Taylor Swift wins album of the year Grammy, becomes first woman to receive top honour thrice

She also won it in 2010 for her album ''Fearless'' and again in 2015 for ''1989''.

Prior to the pop singer, celebrated musicians Stevie Wonder, Frank Sinatra and Paul Simon have won the top prize thrice.

Swift''s ''Folklore'' defeated nominated albums by Jhene Aiko, Black Pumas, Coldplay, Jacob Collier, HAIM, Dua Lipa and Post Malone to win the highest prize of the ceremony.

In her acceptance speech, the 31-year-old singer thanked her collaborators, Laura Sisk, Jack Antonoff and Aaron Dessner, and her boyfriend, actor Joe Alwyn, for helping her write the songs during the coronavirus pandemic.

"I had the best time writing songs with you during quarantine," Swift said.

Alwyn is credited on ''Folkore'' under the pseudonym William Bowery.

The album, Swift''s eighth, released in July last year.

In addition to album of the year, Swift was nominated at the ceremony for pop solo performance (“Cardigan”), pop duo/group performance (“Exile”), song written for visual media (“Beautiful Ghosts”), pop vocal album (“Folklore”) and song of the year (“Cardigan”)The singer also performed at the Grammys for the first time in five years, singing a medley of songs from her albums ''Evermore'' and ''Folklore''.

The audience-free performance scene was set up on a stage inside the Los Angeles Convention Center, where most of the performances were pre-recorded because of pandemic precautions.