Grammys 2013: Show highlights

Taylor Swift opens the 55th Grammy Awards ceremony at Staples Center in downtown Los Angeles with a theatrical performance of her song “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together.”  (Kevork Djansezian / Getty Images)

LL Cool J serves as host of the Grammy Awards ceremony. He introduced many of the nominees and reminisced about seeing Michael Jackson cradling an armful of Grammys in 1984.

“That magical image inspired me to go after my own dreams,” he said, “and the same is true for many of us in this great hall tonight.”  (Kevork Djansezian / Getty Images)

Elton John, left, and Ed Sheeran perform “The A Team,” up for song of the year, during the Grammy Awards show.  (Kevork Djansezian / Getty Images)

Pitbull and Jennifer Lopez present the Grammy for pop solo performance.  (Kevork Djansezian / Getty Images)

Adele accepts her Grammy for pop solo performance for “Set Fire to the Rain.” “I just want to send massive big love to all the other girls ... [who] all work so hard and make it look so easy,” she said.  (Kevork Djansezian / Getty Images)

Fun. performs its song “Carry On” during the Grammys.  (Kevork Djansezian / Getty Images)

Bonnie Raitt and John Mayer share the stage. Raitt won her 10th Grammy earlier during the pre-telecast show.  (Kevork Djansezian / Getty Images)

Miranda Lambert and Dierks Bentley perform their songs “Over You” and “Home.”  (Kevork Djansezian / Getty Images)

Miguel, left, and Wiz Khalifa perform “Adorn.”  (Kevork Djansezian / Getty Images)

Carrie Underwood accepts the Grammy for country solo performance for “Blown Away.”

“Country music has always been so good to me, and I thank the Lord that I’m part of such a wonderful, amazing family,” she said.  (Kevork Djansezian / Getty Images)

Faith Hill and Tim McGraw present the award for song of the year.  (Kevork Djansezian / Getty Images)

The group Fun. accepts the song of the year Grammy for “We Are Young.” The song, which became a singalong anthem after it was released in late 2011, hit No. 1 in the spring.   (Joe Klamar / AFP / Getty Images)

Actor Johnny Depp introduces Mumford & Sons.  (Kevork Djansezian / Getty Images)

Mumford & Sons performs their hit “I Will Wait.”  (Kevork Djansezian / Getty Images)

Ellen DeGeneres and Beyonce speak onstage during the Grammys.  (Kevork Djansezian / Getty Images)

Justin Timberlake performs “Suit and Tie” with Jay-Z, who left his seat in the audience and walked onstage for a surprise joint performance. Timberlake also performed “Pusher Love Girl.”  (Kevork Djansezian / Getty Images)

Kelly Rowland, left, and Nas present the Grammy for urban contemporary album.  (John Shearer / Associated Press)

Frank Ocean accepts the Grammy for urban contemporary album for “Channel Orange.”

Ocean said he thought he might calm his nerves by picturing the audience naked, but decided on another trick instead: “I want to look at you all as kids in tuxedoes and being fancy,” he said. Ocean also thanked his mother.  (Joe Klamar / AFP / Getty Images)

Dave Grohl, left, and Pauley Perrette present the award for rock performance.  (Kevork Djansezian / Getty Images)

Dan Auerbach, left, and Patrick Carney from the Black Keys accept their Grammy for rock performance for “Lonely Boy.”  (Joe Klamar / AFP / Getty Images)

Adam Levine of Maroon 5 and Alicia Keys perform their songs “Daylight” and “Girl on Fire.”   (Kevork Djansezian / Getty Images)

Actress Kaley Cuoco and musician Keith Urban present the award for pop vocal album.  (Kevork Djansezian / Getty Images)

Kelly Clarkson accepts her Grammy for pop vocal album for “Stronger.”

“I didn’t know I was going to win,” Clarkson said breathlessly. She went on to praise her fellow nominees, both friends and strangers.

