04:42 GMT - So long from the 'Sammys' - And with that we end AFP's Live Report of the 57th Grammy Awards.
Common (L) and John Legend perform "Glory" at the Grammy Awards in Los Angeles, California
Or, with Sam Smith taking home four awards, some wags are calling it the "Sammy" awards.
Good night to all. Thanks for joining us.
04:25 GMT - A 'Selma' finale - LL Cool J and Gwyneth Paltrow introduce an angelic Beyonce, who performs "Precious Lord, Take My Hand" -- the song that R&B songstress Ledisi contributed to the soundtrack of the Oscar-nominated Martin Luther King biopic "Selma."
"Thank you guys," she says at the end, before turning her eyes up to the heavens, or at least the rafters of the Staples Center.
It remains to be seen if Queen B's rendition will allay fans of Ledisi -- who plays gospel legend Mahalia Jackson in the movie -- who expressed outrage on social media that she wasn't asked to sing the song herself.
John Legend and rapper Common bring the night to a soaring end, singing "Glory," their politically-aware "Selma" theme song that nevertheless came out too late -- in December -- to qualify for a Grammy nomination, though it's in the running for a best-song Oscar.
04:15 GMT - Into the home stretch - We're in the home stretch now, with National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences president Neil Portnow giving a little talk about the need for recording artists to be paid "fairly" as copyright laws are revised in the face of changing technology and distribution.
OneRepublic frontman Ryan Tedder namechecks the Turtles and Taylor Swift -- the former challenging satellite broadcaster SiriusXM over royalties for pre-1972 songs, the latter for pulling her catalog off Spotify.
The annual nod to Grammy legends who have passed away in the past year follows; applause rings out when the names of Robin Williams and Maya Angelou come up.
04:09 GMT - Record of the Year for Sam Smith - David Grohl of Foo Fighters fame introduces Beck and Chris Martin, then Stevie Wonder and Jamie Foxx step forward to announce the evening's final award: Record of the Year.
And the winner is... Sam Smith.
"Thank you so much... It's the best night of my life," says Smith, who goes on to express his appreciation to the unnamed ex-lover who inspired the hit song.
"Thank you for breaking my heart," he says, "because you got me four Grammys."
03:54 GMT - Sam Smith hat trick - And it's a Grammy trifecta for Sam Smith as he takes Song of the Year alongside his fellow songsmiths James Napier and William Phillips for "Stay with Me."
"I'm having a really, really good night," Smith says.
To which Napier adds: "We've been on an amazing journey together."
03:50 GMT - Surreal 'Chandelier' - Without a doubt, the most unusual act of the evening is Sia's "Chandelier" featuring the child dancer Maddie Ziegler -- who stars in the video of the song -- and, as her grown-up poltergeist, Kristen Wiig, dancing in a seriously desheveled bedroom. (This we have on the authority of "NCIS" star Pauley Perrette, tweeting from backstage.)
It's preceded by a bewildering message (or maybe a poem) from Sia herself, read by Shia LeBeouf: "I feel like this may be strange to see this here, I love you so. Punch me if I stop crying. I raised a white flag for you, defeated finally. If strength were made of broken pieces, you and I would always win. It is, though, and buildings and statues wink at us. I could squeeze you to zero. I'll never know another. What am I going to do? Punch me if I stop crying, and I'll do the same."
03:46 GMT - Beck wins Album of the Year - And the Grammy for Album of the Year goes to Beck for "Morning Phase."
"I need some help," quips the boyish-looking forty-something indie rocker upon his second return to the stage tonight, accompanied by many of the folks who helped him create his winning record "at my house, for the most part."
"I'd like to thank my kids for letting me keep them awake a little bit extra longer," he adds.
Worth noting: Prince's remarks prior to announcing the nominees and the winner. "Albums still matter," he said, "like books and black lives."
03:32 GMT - Smith sings 'Stay' with Blige - In one of the night's most-awaited moments, young English soul man Sam Smith (introduced by a gob-smacked Taylor Swift) sings his monster hit "Stay With Me," joined by Mary J. Blige, supported by a violin orchestra and a gospel choir.
The two singers embrace at the end, and the crowd springs to its feet.
Smith and Blige have previously performed the ballad together twice in concert -- at the legendary Apollo Theater in Harlem and Somerset House in London.
Hard on their heels is the Colombian pop-rock star Juanes and his band, representing the Latin music industry that's so big, it gets its own Grammy ceremony.
