Greenhill native Chris Tompkins and co-writer Josh Kear won a coveted Grammy for Best Country Song today.

The song is “Blown Away,” a hit by country star Carrie Underwood.

The award was announced during the pre-telecast of the 55th annual Grammy Awards ceremony at the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles.

Tompkins, who resides in Nashville, and Kear picked up their first Grammy for Best Country Song for “Before He Cheats,” which also was a hit for Underwood.

The Civil Wars and Taylor Swift won the Grammy for best song written for visual media for "Safe & Sound," their collaboration on "The Hunger Games" soundtrack. It was Swift's seventh Grammy and the third for Joy Williams and John Paul White of The Civil Wars. White is a Florence resident.

"I think it's appropriate that Taylor thanks us because we've been carrying her for a while and it's getting really tiring," White joked during the ceremony.

The Civil Wars and Swift also were nominated for best country duo/group performance for the "Hunger Games" soundtrack but did not win. Little Big Town won for "Pontoon."

The Alabama Shakes of Athens missed out in the two Grammy Award categories in which they were nominated.

The Black Keys won best rock performance for "Lonely Boy." The Shakes had been nominated for "Hold On."

Fun won the best new artist category. The Shakes were in good company in losing to Fun. Frank Ocean, Hunter Hayes and The Lumineers also were nominated.

The pop-rockers fun also won song of the year for their transcendent anthem, "We Are Young," featuring Janelle Monae, during Sunday night's telecast, taking the first of four major awards the group's been nominated for.

"I don't know what I was thinking when I wrote the chorus to this song," lead singer Nate Ruess joked. "This is in HD, everyone can see our faces, and we are not very young."

Most of the attention has been on Ocean going into the awards — and he won two trophies and was up for three more during the telecast. But his fellow lead nominees got an early lead on the R&B singer.

"We Are Young" helped fun. earn a starring role at these Grammys with nominations in all four major categories after the release of their first album, matched only by Christopher Cross in 1981, and six overall. The band turned in a powerful early performance of "Carry On" as a downpour on stage began mid-song and guitarist Jack Antonoff got a kiss from girlfriend "Girls" creator Lena Dunham after winning.

But it was The Black Keys and singer-guitarist Dan Auerbach who took an early lead thanks to a strong run in the pre-telecast awards show.

Earlier in the day, they won best rock song for "Lonely Boy" and best rock album for "El Camino" with bandmate Patrick Carney, and Auerbach was named producer of the year. He also got an assist — but no trophy — on Dr. John's best blues album "Locked Down," which he produced.

Ocean won best urban contemporary album for "channel ORANGE." He beat out Chris Brown, with whom he recently scuffled. Ocean took the stage with tape on two of his left fingers, a remnant of the fight, and Brown clapped politely and nodded as he walked to the stage.

And he won best rap/sung collaboration for "No Church in the Wild" with fellow top nominees Jay-Z and Kanye West, and The-Dream. The win gave West and Jay-Z three wins on the night after wins for best rap song and best rap performance for "... in Paris," another "Watch the Throne" track.

Electronic dance music innovator Skrillex won three awards and a slew of artists sit one back, including top nominees Kanye West and Jay-Z, Gotye, former best new artist winner Esperanza Spalding, jazz man Chick Corea and Christian singer-songwriter Matt Redman.

Other early winners included Rihanna, Beyonce, Mumford & Sons and Taylor Swift, who opened the show as the Mad Hatter. Swift dressed in white top hat, tails, shorts and tall boots during the surreal version of her hummable hit "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together" that included a troop of mime clowns and a guy on a tricycle with a flame-thrower attached.

The singer pretended to talk to the offending boyfriend on the phone: "I'm busy opening the Grammys and we're never getting back together."

Justin Timberlake debuted new tracks "Suit & Tie" with Jay-Z and "Pusher Love" in a performance that was broadcast in retro black and white. Elton John and Ed Sheeran teamed on "The A Team" and Miguel and Wiz Khalifa joined forces teamed up on "Adorn." Alicia Keys played drums during Maroon 5's "Daylight," before Adam Levine's band backed her on "Girl on Fire."

Adele won the first award of the night on the main telecast, taking home best pop solo performance for "Set Fire to the Rain (Live)," in one of the night's least-surprising moments — though the singer was somewhat taken aback.

"I just wanted to be part of the night, because I loved it last year, obviously," she said of winning a record-tying six awards in 2012.

Carrie Underwood won best country solo performance for "Blown Away" and Kelly Clarkson turned in the night's most exuberant acceptance speech after winning best pop vocal album for "Stronger." After hugging much of the front row and momentarily getting stuck to Miranda Lambert's dress, Clarkson charged the stage with a giant smile.

"Miguel, I don't know who the hell you are, but we need to sing together," she said. "I mean, good God. That was the sexiest dancing I've ever seen."

The Grammy pre-telecast awards show at the Nokia Theatre had 70 trophies up for grabs, including rock, pop, rap and country categories.

