SAM SMITH DOMINATES THE GRAMMYS WITH FOUR AWARDS.

Los Angeles (AFP) - Sam Smith, the British soul singer who was virtually unknown a year ago, dominated the Grammys with four awards.

The 22-year-old Smith swept up three of the night's four top trophies -- Record of the Year, Song of the Year and Best New Artist -- as well as Best Pop Vocal Album honors.

Smith, who not long ago was working as a bartender in London, thanked the man he fell in love with last year and who inspired "Stay With Me"

-- his mega-hit ballad about a one-night stand.

"Thank you so much for breaking my heart because you got me four Grammys," Smith said to applause.

Smith has refrained from on-stage theatrics and has walked a fine line on his personal life, acknowledging his sexual orientation while striving not to be identified exclusively as a gay artist.

He earned an ovation at the Staples Center in Los Angeles when he performed his signature tune in his rich, soulful tenor voice with Mary J. Blige.

"Before I made this record, I was doing everything to try to get my music heard. I tried to lose weight and ... I was making awful music," said Smith.

"It was only until I started to be myself that the music started to flow and people started to listen. So, thank you, guys, for accepting me to be just me."

Smith was prevented from a clean sweep of the top categories by Beck, whose introspective "Morning Phase" -- full of lush orchestration around his acoustic guitar -- won the Album of the Year prize.