Swift makes Grammys history with fourth album honour

Swift also announced from the Grammys stage that she would release a new album in April.

The 34-year-old won for Midnights, her 10th studio album, eclipsing music legends Frank Sinatra, Paul Simon and Stevie Wonder, who each claimed the prize three times.

She won previously for Fearless in 2009, again six years later for 1989, and most recently for Folklore in 2020.

Swift said she was thrilled by the honour and gushed about the fulfillment she feels from writing and singing songs.

"It makes me so happy. All I want to do is keep doing this," she said.

Earlier, Swift claimed the prize for best pop vocal performance and used the moment to announce that she will release "The Tortured Poets Department" on April 19.

"I want to say thank you to the fans by telling you a secret that I've been keeping from you for the last two years," she said.

Set to jet to Tokyo to resume the world's highest-grossing concert tour, Swift was among the women who swept the major Grammy

prizes on Sunday, including one to Australia's Kylie Minogue.

Billie Eilish claimed song of the year for What Was I Made For?, a ballad written for the Barbie movie soundtrack.

"As a woman, it feels a lot of the time like you're not being seen," Eilish told reporters backstage.

"I feel that this makes me feel very seen. Sometimes it feels really good to have somebody tell you 'good job.'"

Miley Cyrus, who won her first two Grammys, landed the record of the year honour for her empowerment anthem "Flowers."

"This award is amazing," Cyrus said. "But I really hope that it doesn't change anything because my life was beautiful yesterday."

Best new artist went to R&B and pop singer Victoria Monet, who thanked her mother, "a single mom raising this really bad girl."

"I just want to say to everybody who has a dream, I want you to look at this as an example," she said.

The Grammy winners were chosen by the musicians, producers, engineers and others who make up the Recording Academy. The group has worked to diversify its membership in recent years by inviting more women and people of colour to its ranks.

SZA, who went into the night as the most-nominated artist, won three trophies including best R&B song for "Snooze."

"I came really, really far," she said. "I can't believe this is happening, and it feels very fake."

Indie rock band boygenius, a band formed by musicians Phoebe Bridgers, Lucy Dacus and Julien Baker, also claimed three awards.

Earlier Minogue won best pop dance recording for Padam Padam - her first Grammy in 18 years.

The 55-year-old Australian singer was not present to collect the gong, but its British producer Peter Rycroft appeared on stage.

"This is such a unique process on this song, it started as an idea with a friend who I wrote it with originally and we built up a fairly rough demo and it got into the hands of Kylie," he said.

"She is such a powerhouse, she recorded her own vocals in her hotel room and sent me the project - she is very hands on and very collaborative."

In Grammy performances, folk singer Joni Mitchell appeared for the first time singing Both Sides Now from a chair and sporting blonde braids and a beret.

While among the tributes to the musicians who passed away in the last year, Stevie Wonder played For Once In My Life to honour the late Tony Bennett who sang along from a video.

Annie Lennox sang Nothing Compares 2 U in a tribute to Sinead O'Connor, and Fantasia Barrino honoured Tina Turner with her version of Proud Mary.

Jon Batiste played Ain't No Sunshine and Lean On Me in a tribute to Clarence Avant, known as "the Godfather of Black music."

Toward the end, Billy Joel performed his new single Turn The Lights Back On, his first original song in 17 years.

In accepting the Dr. Dre Global Impact Award, rapper Jay-Z aired some Grammy grievances, including the fact that his superstar wife Beyonce had never won album of the year despite having earned more Grammys than anyone else.

While US rapper Killer Mike was arrested and booked for misdemeanor battery after an alleged physical altercation backstage.

It came after the 48-year-old won best rap album for his sixth studio offering, Michael, while his track Scientists And Engineers featuring Andre 3000, Future And Eryn Allen Kane won best rap song and best rap performance.

With PA

Australian Associated Press