British soul diva Adele made a triumphant return to the stage at the Grammys, winning a clean sweep of six awards and a standing ovation, in a show clouded by the death of Whitney Houston.

The 23-year-old Londoner, who has been out of action since October to undergo throat surgery, wowed a star-studded audience with a storming rendition of her worldwide hit "Rolling in the Deep."

Silent movie "The Artist" and U.S. actress Meryl Streep continued their march towards Oscar glory on Sunday after scooping top awards at the BAFTAs, the biggest night of the British film industry.

At a celebrity-packed ceremony at the Royal Opera House in London, "The Artist" won seven gongs including best film, best director and best original screenplay for Michel Hazanavicius and best actor for Frenchman Jean Dujardin.

Winners in selected major categories at Sunday's 54th Annual Grammy Awards:

Album of the Year: "21," Adele

Pop legend and actress Whitney Houston died Saturday in a Beverly Hills hotel, triggering shock and tributes as the music world gathered for the annual Grammy awards show. She was 48.

Houston, whose hits include "I will Always Love You," was found dead in her room at the Beverly Hilton, hours before a traditional pre-Grammys dinner at the hotel where she was reportedly due to perform.

Tommy Hilfiger told the story of a young cadet's military and sport lifestyle in his fall men's collection that debuted Friday during New York Fashion Week.

"It is an academy look that is sophisticated, modern, a touch rebellious but buttoned up," he said. The show's notes called the line "a personalized take on military precision."

Angelina Jolie says it was only natural that her directorial debut should tackle some of the toughest issues facing humanity and after wartime Bosnia, Afghanistan is likely to be her next subject.

At the Berlin film festival to present her unflinching drama about rape as a weapon of war, "In the Land of Blood and Honey", the Hollywood icon-cum-humanitarian told Agence France Presse her turn behind the camera was aimed at using cinema as a force for reconciliation.

A top Cuban musician from the Buena Vista Social Club has declined to go to the United States to attend the upcoming Grammy Awards ceremony, website Cubasi reported.

In an interview with the website on Friday, Eliades Ochoa said he had received a U.S. visa but would stay home instead.

Veteran Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan was "hale and hearty" after undergoing a three-hour operation on Saturday for an abdominal ailment, a hospital official said.

Bachchan, 69, has a history of abdominal problems -- the legacy of an accident suffered while filming three decades ago.

British soul singer Adele, who shot to fame with her album "21", is to make her live comeback at the Grammy Awards on Sunday after a throat problem threatened to wreck her stellar career.

Despite being out of action since October, she has continued to win plaudits and will showcase the voice that has caused so much concern at the ceremony in Los Angeles, where she is in contention for six awards.

"Please don't stop the music!" That's the plea of one Israeli fan of Madonna who has set up a Facebook group calling for Israel to delay until after the diva performs here in May what some fear will be an attack on Iran.

"Bibi! No war with Iran until after Madonna's performance on May 29," the anonymous enthusiast pleads in Hebrew in the newly created group, using a popular nickname for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.