Grammys 2022: Early awards for Joni Mitchell and Bo Burnham

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By Mark Savage
BBC Music Correspondent

Image source, Getty Images

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Joni Mitchell made a rare public appearance to accept her award

Joni Mitchell, George Harrison, Bad Bunny and Bo Burnham have all taken early prizes as the Grammy Awards grind into gear in Las Vegas.

Mitchell took home best historical recording for her Archives, Vol 1 box set - collecting the award in person, seven years after a brain aneurysm.

"I didn't expect this," said the 78-year-old, who was helped on stage by her physical therapist.

The star was previously honoured at a Grammy event on Friday night.

Herbie Hancock, Cyndi Lauper, Angelique Kidjo and Stephen Stills were among those paying tribute to her music; with Graham Nash playing an emotional version of her folk-rock classic A Case Of You.

The trailblazing, Canadian-born star told journalists on the red carpet that she was feeling "pretty good," adding she'd been "making improvements" seven years into her recovery.

She will appear again at the main Grammy ceremony on Sunday night, which is being held at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

More than 70 awards are distributed at the ceremony, with many of the smaller, genre-based prizes handed out at a "premiere ceremony" before the big event.

George Harrison's classic 1970 album All Things Must Pass won the award for best limited edition package, following a 50th-anniversary edition that included extra outtakes, jam sessions and extensive liner notes.

His widow Olivia collected the award on his behalf, noting that eight years after the record was inducted to the Grammy Hall Of Fame, it was definitively "here to stay".

"The music is here for you," she said. "It's full of hope and compassion and healing and rock and roll."

Image source, Reuters

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Jon Batiste had the most nominations for this year's Grammys, with 11 in total

Puerto Rican rapper and singer Bad Bunny, who is Spotify's most-streamed artist in the world, took home a new prize: Best música urbana album, for his third studio release El Último Tour Del Mundo.

There was an upset in the musical theatre category, where The Unofficial Bridgerton Musical - a project that originated on TikTok - beat Andrew Lloyd Webber's Cinderella soundtrack and a new concert recording of Les Miserables.

Best music film went to Summer Of Soul - a documentary about 1969's Harlem Cultural Festival, which had been all-but erased from history, which also won best documentary at last weekend's Oscars.

Accepting the prize, director Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson said: "It just hit me that we really haven't given much spotlight to what really matters in this film which is the beautiful artists that performed."

He went on to name-check artists including Stevie Wonder, Mavis Staples, Gladys Knight, Nina Simone, BB King and Sly & The Family Stone, whose performances were all restored in the Disney+ movie.

Image source, Getty Images

Image caption,

Questlove is better known as the drummer and band-leader of rap group The Roots

Comedian Bo Burnham won best song written for visual media for All Eyes On Me, an anxiety-ridden track from his Netflix lockdown show, Inside.

Trevor Noah will host the main ceremony later, with performances from Billie Eilish, BTS, Lady Gaga, Lil Nas X, Olivia Rodrigo and Justin Bieber.

Jazz musician Jon Batiste had the most nominations ahead of the ceremony, with 11 in total.

He has already won four, including best music video for his vibrant, celebratory song Freedom.

That trophy saw him beat Billie Eilish and Olivia Rodrigo - the presumed front-runners for album of the year. If Batiste triumphs there too, it could be one of the night's big upsets.

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