LOS ANGELES (AFP) - Pop superstar Taylor Swift on Monday won the Grammy for Album of the Year for her blockbuster 1989.

Taking the stage, Swift highlighted her role as the first woman to win the top Grammy twice and warned women against those "who will try to undercut your success or take credit for your accomplishments or your fame."

It was an upset for rapper Kendrick Lamar who had looked on course to take the prize for his critically-acclaimed To Pimp A Butterfly.

Uptown Funk, the retro party anthem by Mark Ronson featuring Bruno Mars that is among the most successful singles ever on the charts, won Record of the Year.

Uptown Funk beat out other chart-topping tracks including Ed Sheeran's Thinking Out Loud and Swift's Blank Space to win the award, one of the most prestigious Grammys which recognises songs including their performers.

Lamar, whose song Alright has become an unofficial anthem for protesters against police abuse, took an early lead with five awards, including the first-ever sweep of the four prizes in the rap field.

He won for Best Rap Album for To Pimp A Butterfly, Best Rap Performance and Best Rap Song for Alright, and Best Rap/Sung Collaboration for These Walls with Bilal, Anna Wise and Thundercat.

Taylor also won two early awards - Best Pop Vocal Album for 1989 and Best Music Video for her song Bad Blood, an award that also went to Lamar, who appeared in the action-themed clip.

Sheeran won his first Grammy awards, including Song of the Year for Thinking Out Loud.

List of winners in key categories

RECORD OF THE YEAR
Uptown Funk - Mark Ronson, Featuring Bruno Mars

ALBUM OF THE YEAR
1989 - Taylor Swift

SONG OF THE YEAR
Thinking Out Loud - Ed Sheeran & Amy Wadge, songwriters (Ed Sheeran)

BEST NEW ARTIST
Meghan Trainor

BEST POP SOLO PERFORMANCE
Thinking Out Loud - Ed Sheeran (Track from: X)

BEST POP DUO/GROUP PERFORMANCE
Uptown Funk - Mark Ronson featuring Bruno Mars (Track from: Uptown Special)

BEST ROCK PERFORMANCE
Don't Wanna Fight - Alabama Shakes

BEST COUNTRY ALBUM
Traveller - Chris Stapleton

BEST POP VOCAL ALBUM
1989 - Taylor Swift

BEST ROCK ALBUM
Drones - Muse

BEST RAP ALBUM
To Pimp A Butterfly - Kendrick Lamar

BEST MUSIC VIDEO
Bad Blood - Taylor Swift, featuring Kendrick Lamar

BEST MUSICAL THEATER ALBUM
Hamilton

BEST MUSIC FILM
Amy (Amy Winehouse) Asif Kapadia, video director; James Gay-Rees, video producer