NEW YORK -- Bruno Mars and Kendrick Lamar are walking into Grammy Awards with three wins each, putting them as favourites for top awards like album and record of the year.

Mars won best R&B album, best R&B performance and best R&B song in the pre-telecast Sunday in New York City. Lamar picked up best rap album, best rap performance and best music video.

Posthumous Grammys were also handed out to actress Carrie Fisher, singer Leonard Cohen and engineer Tom Coyne, who worked on Mars' "24K Magic" album.

"This is unbelievable," Stapleton said onstage.

The Rolling Stones picked up the third Grammy of their career -- for best traditional blues album for "Blue & Lonesome," while Ed Sheeran won best pop vocal album.

Lin-Manuel Miranda, Little Big Town, Reba McEntire, LCD Soundsystem, Portugal the Man and Shakira also won early awards. Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, both Oscar and Tony winners, won best musical theatre album for "Dear Evan Hansen," shared with Tony winner Ben Platt.

Lamar beat out Jay-Z for the three awards he won. Either artist could make history and become the first rapper to win record of the year and the third to win album of the year. And the Grammys are almost guaranteeing that this year will be historic: Four of the five album of the year nominees are rap and R&B-based albums from black or Latino artists. The other big awards of the night -- song and record of the year -- also are dominated by hip-hop, R&B and Latin music.

It comes a year after The Recording Academy was heavily criticized when Adele won album of the year over Beyonce. "Lemonade" was seen as an album that moved the needle and dominated pop culture in different ways than Adele's colossal sales. Critics felt the Academy failed to recognize the creative and artistic elements of an R&B-based album, in the same ways they have passed over albums by Kanye West, Eminem and Mariah Carey over the years for projects by rock, country and jazz artists.

Jay-Z is the star of Sunday's show, leading with eight nominations, including album for the year for his revealing "4:44," song of the year for the title track and record of the year for "The Story of O.J." Mars also is nominated for the big three; "Despacito," by Luis Fonsi, Daddy Yankee and Justin Bieber, is up for record and song of the year; and both Lamar and Gambino are nominated for album and record of the year.

"What you see in nominations is a reflection of the voting membership of the Academy. You have to remember that this is a peer award and it's unique in that way. It's not about sales or charts or popularity or fan votes or whatever, it's the professionals in the industry who are making the judgment," Recording Academy CEO Neil Portnow said in an interview with The Associated Press. "So when you look at the work that's been done, and Jay would be one example, and there's that level of excellence, we have a very sophisticated voting membership that is able to recognize that. And that's how we want it to be."

However, Lorde's critically acclaimed sophomore album, "Melodrama," still has a strong chance in the album of the year category. And Julia Michaels, a talented songwriter who has written hits for Bieber and Selena Gomez, is nominated for song of the year for her single, "Issues."

Lamar will kick off the three-hour-plus show, airing live on CBS at 7:30 p.m. Eastern, with a performance featuring U2 and Dave Chappelle.

"Kendrick's performance will be, I think, like nothing that's been done at the Grammys before," said James Corden, who is returning to host the show for a second straight year. "It's incredible and actually it made us rethink the whole thing that we were going to do in the show."

Other performers include Fonsi and Yankee, Mars with Cardi B, Lady Gaga, Pink, Gambino, Emmylou Harris and Chris Stapleton, Elton John and Miley Cyrus, Sam Smith, Little Big Town, Rihanna with DJ Khaled and Bryson Tiller, Sting and SZA, which is the most nominated female act with five.

The night also will feature some serious moments. Earlier this week, key music executives called on artists and employees to wear a white rose at the Grammys in support of Time's Up and .MeToo, the movements against sexual abuse and harassment. Singers Halsey and Dua Lipa, as well as Grammy-nominated rapper Rapsody, were some of the first to say they would wear white roses.

Kesha, who earned her first pair of Grammy nominations for an album reflecting her battle with former producer and mentor Dr. Luke, will honour victims during her performance. Maren Morris, Eric Church and Brothers Osborne, who were performers at the Route 91 Harvest Festival in Las Vegas where a gunman opened fire on fans, killing 58 and injuring hundreds more, will honour victims killed at live music events this past year onstage. And Patti LuPone and Ben Platt will pay tribute to Broadway as the Grammys return to New York City after 15 years for its 60th anniversary.</s>The 60th annual Grammy Awards were on Sunday. Here are highlights from the show:

• Bruno Mars swept the top categories, winning album, record and song of the year. We rounded up the best and worst moments.

