Taylor Swift wins 2 early Grammys Awards in pre-telecast

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Taylor Swift won two Grammy Awards — for best pop vocal album and best video for "Bad Blood" at the pre-telecast Monday.

Swift wasn't in the audience to pick up the awards.

When she won for best pop vocal album, Jack Antonoff, the guitarist from the band fun. and a producer who worked on Swift's album "1989," went onstage to accept the honor and called Swift on the phone.

"Taylor wants to be here so badly ...One sec, she's gonna freak," he said as his phone rang.

Once she answered and Antonoff delivered the good news, Swift yelled, "What?! We won! We won pop vocal album!"

Her competition included James Taylor.

"Is James Taylor there?" Swift asked. "Can you tell James Taylor I love him?"

Swift is nominated for six honors, including album of the year for "1989." But it's Adele who has the chance to own the night, though she isn't competing for an award.

The British singer, who has outsold her contemporaries by millions, is set to perform at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, along with other hitmakers such as Rihanna, Lady Gaga, the Weeknd and Swift, who will open the show.

Adele released her third album, "25" — which has sold 8 million units in the United States — after Grammy eligibility. It will qualify for awards at the 2017 ceremony.

This year, Kendrick Lamar has a chance to make history: His Pharrell-produced "Alright" could be the first-ever hip-hop track to win song of the year in the Grammys' 58-year history. He also could be the first rapper to win album of the year since Outkast in 2004.

Lamar, who already has two Grammys, received the most nominations, with 11. His "To Pimp a Butterfly" faces fierce competition for album of the year against "1989," Alabama Shakes' "Sound & Color," Chris Stapleton's "Traveller" and the Weeknd's "Beauty Behind the Madness."

Swift's "Blank Space" is in the running for song of the year, along with Lamar, Ed Sheeran's "Thinking out Loud," Little Big Town's "Girl Crush" and Wiz Khalifa and Charlie Puth's "See You Again."

Swift's and Sheeran's songs are up for record of the year, along with "Uptown Funk" by Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars, the Weeknd's "Can't Feel My Face," and D'Angelo and the Vanguard's "Really Love."

Best new-artist nominees include pop singers Meghan Trainor and Tori Kelly; rock acts James Bay and Courtney Barnett; and country singer Sam Hunt.

Hunt, who also is nominated for best country album for his platinum seller "Montevallo," will perform at the show with Carrie Underwood. Other performers include Justin Bieber — who is nominated for best dance recording for "Where Are U Now" with Skrillex and Diplo — and the Hollywood Vampires, the supergroup made up of Johnny Depp, Alice Cooper and Joe Perry.

Plus, the cast of hit Broadway musical "Hamilton" will hit the stage and rapper Pitbull will close out the awards show. It will feature tributes to David Bowie, B.B. King, the Eagles' Glenn Frey, Natalie Cole, Lemmy Kilmister and Earth, Wind & Fire's Maurice White.

LL Cool J will host the 58th annual Grammy Awards, airing live on CBS. It starts at 8 p.m. EST.

By Mesfin Fekadu. Copyright 2016 The Associated Press.

The Gayly- 2/15/2016 @ 4:58 PM CST