03:32 GMT - A little bit country - We're going country now, with Eric Church (behind Ray-Bans) belting out "Give Me Back My Hometown" against a backdrop of images of civil unrest, and then Grammy newcomer Brandy Clark singing her ballad "Hold My Hand" in tune with veteran country crooner Dwight Yoakam to wild cheers.
Then, seamlessly, the spotlight turns to Rihanna, Kanye West and Paul McCartney (on acoustic guitar) with "FourFiveSeconds," the erstwhile Beatle's biggest US hit in more than a quarter-century. It's the first time the three have played the song live.
03:11 GMT - Posthumous Grammy for Joan Rivers - Let's take advantage of a commercial break stateside to acknowledge the winner of this year's Grammy for Best Spoken Word album -- Joan Rivers, for her "Diary of a Mad Diva" audiobook. It's the first Grammy win for the beloved American comedienne, who died last September of a cardiac arrest at the age of 81.
03:08 GMT - Stevie Wonder, out of the shadows - Now it's Lady Gaga and Tony Bennett dancing "Cheek to Cheek" with a jazzy quartet that's having a great time turning a cavernous arena into a cozy nightclub just with the power of song.
LL Cool J returns to introduce Usher, singing Stevie Wonder's "If It's Magic" to the accompaniment of a harp -- before Stevie himself steps out of the shadows, playing the closing notes on harmonica. And it's another standing ovation.
02:52 GMT - Katy Perry and a sobering message - A public service announcement now from President Barack Obama, appealing to recording artists to encourage fans to combat violence against women and girls.
Rather lukewarm applause is followed by gripping thoughts from domestic violence survivor and activist Brooke Axtell, opening for Katy Perry, who appears in a nun-like white robe with dark make-up around the eyes to sing "By the Grace of God" to a solo piano accompaniment.
Some quotes from Axtell: "Authentic love does not devalue another human being. Authentic love does not does not silence, shame or abuse. If you are in a relationship with someone who does not honor and respect you, I want you to know you are worthy of love. Please reach out for help. Your voice will save you."
Perry, a preacher's daughter, gets a standing applause.
02:39 GMT - White-gloved bellhop - There's a Broadway vibe to Pharrell Williams' performance of "Happy" with a dancing chorus of dozens and the singer himself dressed up as a white-gloved, yellow-shoed bellhop. Katy Perry, Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga (what did we say about duets tonight?), Usher and Eric Church are coming up next...
02:35 GMT - A 'Platinum' Grammy for Lambert - And Miranda Lambert returns to the stage to collect the Grammy for Best Country Album from Meghan Trainor and Nick Jonas for "Platinum."
"I poured my heart and soul into this record... Thank you so much for this amazing night. I love you all," the Nashville chart-topper tells the Staples Center crowd, with husband and fellow country superstar Blake Shelton looking up from the floor with pride in his eyes.
02:32 GMT - Back-to-back duets - It's a big night for duets.
We've just seen Adam Levine and Gwen Stefani singing Maroon 5's "My Heart is Open" -- lots of positive comments on Twitter about Stefani's fashion sense -- and now Annie Lennox is joining Hozier for his powerful hit "Take Me To Church."
Lennox then morphs into her take on "I Put a Spell on You" from the upcoming "Fifty Shades of Grey" soundtrack -- although hard-core purists might argue no one can ever top the original voodoo-like version by Screamin' Jay Hawkins back in 1956. Still, the Grammys crowd goes wild.
02:15 GMT - A change of drummer - AFP's Shaun Tandon with a footnote to this evening's opening act: "Former drummer Chris Slade was performing with AC/DC instead of Phil Rudd, whose trial has just been set in a murder-for-hire case in New Zealand."
02:11 GMT - From 'Drunk in Love' to ELO - A big win for Beyonce as she takes to the stage to collect the Best R&B Performance award from Pharrell Williams and Motown icon Smokey Robinson for her smash hit "Drunk in Love", a collaboration with husband Jay Z.
"Wow, thank you guys so much," she says, as she thanks God and "my beloved husband" and "the Beyhive" for what has been "such an incredible year."
A ballad from ginger-haired young Brit crooner Ed Sheeran, putting aside his signature Taylor touring guitar for a Fender electric.
Then it's a journey back in time for a medley of 1970s gems from the recently reunited Electric Light Orchestra, raising expectations of a new album and tour in the coming months.
02:05 GMT - Beck takes Best Rock Album - Album of the Year contender Beck collects the Best Rock Album honor from Julian Edelman and Malcolm Butler of the Super Bowl champion New England Patriots for "Morning Phase."