Skrillex won best dance recording for "Bangarang," featuring Sirah, best dance/electronica album for "Bangarang" and best remixed recording a year after winning those same awards in his first appearance at the Grammys.

"You know what, I thought I'd get used to it, but I tripped over every word when I was up there," Skrillex said of his acceptance speeches. "I felt like I just wanted a pool of ice water and just couldn't even breathe or think. It was crazy. I think it was even crazier than last year."

Gotye won best alternative album for "Making Mirrors" and best pop/duo performance for "Somebody That I Used To Know," featuring Kimbra.

Celebrities rolled down the red carpet in the early afternoon under heavy police guard during a continued manhunt for an alleged cop killer. Many stars showed a fair amount of skin despite CBS's mandate that stars dress appropriately with butts, breasts and other sensitive areas covered adequately.

Nevertheless, Jennifer Lopez showed up on stage in a dress slit all the way to her hip.

"As you can see, I read the memo," Lopez joked.

Pre-telecast Grammy winners

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Winners in selected major categories at the 55th annual Grammy Awards announced Sunday during the pre-telecast ceremony at the Nokia Theatre:

• Pop/duo group performance: "Somebody That I Used to Know," Gotye featuring Kimbra.


• Traditional pop vocal album: "Kisses on the Bottom," Paul McCartney.


• Rap performance: "N****s in Paris," Jay-Z, Kanye West.


• Rap song: "N****s in Paris," Shawn Carter, Mike Dean, Chauncey Hollis, Kanye West.


• Rap album: "Take Care," Drake.


• R&B performance: "Climax," Usher.


• Traditional R&B performance: "Love on Top," Beyonce.


• R&B song: "Adorn," Miguel Pimentel.


• R&B album: "Black Radio," Robert Glasper Experiment.


• Rock song: "Lonely Boy," The Black Keys.


• Rock album: "El Camino," The Black Keys.


• Hard rock/metal performance: "Love Bites (So Do I)," Halestorm.


• Alternative music album: "Making Mirrors," Gotye.
• Dance recording: "Bangarang," Skrillex featuring Sirah.


• Dance/electronica album: "Bangarang," Skrillex.


• Latin pop album: "MTV Unplugged Deluxe Edition," Juanes.


• Latin rock, urban or alternative album: "Imaginares," Quetzal.


• Latin jazz album: "Ritmo!," The Clare Fisher Latin Jazz Big Band.


• Tropical Latin album: "Retro," Marlow Rosado Y La Riquena.


• Country duo/group performance: "Pontoon," Little Big Town.


• Country song: "Blown Away," Josh Kear, Chris Tompkins.


• Gospel song: "Go Get It," Mary Mary.


• Gospel album: "Gravity," Leerae.


• Blues album: "Locked Down," Dr. John.


• Folk album: "The Goat Rodeo Sessions," Yo-Yo Ma, Stuart Duncan, Edgar Meyer, Chris Thile.
• Americana album: "Slipstream," Bonnie Raitt.


• Bluegrass album: "Nobody Knows You," Steep Canyon Rangers.


• Reggae album: "Rebirth," Jimmy Cliff.


• World music album: "The Living Room Sessions Part 1," Ravi Shankar.


• Children's album: "Can You Canoe?," The Okee Dokee Brothers.


• Spoken word album: "Society's Child: My Autobiography," Janis Ian.


• Comedy album: "Blow Your Pants Off," Jimmy Fallon.


• New age album: "Echoes of Love," Omar Akram.


• Jazz vocal album: "Radio Music Society," Esperanza Spalding.


• Jazz instrumental album: "Unity Band," Pat Metheny Unity Band.


• Large jazz ensemble album: "Dear Diz (Every Day I Think of You)," Arturo Sandoval.


• Pop instrumental album: "Impressions," Chris Botti.


• Compilation soundtrack album: "Midnight in Paris," various artists.


• Score soundtrack album: "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo," Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross.


• Song written for visual media: "Safe & Sound" (From "The Hunger Games"), Taylor Swift, John Paul White, Joy Williams.


• Musical theater album: "Once: A New Musical," Steve Kazee, Cristin Milioti.


• Producer of the year, classical: Blanton Alspaugh.


• Producer of the year, non-classical: Dan Auerbach.


• Instrumental composition: "Mozart Goes Dancing," Chick Corea.


• Orchestral performance: "Adams: Harmonielehre & Short Ride in a Fast Machine," Michael Tilson Thomas (San Francisco Symphony).


• Opera recording: "Wagner, Der Ring des Nibelungen," James Levine and Fabio Luisi.


• Choral performance: "Life & Breath: Choral Works by Rene Clausen," Charles Bruffy.


• Short-form music video: "We Found Love," Rihanna featuring Calvin Harris.
• Long-form music video: "Big Easy Express," Mumford & Sons.


• Historical album: "The Smile Sessions" (Deluxe Box Set), Alan Boyd, Mark Linett, Brian Wilson, Dennis Wolfe.