Drake, whom Spalding also beat two years ago for best new artist, may now wish he had been there because the rapper was awarded his first Grammy after 13 nominations. Then again, he also lost twice Sunday when Jay-Z and Kanye West beat him in the best rap song and best rap performance categories.

Paul McCartney was a no-show to pick up his Grammy for best traditional pop vocal album. It was awarded for his "Kisses on the Bottom" album.

While there are plenty of household names announced in the pre-show, it is also the chance for the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences to honor people who perform important jobs for the music industry.

For example, Billy Vera won a Grammy for writing the best album notes. He composed the notes for an album of Ray Charles music, "Singular Genius: The Complete ABC Singles."

Fritz Klaetke, the art director for "Woody At 100: The Woody Guthrie Centennial Collection," won a Grammy for producing the best boxed or special limited edition package. While this may seem to be the most unglamorous of all Grammys, Klaetke said the category was important for "recognizing the role packaging design plays in these days of downloaded music."