By Danielle Broadway
LOS ANGELES, Feb 1 (Reuters) - - British soul-pop singer Olivia Dean was named best new artist, and hip-hop megastar Kendrick Lamar claimed the prize for best rap album with "GNX," his chart-topping sixth studio set, as the 68th Grammy Awards got under way on Sunday.
The London-born Dean, 26, edged out fellow newcomers Leon Thomas, KATSEYE, The Marias, Addison Rae, sombr, Alex Warren and Lola Young in the Grammy race to crown the greatest performer among a field of rising new talents.
Accepting her award from the stage of the Crypto.com Arena in downtown Los Angeles, Dean paid tribute to her grandmother, who immigrated to Britain from Guyana as a teenager seeking a new life.
"I must say I'm up here as a granddaughter of an immigrant," she said, evoking cheers from the star-studded audience. "I am a product of bravery and I think those people deserve to be celebrated. We're nothing without each other."
Lamar, 38, the West Coast hip-hop sensation regarded as one of the greatest rap artists of all time, entered Sunday's Grammy Awards with nominations in nine categories and immediately clinched the award for best rap album with "GNX."
Lamar's "GNX" was also vying for the top award of the night, album of the year, facing stiff competition from Puerto Rican rapper Bad Bunny and pop chameleon Lady Gaga.
Bad Bunny was competing for best album with "Debí Tirar Más Fotos," which could make history as the first Spanish‑language winner in that category. The award went last year to Beyoncé’s "Cowboy Carter."
If Lamar wins for "GNX," he would be the first solo male rapper to win the top award. Only two hip-hop musicians have been honored in the category - female artist Lauryn Hill and the duo Outkast.
For Gaga, the best album prize would be the first of her celebrated career. She has never won any of the top four Grammy trophies despite more than two decades in the music business. This year, she is competing with the album "Mayhem," described by critics as a return to her dark dance-pop roots.
Trevor Noah returned to host the festivities for a sixth time, which he has said would be his last Grammys gig. The show aired live on the CBS network from the Crypto.com Arena in downtown Los Angeles.
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Bad Bunny's Grammy night recognition carried strong political overtones.
The singer-producer skipped the continental United States on his recent concert tour, saying he feared federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents carrying out U.S. President Donald Trump's deportation drive would show up to arrest his fans.
"ICE out," he said from the stage, accepting the award for best album of Latin urban music for "Debí Tirar Más Fotos."
His selection to perform at the coming Super Bowl halftime show next Sunday drew objections from Trump and other critics who argued the National Football League championship game's entertainment should be performed in English.
The world of KPop also earned a Grammy for the first time.
"Golden," the smash hit from the Netflix animated movie "KPop Demon Hunters," won an early award for best song written for visual media. It also was competing for two of the top awards of the night - best record and best song. The song is performed by a fictional band named HUNTR/X. Its real-life members are EJAE, Audrey Nun and Rein Ami.
The best record and best song contests also include "APT.," a duet between Bruno Mars and KPop singer Rosé.
Legendary filmmaker Steven Spielberg, 79, achieved EGOT status — one of the rarest honors in the entertainment industry — after winning his first Grammy award for best music film for "Music by John Williams," which he produced. EGOT stands for Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony.
Grammy winners are chosen by the roughly 15,000 voting members of the Recording Academy — industry peers including artists, songwriters, producers and engineers — whose ranks have been revamped over the past seven years to increase diversity. About 1,000 Latin Grammys voters became eligible to vote this year, and 73% of members have joined since 2019.
(Reporting by Lisa Richwine; Writing by Steve Gorman; Editing by Howard Goller)
