New Zealand teenager, Lorde, has beaten out music industry heavyweights to take home Best Pop Solo Performance for her song "Royals". The Auckland- born singer burst onto the scene this year with her debut album.
The 17- year- old took home the prize over popular singers Bruno Mars, Katy Perry, Justin Timberlake and Sara Bareilles. She's nominated for three other awards, including Song of the Year and Record of the Year.
Macklemore and Ryan Lewis, have taken out the award for Best New Artist at the Grammy Awards. The pair were already winners-- taking out three awards in the pre- show telecast including Best Rap Song and Best Rap Album.
Australian artists haven't been so fortunate. Melbourne's Hiatus Kaiyote missed out on Best R&B while "Sound City: Real to Reel" beat out Baz Luhrmann's "The Great Gatsby" album for Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media. Rock hopeful's Tame Impala fell short in the Best Alternative Music Album category.
Australian Bluegrass group, The Greencards missed out on Best Folk Album to Guy Clark and even veteran Keith Urban lost Best Country Duo/Group to The Civil Wars.
The news was better for the Australian Chamber Orchestra which played a significant role in several songs nominated for a Grammy Award.
The orchestra worked on the classical album "Winter Morning Walks" by US composer Maria Schneider, which won four awards in the pre- telecast ceremony.
French electro pop duo took home Best Pop Duo/Group Performance, for the song "Get Lucky" featuring Pharrell Williams and Nyle Rodgers.
Surviving Beatles Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr are due to perform as Recording Academy organizers belatedly bestow a Lifetime Achievement Award on the Fab Four.
Rapper Jay-Z scored the most nominations with nine nods, followed by California hip-hop star Lamar, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, Timberlake and Pharrell Williams with seven each, while Canadian rapper Drake scored five.
Tipped by many for coveted Record Of The Year was Daft Punk's "Get Lucky," but rival nominees include Kiwi teenager Lorde's "Royals," "Radioactive" by Imagine Dragons and Hawaiian crooner Bruno Mars's "Locked Out Of Heaven."
Shortlisted for Song of the Year -- for songwriters -- were "Just Give Me A Reason" sung by Pink, "Locked Out Of Heaven" sung by Mars, "Roar" sung by Perry, "Royals" sung by Lorde and "Same Love" sung by Macklemore & Ryan Lewis.
Led Zeppelin took home Best Rock Album for "Celebration Day", beating out David Bowie, Black Sabbath, Kings of Leon, Neil Young and Queens of the Stone Age.
The Grammys show, at the Staples Center in downtown Los Angeles, will climax with a rock supergroup featuring Nine Inch Nails, Queens of the Stone Age, Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl and Fleetwood Mac's Lindsey Buckingham.
Some observers have poured scorn on the Grammy's tradition of throwing unlikely performers together.
Washington Post pop music critic Chris Richards said the so-called "Grammy Moments" were little more than "brand synergy masquerading as artistic collaboration," boosting sales by attracting new demographics to artists.
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