“Miguel, I don’t know who the hell you are, but we need to sing together!” she said to the R&B artist, who performed earlier in the evening.  (Kevork Djansezian / Getty Images)

Rihanna performs her song “Stay.”  (Kevork Djansezian / Getty Images)

Carly Rae Jepsen, left, and Ne-Yo present the award for rap/sung collaboration.  (Kevork Djansezian / Getty Images)

Frank Ocean, left, and The-Dream accept their Grammy for rap/sung collaboration. The award went to Ocean, The-Dream, Jay-Z and Kanye West for “No Church in the Wild.”  (Kevork Djansezian / Getty Images)

The Black Keys are joined by Dr. John and the Preservation Hall Jazz Band for a performance of “Lonely Boy.”  (Joe Klamar / AFP / Getty Images)

Actress Kat Dennings speaks onstage.  (Kevork Djansezian / Getty Images)

Kelly Clarkson performs “Tennessee Waltz” and “Natural Woman.”  (Kevork Djansezian / Getty Images)

Singer Zac Brown walks onstage to accept the country album Grammy for Zac Brown Band’s “Uncaged.”

Brown dedicated the award “to all my guys who’ve always backed me up and backed my playin’ no matter what it was.”  (Christopher Polk / Getty Images)

Sting, Bruno Mars, Ziggy Marley and Rihanna perform “Could You Be Loved” in a tribute to Bob Marley’s musical influence. Mars and Sting also performed “Locked Out of Heaven” and “Walking on the Moon.”  (Kevork Djansezian / Getty Images)

The Lumineers perform their hit “Ho Hey.”  (Kevork Djansezian / Getty Images)

Jack White performs “Love Interruption” and “Freedom at 21.”  (Joe Klamar / AFP / Getty Images)

Katy Perry presents the Grammy for best new artist. Before announcing the winner, she said, “Don’t feel bad if you don’t win. I never won this and I have my own eyelash line. Take that, Bon Iver.”  (Kevork Djansezian / Getty Images)

Members of the band Fun. accept their Grammy for best new artist. The group beat out Hunter Hayes, Frank Ocean, the Lumineers and Alabama Shakes for the distinction.  (Joe Klamar / AFP / Getty Images)

Best new artist nominee Hunter Hayes performs “Wanted.”  (Kevork Djansezian / Getty Images)

Carrie Underwood performs “Blown Away” and “Two Black Cadillacs.”  (Kevork Djansezian / Getty Images)

Prince presents the award for record of the year.  (Kevork Djansezian / Getty Images)

Gotye and Kimbra accept their Grammy for record of the year for “Somebody That I Used to Know.” The song, released in mid-2011, peaked in 2012 and has sold more than 7 million downloads in the U.S., according to Nielsen SoundScan.  (Kevork Djansezian / Getty Images)

Chick Corea, Stanley Clarke and Kenny Garrett perform “Take Five” and “Blue Rondo à la Turk” in a tribute to the late jazz musician Dave Brubeck.  (Kevork Djansezian / Getty Images)

Ryan Seacrest, left, Justin Timberlake and Recording Academy President Neil Portnow speak onstage during the Grammys.  (Kevork Djansezian / Getty Images)

Zac Brown, T Bone Burnett and Mavis Staples perform “The Weight,” accompanied by Elton John, Marc Mumford and Brittany Howard in a tribute to Levon Helm.  (Kevork Djansezian / Getty Images)

Grammy winner Juanes performs a cover of Elton John’s “Your Song.”  (Kevork Djansezian / Getty Images)

Frank Ocean performs “Forrest Gump.”  (Kevork Djansezian / Getty Images)

Adele presents the album of the year award. She was last year’s winner.  (Kevork Djansezian / Getty Images)

Ben Lovett, Marcus Mumford, Ted Dwane and Winston Marshall of Mumford & Sons accept the Grammy for album of the year for “Babel.” It was the only album of the year nominee currently in the top 10.  (Kevork Djansezian / Getty Images)