• Kendrick Lamar dominated the rap categories and Alessia Cara won best new artist. However, our critic says the Grammys have failed to keep up.

• The music industry acknowledged #MeToo during the ceremony and on the red carpet. See all the red carpet looks.

• The show featured flashes of politics, including a cameo from Hillary Clinton, who read from “Fire and Fury.”</s>Actress Carrie Fisher and singer Leonard Cohen won a posthumous honor each at the 2018 Grammy Awards.

Fisher, known for the "Star Wars" saga, won her first Grammy here on Sunday for her narration of "The Princess Diarist" earning the award for spoken word album, reports dailymail.co.uk.

Fisher, who died on December 27, 2016, was earlier nominated in the same category in 2009 for her book "Wishful Drinking".

Cohen, the legendary Canadian singer and songwriter who died at 83 in November last year, won Best Rock Performance for "You Want It Darker".

Fisher's daughter Billie Lourd, 25, took to Instagram with an emotional post along with a photograph of herself as a young child being carried by Fisher and also a photo of the cover of her mother's book "The Princess Diarist".

She wrote: "'Princess Diarist' was the last profesh(ish) thing my mom and I got to do together. I wish she was here to carry me down the red carpet in some bizarre floral ensemble but instead we'll celebrate in true Carrie style: in bed in front of the TV over cold Coca-Colas and warm e-cigs. I'm beyond proud."</s>(JTA) — After more than a dozen albums and a little more than a year after his death, singer-songwriter Leonard Cohen won his first Grammy.

Cohen posthumously won the award for best rock performance at Sunday night’s Grammy Awards in New York City.

The winning tune is the title track from his final album, “You Want It Darker,” which was released 19 days before his death in the fall of 2016. The song also happens to be one of Cohen’s most Jewish performances, including Hebrew phrases (“Hineni, hineni,” or “Here I am”) and chants from the choir of the Shaar Hashomayim synagogue in Montreal, Cohen’s hometown.

Cohen was not the only Jewish performer to earn a posthumous Grammy: Actress Carrie Fisher won best spoken word album for “The Princess Diarist,” the audiobook version of her memoir released just weeks before her sudden death at 60 in December 2016. Fisher portrayed Princess Leia in the “Star Wars” series.

There were other Jewish moments, too. Singer-songwriter Lisa Loeb won best children’s album for “Feel What U Feel,” her fourth record of children’s music, and Jewish composer Justin Hurwitz won best soundtrack for visual media for his work on the Oscar-winning film “La La Land.”

During the show, the Jewish actor and singer Ben Platt performed a touching tribute to 21-time Grammy winner Leonard Bernstein. Platt, who originated the role of the title character in the Broadway hit “Dear Evan Hansen,” performed “Somewhere” from Bernstein’s “West Side Story.” The album “Leonard Bernstein – The Composer,” won a Grammy for best historical album.</s>LOS ANGELES, CA – Carrie Fisher was awarded her first Grammy on Sunday.

The actress won posthumously for best spoken word album for her audiobook recording of her 2016 memoir, “The Princess Diarist,” which chronicled her experiences making the original “Star Wars.”

Fisher beat out Neil deGrasse Tyson, Shelly Peiken, Bruce Springsteen, Bernie Sanders and Mark Ruffalo in the category.

She was previously nominated for a Grammy in 2009 for her book, “Wishful Drinking.”

Fisher, who made Princess Leia an iconic and beloved figure to millions of moviegoers died in 2016 at age 60. Her death came four days after she suffered a cardiac event on a flight from London to Los Angeles. The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner concluded that “sleep apnea and other undetermined factors” contributed to her death.

More on Carrie Fisher, here.</s>The late actress, best known for her portrayal as Princess Leia in the Star Wars series, beat out names like Bruce Springsteen and Bernie Sanders to win Carrie Fisher posthumously wins first Grammy award for her audiobook recording of her 2016 memoir, “The Princess Diarist.”

The book chronicled her experiences making the original “Star Wars.”

Fisher was nominated once before in 2009 for her book “Wishful Thinking.”

Fisher died at age 60 in 2016, four days after she suffered a cardiac event on a flight from London to Los Angles.</s>After Fisher's win, her daughter Billie Lourd took to Instagram on Sunday to write a message to her fans. "Princess Diarist was the last profesh(ish) thing my momby and I got to do together. I wish she was here to carry me down the red carpet in some bizarre floral ensemble but instead we'll celebrate in true Carrie style: in bed in front of the TV over cold Coca Colas and warm e cigs. I'm beyond proud," she wrote.