"Wow," says the 44-year-old Los Angeles-born indie rocker.
"I'd like to thank all the musicians who worked on this record with me. This was a family affair. I play with these musicians for over 20 years and I love you guys."
01:44 GMT - Kanye West, then Madonna the matador - Kanye West, winner of no fewer than 21 Grammys, makes his first-ever performance at a Grammy gala, singing "Only One," a ballad co-written with Paul McCartney, who is watching from the front row.
And then, Miley Cyrus and Niki Minaj introduce Madonna, who plays the matador amid a herd of bull-horned dancers, singing "Living for Love" off her forthcoming 13th studio album "Studio Heart" -- and bringing out a gospel choir for the finale.
01:33 GMT - A second win for Sam Smith - Black-leather-clad blonde Miranda Lambert, a Grammy winner in 2011, with four nominations this time around including Best Country Album, takes the evening into a country-rock direction with an explosive performance of her new single "Little Red Wagon."
Then it's on to Barry Gibb, winner of the Grammy for Lifetime Achievement, who introduces the Best Pop Vocal Album winner: Sam Smith, for "In the Lonely Hour," his second Grammy of the night.
"I just want to say, before I made this record I was doing everything to try to get my music heard," says Smith, sporting a burgundy tuxedo.
"I was making awful music -- and it was only until I started to be myself that the music started to flow and people started to listen. So thank you, guys, for accepting me to be just me. Thank you."
01:21 GMT - A 'Happy' win for Pharrell Williams - Silver-haired Welshman Tom Jones and Brit pop songstress Jessie J come together on stage for a duet performance of "You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling," a 1964 hit for the Righteous Brothers -- co-written by Phil Spector -- that's been covered many times since.
And it's on to Best Pop Solo Performance, and the winner is: Pharrell Williams for "Happy."
He looks positively humbled as he comes on stage -- in a sharp short-trousered gray suit -- to accept the award, saying he's "honored" to have been nominated in a category along the likes of Taylor Swift, Sia and Sam Smith.
"I'm not going to make this awkward and long because I was so prepared for everybody else that is so talented in this category to walk away with this award," he says. "I'm honored, actually, to be grouped with them. You're all really great artists."
01:16 GMT - 'I won a Grammy!' - "Oh, my gosh. I've got to try and say something now without crying," says Smith as he collects his first-ever Grammy.
"Thank you. Thank you to my amazing label, my amazing management... And mom and dad, Lily, Mabel -- I won a Grammy! Thank you!"
There's a commercial break -- viewers in America got a yogurt ad -- then it's on to Ariana Grande and "Just a Little Bit of Your Heart" to a piano accompaniment for the second of tonight's 23 live performances.
01:07 GMT - Sam Smith clinches Best New Artist - First up is Best New Artist, with Taylor Swift presenting.
"I happen to have a lot a friends in this category this year," she says.
And the winner is: Sam Smith, off to what could be a strong start tonight for the soulful young British sensation.
01:01 GMT - An electric start from AC/DC - And the show begins, with LL Cool J dashing through the Staples Center crowd, introducing Australia's AC/DC who start off the night on a hard-rocking note. Think "Highway to Hell" and all that.
00:59 GMT - Beauty and the Bennett - Lady Gaga couldn't have scored a cooler date than Tony Bennett, especially after the pair won the Grammy for best traditional pop vocal album for "Cheek to Cheek" earlier Sunday.
"We're both Italian-Americans. We understand each other," said the 88-year-old maestro of the American songbook, the owner of 17 previous Grammy awards, explaining the chemistry between him and the 28-year-old pop dive.
"Most of the time we're hanging out, we're in the corner laughing," leaving everyone else in the recording studio wondering what the duo are up to, Gaga added.
00:44 GMT - Iggy Azalea puts pizza privacy behind her - Iggy Azalea, basking in the glow of her first-ever Grammy nominations, arrived looking calm and collected despite her Twitter tirade earlier Sunday against an American pizza chain.
"I feel very stable now, I feel more secure," she told Seacrest, referring to her chart-topping success rather than her anger that pizza delivery guys are violating her privacy by disclosing her personal telephone number.
On a brighter note, Azalea tweeted "good luck to all tonight's nomoniees" -- her typo -- with a special shout-out to Sam Smith and Sia. "Win or loose its been a great weekend."
00:39 GMT - Swift arrives in Saab - Taylor Swift arrived in a teal Elie Saab gown, accompanied by her best friend from high school Abigail Anderson, a flaming red-head who appeared in some of her very first videos.
