt predicted Sam Smith would have a big night.
"Sam Smith had such a huge year," Blauvelt said. "We're really big fans of his at the BBC. He's a 22-year-old from London, but he's overcome a lot to get where he is. It's a classic GRAMMY sucess story. But he really has the musical chops to back it up. He's kind of like the male Adele -- a really soulful voice.
To watch the full interview, click on the video below.
The night was also filled with highly antcipated performances by 56-year-old Madonna, Katie Perry, and Pharrell Williams.
Several awards were handed out before the broadcast, including one for Best Spoken Word Album, which went to the late Joan Rivers for "Diary of a Mad Diva."
"My mother winning a GRAMMY is not that far fetched because to her, she felt that comedy was music," said Rivers' daughter Melissa. "There was a rhythm, but instead of notes there were words. And just like any of the great musicians who are here tonight, she loved to play."
Other big winners of the night were Beck, who won Best Rock Album and Album of the Year and Beyonce who walked away with Best R&B Performance and Best R&B Song.
But it was the epic collaborations of past and present greats that stole the show, including Usher and Stevie Wonder; Lady Gaga and Tony Bennett; and Rihanna, Kanya West and Beatles great Paul McCartney.
There were also some major milestones this year. Beyonce made history by becoming the most nominated female artist in GRAMMY history. Irish rock band U2 is now the most nominated group in GRAMMY history.
