Adele won the top three Grammy awards yesterday, taking home the statuettes for album, record and song of the year in a shock victory over Beyonce.

Adele won all five Grammys for which she was nominated, including for her comeback album 25 and her single Hello.

Beyonce, who had gone into Sunday's awards show with a leading nine nominations for her Lemonade album, won just two.

"My queen and my idol is Queen B. I adore you," Adele said to Beyonce as she accepted her award.

"The Lemonade album was so monumental," she added.

Beyonce and Adele also had the most talked-about moments on a night marked by political statements, an emotional tribute to British pop star George Michael, and a rocking memorial to pioneering funk musician Prince.

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 to sing ballads Love Drought and Sandcastles from her album "Lemonade."

Moments later, Adele literally stopped the show after flubbing the start of a tribute to the late British pop star 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.

Adele, 28, was competing head-on with Beyonce, 35, the only other artist to be nominated this year for all three top awards - album, song and record of the year.

Chance the Rapper was named best new artist while Twenty One Pilots won the Grammy for best pop duo/group performance for Stressed Out.

The other big Grammy winner was late British singer David Bowie, who won all five of the nominations for his final album Blackstar, including best rock song.

The evening featured a tribute to the late George Michael. Photo: Reuters

Overtly political show

A giant video projection of the US Constitution loomed over the stage at this year's Grammys, making the music industry's top awards show one of the most overtly political yet.

The document that defines America and famously begins with "We the People" provoked a standing ovation from the audience at the culmination of a performance by pop singer Katy Perry, who wore a "Persist" armband and sang her newly released song, Chained to the Rhythm.

With a refrain of "We think we're free," the song's lyrics talk about being lulled into a "comfortable bubble." Performing on a set with a picture-perfect white picket fence, Perry was joined by Skip Marley, grandson of Jamaican reggae legend Bob Marley, whose songs often protested against oppression and social injustice.

The aftermath of November's bitterly fought US presidential election has produced a succession of political comments by artists at awards shows, most notably actress Meryl Streep's speech attacking US President Donald Trump during the Golden Globes Awards in January.

That spree continued yesterday, as various artists brought up the divisive political atmosphere and the need to speak out.

"At this particular time in history, our voices are needed more than ever," said Jennifer Lopez at the show's start.

In a more comic vein, Grammys host James Corden launched the show with a rap: "Live it all up because this is the best, and with President Trump we don't know what comes next."

Hip-hop pioneers A Tribe Called Quest performed a politically charged medley with nominee Anderson Paak, calling out to "Agent Orange," a nickname for Trump. At the end of the song, women wearing headscarves joined the performers onstage accompanied by cries of "Resist!"

But the commentary was not all anti-Trump. In a bold statement that instantly made headlines, singer Joy Villa on the red carpet revealed a gown with "Make America Great Again" - the election slogan of Trump - stitched down the front.

The president of the Recording Academy, Neil Portnow, called on Trump to renew the government's commitment to the arts, saying Americans are "constantly reminded about the things that divide us," citing race, religion, sexual orientation and politics. "But what we need so desperately are more reminders of all that binds us together."