LOS ANGELES _ The album of the year Grammy was always a two-woman battle, between Adele and Beyonce. This year Adele scored the trophy_but almost didn't accept it.
During a tearful speech in which she thanked her friends and family, she turned to Beyonce and told her it was hard to accept the trophy knowing how much Beyonce's "Lemonade" had meant to her.
"My artist of my life is Beyonce," Adele said.
"I adore you and I want you to be my mommy," Adele had said earlier to Beyonce while accepting record of the year, to big laughter. But she seemed to mean it.
For her part, Beyonce beamed at Adele during the speech, shaking her head humbly as Adele piled on compliments for the power and courage behind "Lemonade."
But by the end of the night Adele's victory for "25" seemed assured. She had already earned song of the year and record of the year for "Hello," and bested Beyonce in pop solo performance.
Acknowledging the time off she'd taken to have a baby and stressing how difficult being a mother is, Adele added, "It took an army to make me strong and willing to do it again."
The victory eclipsed Adele's earlier performance stumble, in which she had to restart her George Michael tribute.
Not that anyone cared. Adele's humility shone through, as always.
According to Grammy officials, Adele is the first artist to sweep album, record and song of the year twice.
