Ed Sheeran’s album Divide won at the Grammys, where the early race at the 60th ceremony was being led by Bruno Mars and Kendrick Lamar.
The British singer, 26, won in the pop vocal album category at the New York City awards show on Sunday, but was not available to collect the honour presented during the pre-televised show.
Mars and Lamar were both leading the way with three victories apiece, while Jay-Z is yet to triumph ahead of the main event at Madison Square Garden despite leading the way for nominations, with eight.
Mars’s victories included best R&B song for That’s What I Like and best R&B album with 24K Magic, while Lamar’s HUMBLE. beat Jay-Z to win best rap song and best rap performance.
Musicians have started to arrive on the red carpet wearing white roses in a display of solidarity with the anti-sexual harassment Me Too movement.
The symbolic move was proposed earlier this week by music executives to support the movements that followed the revelations starting with movie mogul Harvey Weinstein’s downfall.
British talent were left out of the major categories but Sheeran’s track Shape Of You is also nominated for best pop solo performance.
Awards were also posthumously given to Leonard Cohen, for best rock performance, and Carrie Fisher, for best spoken word album with her reading of her memoir The Princess Diarist.
The televised show will be hosted by James Corden from 7.30pm local time, 12.30am on Monday in the UK.