Elias Näslin and Rami Yacoub can both celebrate their Grammy statuettes.

When the long Grammy gala began at lunchtime in Los Angeles, 22 Swedes had a chance at at least one figurine and already in the late afternoon, two figurines got blue-yellow owners:

Elias Näslin won a Grammy for John Legend's "Bigger love" in the category Best r & b album and Rami Yacoub for his contributions with Lady Gaga and Ariana Grande's "Rain on me" in the category Best pop duo / group.

For Yacoub, it could be the beginning of a good night, he has another chance to win for Lady Gaga's "Chromatica".

But already during the late afternoon, most Swedes had had to put back the victory champagne.

Among other things, Yacoub and ten other Swedes missed the Grammy chance for the soundtrack to Will Ferrell's bombastic Eurovision orgy "Eurovision Song Contest: The story of Fire Saga", which was nominated in the category Music for visual media.

That prize went instead to "Jojo Rabbit".

"New start in 2021"

Once the gala began, comedian and TV presenter Trevor Noah welcomed the TV audience to an almost empty Staples Center in Los Angeles.

- We want to bring ourselves together as only the music can, or the music and the vaccine.

This is a fresh start in 2021, a year full of joy and full of hope, Noah said before Harry Styles tore off the song that a little over an hour later would give him the prize for this year's pop solo artist, "Watermelon sugar".

The very first winner of the televised part of the gala was Megan Thee Stallion, for best newcomer.

-It has been a hell of a year but we have gotten through it, she said and thanked God in front of the few spectators on site - all the other nominees during the evening.

Beyoncé double winner

The award was Megan Thee Stallion second for the day, already in the afternoon her duet with Beyoncé, "Savage", had won for this year's rap performance.

- Thank you mother, thank you all the hotheads out there and thank you Houston, she said then via video link, where Beyoncé also received a big thank you.

The superstar - who has previously been critical of the gala - himself never appeared via video link.

Nor did she when she and her daughter Blue Ivy won the Video of the Year for "Brown skin girl".

Nine-year-old Blue Ivy Carter thus became the second youngest Grammy winner to date.

For Beyoncé, the award was her 26th Grammy.

Only three people have won more, and Beyoncé has a chance at additional awards during the evening, including Album of the Year.

Stripped gala

Other early winners include veterans such as rapper Nas and rock band The Strokes, who both won their very first Grammys, for Best Rapal Album and Best Rock Album, respectively.

Country legend John Prine, who died in the suites of covid-19 in April last year, and jazz composer Chick Corea, who died in February this year, were both awarded posthumous Grammys.