Grammys 2014: Daft Punk's 'Random Access Memories' wins album of the year award

French electronic duo Daft Punk’s “Random Access Memories” was named album of the year on Sunday to cap the 56th Grammy Awards.

Two-time Grammy winner Paul Williams, one of the collaborators on the album, delivered the acceptance speech for the theatrically silent musicians Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo and Thomas Bangalter, reports the Los Angeles Times.

“Back when I was drinking and using, I used to imagine things that weren’t there … and then I got sober and two robots called me and asked me to make an album”

Williams also said the duo expressed their pleasure at the onstage marriage of 33 same-sex couples to the music of hip-hop duo Macklemore & Ryan Lewis’ gay-rights anthem “Same Love.” “All that love is fantastic,” he said on their behalf.

The group also collected record of the year honors for “Get Lucky,” its romantically frisky collaboration with R&B producers-performers Pharrell Williams and Nile Rodgers.

After the perennially helmeted partners in Daft Punk strode to the stage dressed head to toe in white, looking like friendly French storm troopers and accompanied by Pharrell Williams and Rodgers, Williams spoke on behalf of the duo: “I supposed the robots would like to thank … you know, honestly, I bet France is really proud of these guys right now.”

In a Grammy ceremony as lively in any recent memory, other top awards went predominantly to newcomers such as Seattle’s Macklemore & Lewis and 17-year-old New Zealand newcomer Lorde on a show buoyed by an emotional reunion performance by surviving Beatles Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr and the simultaneous onstage marriages that Williams referenced.

Macklemore & Lewis, who delivered a breakthrough hit album, “The Heist,” fueled by hit singles “Thrift Shop” and a gay-rights anthem, “Same Love,” took four awards, including new artist and three rap category awards. “Same Love” played out in a performance by Macklemore and guest vocalists Madonna and Mary Lambert while singer-actress Queen Latifah presided over the nuptials.

Lorde collected song of the year honors for “Royals,” a pointed study in class consciousness she and songwriting partner Joel Little wrote just to see if they could attract anyone’s attention.

“We made this song originally to give it away for free,” Little said after they stepped up to the Staples Center stage to collect the songwriting award over nominated works by Bruno Mars, Pink and Nate Ruess, Katy Perry and Macklemore & Lewis. “To be here now in this room with so many legends and people whose work I admire is an honor.”

Earlier, when the single also earned Daft Punk the duo or group pop performance Grammy, Williams elicited smiles from the audience packed into Staples Center downtown saying, “Dude, on behalf of the robots, I’d like to say, man, thank you, thank you, thank you. There’s a lot of great, like, nominees and we’re honored to be considered. Of course, they want to thank their families. And of course, man, the incredible Nile and everybody that worked on the album.”

Lorde, the stage name of 17-year-old New Zealand singer-songwriter Ella Yelich O’Connor, said: “I probably wouldn’t be here if Joel wasn’t here. This guy has nurtured me through kind of my first year of songwriting, which I will forever owe him. Thank you everyone who has let this song explode, because it’s been mental.”

It was her second Grammy of the night, after getting the award for pop solo performance for “Royals,” trumping hit recordings by Bruno Mars, Katy Perry, Justin Timberlake and Sara Bareilles.