Jon Batiste crowned Grammys king with five wins

Industry watchers had tipped pop superstars as the likely big winners at Sunday's Grammys -- but jazzman Jon Batiste instead was crowned king, taking home five awards including the prestigious Album of the Year prize.

At the star-studded gala, held for the first time in Las Vegas, Silk Sonic, the 70s revival project of Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak, won all four of their potential prizes, including both Record and Song of The Year for their single "Leave The Door Open."

Olivia Rodrigo didn't win as many awards as predicted -- but the Filipino-American pop phenom did scoop the coveted prize for Best New Artist, and two trophies in the pop category.

That meant the winners of all four top Grammys were people of color -- a milestone for the Recording Academy, which for years has faced criticism that it disproportionately honored white men.

"I just put my head down and work on the craft every day," Batiste, born into a prominent New Orleans musical dynasty, told the audience as he accepted the night's final prize.

"It's more than entertainment for me -- it's a spiritual practice."

The night was heavy on performances but also held a number of somber moments -- most notably when Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky delivered a pre-taped plea for support.

Zelensky's message led into a performance by John Legend of the song "Free," with the help of Ukrainian singer Mika Newton, musician Siuzanna Iglidan and poet Lyuba Yakimchuk.

"On our land, we are fighting Russia, which brings horrible silence with its bombs. The dead silence," Zelensky said.

"Fill the silence with your music, fill it today to tell our story."

Despite being among the night's most nominated artists, pop juggernauts Billie Eilish,...