Billie Eilish was the big winner at the Grammys on a night marred by tragedy (Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP)
Billie Eilish enjoyed an unforgettable night at the Grammys, but the ceremony was marked by sadness following the death of retired basketball star Kobe Bryant.
Just hours before some of the biggest names in music descended on downtown Los Angeles for the industry’s premiere awards show, it emerged Bryant, his teenage daughter and seven others had been killed in a helicopter crash.
The tragedy forced a subdued tone on the Grammys, with tributes to Bryant throughout the ceremony.
To add extra poignancy to the evening, the show was held in the Staples Centre, home of the side where Bryant spent his 20-year career, the LA Lakers.
Here are the best pictures from the 62nd Grammy Awards:
Ariana Grande made a typically overstated arrival as she walked the red carpet at the 62nd Grammy Awards (Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP)On a night marred by tragedy, a black-clad Lizzo dedicated her opening performance to the late Kobe Bryant (Matt Sayles/Invision/AP)Host Alicia Keys, returning to the Grammys for a second successive year, said ‘we never imagined in a million years we’d have to start the show like this’ (Matt Sayles/Invision/AP)Usher’s tribute to the late pop star Prince was not well-received by a proportion of fans, who complained on social media (Matt Sayles/Invision/AP)Lil Nas X, dressed in a dazzling silver outfit, invited K-pop superstars BTS on stage for a performance of Old Town Road (Matt Sayles/Invision/AP)Before winning the night’s four biggest prizes, Billie Eilish performed When The Party Is Over (Matt Sayles/Invision/AP)Tears rolled down Demi Lovato’s cheeks as she performed her new song Anyone, marking her return to the stage after almost two years away (Matt Sayles/Invision/AP)The rapper Nipsey Hussle and former basketball star Kobe Bryant were shown on the big screen inside the Staples Centre during a tribute by YG, John Legend, Kirk Franklin, DJ Khaled and Meek Mill (Matt Sayles/Invision/AP)Alicia Keys, second left, and members of Boys II Men sing It’s So Hard To Say Goodbye To Yesterday during a tribute to the late Kobe Bryant (Matt Sayles/Invision/AP)A euphoric Billie Eilish accepts the award for best new artist, though the best was yet to come for the 18-year-old singer (Matt Sayles/Invision/AP)Billie Eilish and Finneas O’Connell, her brother and collaborator, were applauded onto the stage to accept album of the year for When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? (Matt Sayles/Invision/AP)The siblings were back on stage moments later to accept record of the year for hit single Bad Guy, capping a stunning night of success (Matt Sayles/Invision/AP)
In pictures: Billie Eilish dominates Grammys overshadowed by Kobe Bryant’s death
