Teen sensation Billie Eilish won the top four prizes at the Grammy Awards on Sunday, taking home Best New Artist, Record of the Year, Album of the Year and Song of the Year at the annual awards for the music industry.

The 18-year-old artist, who often collaborates with her older brother Finneas, won five of the six awards she was nominated for beating off competition from rapper Lil Nas X and Lizzo. Finneas was named non-classical producer of the year.

"Wow! So many other songs deserve this," Eilish said as she collected the best song award for her hit single Bad Guy.

"I genuinely want to say I am so grateful and I am so honoured to be here. I grew up watching all of you."

Eilish and fellow newcomers Lizzo and Lil Nas X were nominated for a string of awards in a live show that was dedicated to basketball star Kobe Bryant, who was killed in a helicopter accident on Sunday morning.

"Tonight is for Kobe" said Lizzo, kicking off the show with a medley of the title song from her album Cuz I Love You and the hit single Truth Hurts.

Bryant tribute

The Grammy Awards took place at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, the home of Bryant's team the Los Angeles Lakers.

"We are literally standing here heartbroken in the house that Kobe Bryant built," said host Alicia Keys. "We never imagined in a million years we'd have to start the show like this."

Billy Ray Cyrus and Lil Nas X performed at the Grammy Awards in Los Angelese [Mario Anzuoni/Reuters]

Lizzo won three of her leading eight nominations, including Best Urban Contemporary album for Cuz I Love You, and Pop Solo performance for Truth Hurts, beating established artists like Beyonce, Ariana Grande and Taylor Swift who was not at the ceremony.

Lil Nas X, 20, wearing a cowboy hat and silver lurex suit, and country singer Billy Ray Cyrus brought the house down with a kitschy performance of their viral collaboration Old Town Road, with contributions from stars including K-Pop band BTS.

Grande performed a medley of hits from her Grammy-nominated break-up album Thank u, Next, including 7 Rings and Imagine.

Late rapper Nipsey Hussle, 33, who was shot dead in his Los Angeles neighbourhood last year, won best rap performance for Racks in the Middle and was honoured in a tribute by John Legend, DJ Khaled and rapper Meek Mill.

The Grammy winners are chosen by members of the Recording Academy, which is currently embroiled in a dispute over the departure of its new chief executive Deborah Dugan and her allegations of conflicts of interest in the nominations process, which it has denied.