British singer Ed Sheeran's 'Thinking Out Loud' has won the first major Grammy at the music awards, locking rapper Kendrick Lamar out of a potentially historic win.
Sheeran's win meant Lamar would not make history for the first rap single to win song of the year.
However Lamar, who went into the awards with 11 nominations, won five early in the evening, including best rap album Grammy for his critically acclaimed 'To Pimp A Butterfly'.
In accepting the award, Sheeran said: "My parents have flown to the Grammys for the last four years, and every time I lose, they're like, 'Maybe next year!'"
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Stevie Wonder opened the envelope with the winner's name - written in Braille so the blind singer could read it - and teased the crowd.
"You can't read Braille," he said, holding up the paper to the camera.
Sheeran, 24, who had earlier won best pop solo performance for the same track, paid tribute to the Motown legend.
"If you had told my five-year-old (self)... I'd receive an award from Stevie Wonder, I'd be shocked," Sheeran said.
Sheeran's win was big on social media.
'Album of the Year' and 'Record of the Year'
Not to be out-staged, Taylor Swift took home the Album of the Year Grammy for '1989', while it was the collaboration song by Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars, 'Uptown Funk' which took the Record of the Year award.
Gaga's Bowie tribute
Lady Gaga has paid tribute to David Bowie with a medley of the late British star's songs at the Grammy
Awards.
Sporting Ziggy Stardust-red hair and a succession of Bowie-inspired costumes and multimedia effects, Gaga performed songs including Changes, Suffragette City and Heroes, accompanied by Bowie's Let's Dance producer Nile Rodgers on guitar.
The performance earned a standing ovation from the crowd at inside the Staples Centre in downtown Los Angeles.
Lady Gaga performs a tribute to David Bowie (AAP) Source: AAP
