Indie pop band fun. won the best new artist prize at the 55th Grammy Awards, their second win in the top four categories.
The New York band had already taken the Best Song Grammy for “We Are Young” and are also shortlisted in Album of the Year category, although they fell short of a landmark clean sweep when Record of the Year went to Gotye.
For the best new artist award, fun. beat out high-selling R&B singer Frank Ocean, Americana rockers Alabama Shakes, folk band The Lumineers and country singer Hunter Hayes.
The members of fun. was joined at the Grammy ceremony by Lena Dunham, creator of the critically acclaimed dark comedy “Girls,” who is said to be dating the band’s guitarist Jack Antonoff.
Their beaten rivals in the best song category were Ed Sheeran for “The A Team,” Miguel for “Adorn,” Carly Rae Jepsen for “Call Me Maybe” and the songwriters of Kelly Clarkson’s “Stronger (What Doesn’t Kill You).”
The band topped Grammy nominations announced in December.
If they were to win all four of the major categories, it would mark the first such achievement in more than 30 years, according to The New York Times.
British songstress Adele won the Grammy for best pop solo performance, the first award handed out during the main event.
She also gave a typically straight-talking answer when asked how she is feeling about the Oscars later this month, where she is nominated for best song for the theme tune to Bond movie “Skyfall,” admitting she was nervous.
The 24-year-old singer, who swept the board with six Grammys at last year’s awards show, took the pop performance prize for a live rendition of her hit “Set Fire to the Rain.”
“My good luck charm, J-Lo,” she said as she accepted the award from Jennifer Lopez and Pitbull. “This is amazing. I wanted to come and be part of the night. I loved it last year, obviously,” she added.
Last year she won best song, best record, best album for her breakthrough “21,” best short video, best pop album and best pop artist, winning all six categories in which she was nominated.
Speaking backstage after accepting her award Sunday, Adele said it was less stressful this year than last, even though she is now a mother, having given birth in October.
“I’ve been up since 6:00 am so I’m quite tired,” she told reporters, but added that, as a new mother “it’s nice, I haven’t been as stressed out… you have to prioritize what you stress about and worry about.”
fun. wins best new artist Grammy award
