Adele wins Album of the Year, but would prefer it went to Beyonce

Adele swept the Album, Song and Record categories for "Hello" and 25 at Sunday night's Grammys.

Through tears, Adele accepted the award for Album of the Year before admitting she believes the award should have gone to fellow nominee Beyoncé for Lemonade.

"We all got to see another side to you that you don't always let us see, and we appreciate that," she said. "All us artists here adore you. You are our light."

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Backstage in the press area, she let reporters know just how much she meant it. "My album of the year is Lemonade," she said.

"I spoke to her before just to let her know how honored and privileged I felt to be nominated alongside her, and we spoke afterward as well and she was very gracious and humble, as always, as we've come to expect. And the reason I felt the need to say something is because my album of the year is Lemonade. She is my icon of my whole life."

She continued: "I felt like it was her time to win. What the f*ck does she have to do to win Album of the Year? That's how I feel."

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Just moments before, she'd taken the stage to accept the award for Record of the Year, where she gave Beyoncé a more light-hearted shout-out: "I want you to be my mommy."

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Adele also opened Sunday's show with a performance of her Grammy-winning song ahead of host James Corden's opening monologue.