She's not performing, so don't expect any repeats of last year's over-the-top hair flips, although she is poised to be among the award presenters.
Swift was stunned when Seacrest showed her a video from a radio interview they did many years ago in which they talked about relationships gone bad and she uttered the words: "Shake it off."
"Where did you find that?" she asked, startled to discover she utter the words that would become the title of her current Grammy-nominated single, way back in her country-music youth.
00:33 GMT - Katy Perry, minus 'shark' - Katy Perry, a Grammy nominee every year since 2009 but never a winner, was still reeling from the thrill of playing the Super Bowl half-time show exactly a week ago.
She arrived with purple-streaked hair, but minus the infamous "left shark" who danced dubiously at her side at the American football championship match.
"I over-prepared myself," she told Seacrest, describing how she rehearsed the show more than 40 times in the course of a month.
00:20 GMT - Red carpet looks - The mega-stars of the music world are rocking daring outfits in classic black and white on the Grammys red carpet, AFP's Susan Stumme reports.
Madonna channelled her inner naughty toreador in a skimpy black and pink Givenchy mini-dress, her breasts pushed up to a dangerous level. Thigh-high black boots and elbow length gloves completed the look.
Meghan Trainor -- a nominee for record and song of the year for her sugary pop hit "All About That Bass" -- wore a black dress with a long lace overlay. Her red carpet accessory? Her father.
Trainor said being at the Grammys was a "dream come true."
Two of the three sisters who make up the pop rock group Haim -- Este and Alana -- turned up in basic black, but Danielle Haim strode down the carpet in a white Stella McCartney power pantsuit.
The trio is nominated for the best new artist prize.
Britain's Charli XCX -- perhaps best known for singing the hook on Iggy Azalea's ubiquitous hit "Fancy" -- also worked the white suit look, adding a pink bow tie, from Moschino.
The men hitting the red carpet at the Staples Center in downtown Los Angeles did not disappoint, with Sam Smith kitted out in white tie.
Pharrell Williams, with six nominations, busted out a pale grey Bermuda shorts suit from Adidas -- but not the towering Vivienne Westwood hat that was the talk of last year's show.
John Legend -- who was to perform his song "Glory" with Common from the civil rights film "Selma" -- opted for a gray Dolce and Gabbana suit with no tie. His wife, model Chrissy Teigen, was sultry in a white Gucci gown.
00:11 GMT - A 'surreal' night for Sam Smith - Sam Smith, with six nominations including record of the year for "Stay with Me," was an early arrival on the red carpet.
"It's very, very surreal," he told E! television's Ryan Seacrest.
The 22-year-old native Londoner considers the best new artist nod the most coveted of all, because "you can only win that one once."
Smith also revealed that he's hard at work on fresh material, "making music at the moment that's even sadder" than his debut album "In the Lonely Hour."
00:08 GMT - Early winners - There are literally dozens of categories, and many have already been awarded.
Eminem, 42, took the Best Rap Album honor for "The Marshall Mathers LP 2," beating out newcomers such as Iggy Azalea to cement his role as the most awarded and top-selling rapper ever, AFP's music guru Shaun Tandon reports.
Elusive British electronic artist Aphex Twin, a major force behind "intelligent dance music," won Best Dance/Electronic Album for "Syro," his first studio long-playing outing in 13 years.
And Angelique Kidjo, one of the biggest African musicians on the world stage, collected her second Grammy for World Music for "Eve," a musical tribute to the women of the continent of her birth.
"I wanted the world to see African women not only through the lens of rape and misery, but also from the musical point -- their beauty, their resilience," Kidjo told reporters in Los Angeles.
00:06 GMT - Welcome to the Grammys - Hello and welcome to AFP's Live Report of the 57th Grammy Awards.
The gala begins in earnest at 5:00 p.m. Pacific time (0100 GMT Monday) at the Staples Center in downtown Los Angeles, with rapper LL Cool J playing host for the fourth year running.
Up for the most coveted Album of the Year award: Beck ("Morning Phase"), Beyonce ("Beyonce"), Ed Sheeran ("X", as in "multiply"); Sam Smith ("In the Lonely Hour") and Pharrell Williams ("Girl").
And for Record of the Year, for the best single of 2014: Iggy Azalea featuring Charli XCX ("Fancy"); Sia ("Chandelier"), Sam Smith ("Stay With Me"); Taylor Swift ("Shake It Off") and Meghan Trainor ("All About That Bass").