David Bowie awarded posthumous Grammy for Blackstar album

David Bowie has won a posthumous Grammy for his last release Blackstar.

The British musician, who died from cancer in January 2016 aged 69, won the award for best engineered non-classical album.

The award was announced during a non-televised ceremony ahead of the main show at the Staples Centre in Los Angeles.

On stage, Bowie's music producer Kevin Killen said: "To have been in a room to watch this man ... to make the music that he made and to come in every day and inspire us was a thrill beyond all thrills."

Bowie is also nominated for best alternative music album, best rock performance and best rock song for the single Blackstar.

Jonathan Barnbrook won the Grammy for best recording package for his artwork on Bowie's album Blackstar.

He said: "To quote David Bowie at the 1975 Grammys: 'Good evening ladies and gentlemen and others'."

Barnbrook said Bowie had a "very rare quality of getting people to create their best work".

British actress and singer Cynthia Erivo collected the award for best musical theatre album for The Color Purple.

Erivo, who won a Tony Award for best actress in a musical for her role on the Broadway show, said the cast's voices had created "something so special".

"I can't believe we won a Grammy," she said.

British composer Jacob Collier described his two Grammy wins as "bonkers".

The 22-year-old from London won the award for best arrangement, instrumental or a cappella for You And I and the gong for best arrangement, instruments and vocals for Flintstones.

Bowie's award was his first music Grammy after previously winning best music video in 1985 for Jazzin' For Blue Jean and a lifetime achievement award in 2006.

Backstage, Killen said: "It's kind of startling it's taken that long for an artist who's been so magnificent throughout his whole career."

Killen said he was aware of Bowie's ill health from January 2015 when he first started working on Blackstar.

He added: "It did not impede, if anything it spurred him on, he was incredibly enthusiastic every day he came in and was really determined to make this record on his own terms.

"It was inspirational for all of us to see him to do that."

Beyonce, who leads the way with nine nominations at this year's Grammys, picked up her first award of the night by winning music video of the year for Formation.

But her visual album Lemonade missed out on the award for best music film which went to Ron Howard's documentary The Beatles: Eight Days A Week The Touring Years.