Grammy Awards 2014: top five unmissable moments
Daft Punk get lucky, while Beyonce and Jay Z open show with raunchy performance of Drunk in Love
DAFT PUNK were the big winners at last night's Grammy Awards, where two Beatles superstars were reunited and 33 couples unexpectedly took part in a mass wedding. The winners were announced at the Staples Centre in Los Angeles. Here are the top five moments from the ceremony:
Daft Punk get lucky
Daft Punk took home record of the year for Get Lucky and album of the year for Random Access Memories. Wearing their shiny robot helmets, the French electronic duo - Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo and Thomas Bangalter - won five awards in total but declined to speak. Pharrell Williams, who accepted a number of the awards on their behalf, earned much attention on Twitter for his choice of headwear. The account @PharrellHat, set up in honour of the large Indiana-Jones-style headpiece, had more than 11,000 followers by the end of the night.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Raunchy performance from Beyonce and Jay Z
Beyonce and Jay Z opened the show with Drunk in Love. Beyonce was seen writhing around on a wooden chair in a leather thong and fishnet tights before her husband joined her on stage for an affectionate duet. Jay Z later held up his best rap/sung collaboration award and gave a message to the couple's daughter Blue: "Look, Daddy got a gold sippy cup for you."
Mass wedding ceremony
More than 30 couples, some gay, some straight, took part in a mass wedding at this year's Grammys. They were joined in matrimony during a performance of Same Love, a song written in support of same-sex marriage, by the rap duo Macklemore & Lewis. The marriages were officiated by Queen Latifah, while Madonna also sang on stage.
Beatles reunion
Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, who picked up the lifetime achievement award, reunited for a rare performance on the Grammy stage. After being introduced by Julia Roberts, McCartney sat down on a psychedelic-painted piano with Starr on drums to perform Queenie Eye from McCartney's latest album, New. Yoko Ono and Olivia Harrison, the widow of the late George Harrison, were also in the audience.
Head-banging Taylor Swift
Taylor Swift's head-banging was a hot topic on Twitter last night. The country pop singer whipped her hair around as she performed All Too Well on the piano. Swift was also caught on camera looking gobsmacked after thinking she was going to win for album of the year, which went instead to Daft Punk.
Main award winners
Album of the year: Random Access Memories, Daft Punk
Record of the year: Get Lucky, Daft Punk with Pharrell Williams and Nile Rodgers
Song of the year: Royals, Lorde
New artist: Macklemore & Ryan Lewis
Pop vocal album: Unorthodox Jukebox, Bruno Mars
Pop/duo group performance: Get Lucky, Daft Punk with Pharrell and Nile Rodgers
Rap/sung collaboration: Holy Grail, Jay Z with Justin Timberlake
Rock song: Cut Me Some Slack, Paul McCartney, Dave Grohl, Krist Novoselic and Pat Smear
Rap song: Thrift Shop, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis featuring Wanz
R&B song: Pusher Love Girl, James Fauntleroy, Jerome Harmon, Timothy Mosley and Justin Timberlake
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Why Bhutan hopes tourists will put a smile back on its face
Under The Radar The 'kingdom of happiness' is facing economic problems and unprecedented emigration
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
7 beautiful towns to visit in Switzerland during the holidays
The Week Recommends Find bliss in these charming Swiss locales that blend the traditional with the modern
By Catherine Garcia, The Week US Published
-
The Week contest: Werewolf bill
Puzzles and Quizzes
By The Week US Published
-
Taylor Swift ties Beyoncé record at MTV awards
Speed Read The pop star's acceptance speeches encouraged fans to register to vote and commemorated the victims of 9/11
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Taylor Swift vs. The Beatles: who's bigger?
In the Spotlight With US megastar's 'Eras' tour arriving in Liverpool, comparisons to the Fab Four and Beatlemania abound
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
8 genre-defining Black country, folk and blues musicians
The Week Recommends Keeping the legacy alive, even when the industry tries to keep them down
By Scott Hocker, The Week US Published
-
8 movie musicals that prove the screen can share the stage
The Week Recommends The singing and dancing, bigger than life itself
By Scott Hocker, The Week US Published
-
Why Chechnya has banned music that is 'too fast or too slow'
Under The Radar Many Western pop songs – and Russian national anthem – fall foul of new rules to protect 'cultural heritage'
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
Is Beyoncé now a country superstar? Depends on who you ask.
In The Spotlight The pop diva's 'Texas Hold 'Em' is the hottest country song on the charts. Why won't some people admit the obvious?
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Can Beyoncé save country music's reputation?
Talking Points First black woman to top the Billboard country charts could finally break down the genre's racist stereotype
By The Week UK Published
-
The Beatles are getting 4 intersecting biopics
Speed Read Director Sam Mendes is making four separate movies, each told from the perspective of one band member
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published