On December 27, 2016 the family's spokesman, Simon Halls, who spoke on behalf of Lourd, announced Fisher had died.

"It is with a very deep sadness that Billie Lourd confirms that her beloved mother Carrie Fisher passed away at 8:55 this morning," Halls told E! News in a statement at the time. "She was loved by the world and she will be missed profoundly. Our entire family thanks you for your thoughts and prayers."</s>Carrie Fisher scored a posthumous Grammy Sunday with a win for Best Spoken Word Album.

The late "Star Wars" actress, who died in December 2016 at 60, earned the prize at the 60th Annual Grammy Awards for narrating her 2016 memoir "The Princess Diarist."

The book gave readers an intimate look at Fisher's life while filming the very first "Star Wars" movie — including the bombshell confession of her affair with co-star Harrison Ford.

Fisher beat out Neil Degrasse Tyson, Bruce Springsteen, Shelly Peiken and Bernie Sanders and Mark Ruffal.

This was the actress' second Grammy nomination; she was nominated in the same category in 2009 for her other memoir, "Wishful Drinking."

Fisher died Dec. 27, 2016, four days after going into cardiac arest onboard a flight from London to Los Angeles.

A coroner eventually determined the actress and author died from sleep apnea and a combination of other factors, including drug use.

Fisher's daughter, Billie Lourd, celebrated her mother on social media after the win.

"Princess Diarist was the last profesh(ish) thing my momby and I got to do together," she wrote on Instagram.

"I wish she was here to carry me down the red carpet in some bizarre floral ensemble but instead we’ll celebrate in true Carrie style: in bed in front of the TV over cold Coca Colas and warm e cigs. I’m beyond proud."

"Congratulations to my #GRAMMY-winning #SpaceSis!!!" he tweeted.</s>The late actress Carrie Fisher picked up an early win in the Grammy Awards during the awards show premiere ceremony held hours before the big show.

Fisher beat out Bruce Springsteen, Neil Degrasse Tyson, Shelly Peiken and Bernie Sanders and Mark Ruffal for best spoken word album for “The Princess Diarist” on Sunday.

She had been nominated for a Grammy in 2009 for her memoir, “Wishful Drinking.’ Her posthumous win is her first Grammy.

“The Princess Diarist” is based on the diaries Fisher kept when she was filing the first “Star Wars” movie.

Fisher beat out Neil Degrasse Tyson, Bruce Springsteen, Shelly Peiken and Bernie Sanders and Mark Ruffal.

This was the actress’ second Grammy nomination; she was nominated in the same category in 2009 for her other memoir, “Wishful Drinking.”

Fisher died in 2016, several days after going into cardiac arrest while on a flight. Her mother died just one day after her death.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.</s>At this year’s ceremony, Carrie bagged her first Grammy Award posthumously, in the category of Best Spoken Word Album.

Although best known for her acting, particularly in the ‘Star Wars’ franchise and more recently for various TV roles, Carrie was also an established writer, both as a memoirist and the author of fiction.

It’s been more than a year since the entertainment world lost Carrie Fisher , but she’s clearly far from being forgotten, even bagging her first ever Grammy Award on Sunday night (28 January).

Carrie’s Grammy was won for the audiobook version of her final memoir, ‘The Princess Diarist’, which focussed mainly on her experiences making the original ‘Star Wars’ trilogy in the late 1970s and 1980s.

She beat stiff competition from Bruce Springsteen, for his recording of his autobiography ‘Born To Run’, as well as Bernie Sanders and Mark Ruffalo’s ‘Our Revolution: A Future To Believe In’.

Songwriter Shelly Peiken and astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson were also nominated in the Best Spoken Word Album category.

‘The Princess Diarist’, Carrie’s third memoir after ‘Wishful Drinking’ and ‘Shockaholic’ was released in November 2016, just a month before her tragic death at the age of 60.

The book made headlines at the time of its release, particularly due to the fact that Carrie disclosed for the first time that she’d had an affair with her ‘Star Wars’ co-star Harrison Ford while making the films.

James Corden was once again the presenter at this year’s Grammy Awards, which were held at Madison Square Garden in New York.
Leonard Cohen and Carrie Fisher win posthumously.