Chuck D, left, and host LL Cool J perform “Refuse to Lose” and “No Sleep Till Brooklyn,” closing out the 55th Grammy Awards show.  (Kevork Djansezian / Getty Images)

Tom Morello performs “Refuse to Lose” and “No Sleep Till Brooklyn,” closing out the 55th Grammy Awards show.  (Kevork Djansezian / Getty Images)

Guests arrive at the 2013 Grammy Awards pre-telecast show at the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles on Sunday, Feb. 10, 2013.  (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

Musicians perform at the 2013 Grammy pre-telecast show.  (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

Singers Tyrese, left, and Elle Varner perform during the Grammys pre-telecast show.  (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

Singer Esperanza Spalding, left, and composer Thara Memory accept their Grammys for instrumental arrangement accompanying a vocalist -- which the pair won for “City of Roses” -- during the Grammys pre-telecast show. Spalding also won the award for jazz vocal album for “Radio Music Society.”  (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

Brian Wilson accepts the Grammy for historical album for “The Smile Sessions” during the pre-telecast show.  (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

Musicians perform during the Grammys pre-telecast show.  (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

Lila Downs accepts the Grammy for regional Mexican music album for her album “Pecados y Milagros” during the pre-telecast show.  (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

Chick Corea accepts a Grammy award during the pre-telecast show. Corea won instrumental composition for “Mozart Goes Dancing” as well as improvised jazz solo -- an award he shared with fellow soloist Gary Burton.  (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

Singer Juanes goes to accept his Grammy for Latin pop album during the pre-telecast show for his album “MTV Unplugged Deluxe Edition.”  (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

Al Walser shows off a space suit during the Grammy Awards pre-telecast show. Walser’s song “I Can’t Live Without You” was nominated in the dance recording category.  (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

Members of Quetzal accept their Grammy for Latin rock, urban or alternative album for “Imaginaries” during the pre-telecast show.  (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

Marlow Rosado accepts the Grammy for tropical Latin album for “Retro” during the pre-telecast show.  (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

Musician and author Janis Ian accepts her Grammy for spoken-word album for “Society’s Child: My Autobiography” during the pre-telecast show.  (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

Conductor Charles Bruffy accepts his Grammy during the pre-telecast show. Bruffy won for choral performance for his work conducting “Life & Breath - Choral Works by René Clausen.”  (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

The musical group Eighth Blackbird performs during the Grammys pre-telecast show.  (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

Members of the Robert Glasper Experiment accept the Grammy for R&B album for “Black Radio” during the Grammys pre-telecast show.  (Joe Klamar / AFP / Getty Images)

Skrillex, left, and Sirah accept their Grammy for dance recording for “Bangarang” during the pre-telecast show.  (Joe Klamar / AFP / Getty Images)

T Bone Burnett, left, looks on as Taylor Swift high-fives songwriter Joy Williams during the Grammy pre-telecast show. Burnett, Swift, Williams and John Paul White won the award for song written for visual media for “Safe & Sound,” which they wrote for “The Hunger Games.”  (Kevork Djansezian / Getty Images)

Dr. John, left, accepts his Grammy for blues album for “Locked Down” during the pre-telecast show. Dan Auerbach, right, produced the album. Auerbach won the Grammy for producer of the year, non-classical.  (Kevork Djansezian / Getty Images)

Bonnie Raitt accepts her Grammy for Americana album for “Slipstream” during the pre-telecast show.  (Kevork Djansezian / Getty Images)

Songwriter Josh Kear accepts his Grammy for country song for “Blown Away,” which he wrote with Chris Tompkins, during the pre-telecast show.  (John Shearer / Associated Press)

Gotye, left, and Kimbra accept the Grammy for pop duo performance for “Somebody That I Used to Know” during the pre-telecast show.  (John Shearer / Associated Press)