Safe and Sound was on the soundtrack for the hit film The Hunger Games.
Man or Muppet took best song at last year's Oscars.
Hamilton-born Kimbra returned to Los Angeles last week for the premiere music awards ceremony, which started at midday.
The 22-year-old has been posting online of her excitement at seeing pop singer Justin Timberlake, rocker Jack White and hip-hopper Frank Ocean perform at the Grammys.
"The day of the Razzle Dazzle begins," Kimbra posted on her Twitter account this morning.
"Prince will be at [the Grammys] presenting an award tonight. Breathe, breathe," she said.
Adele picked up the award for Best Pop Solo Performance at the 2013 Grammys.
The British singer - who took home six gongs at the same ceremony last year - won the award for her live performance of Set Fire to the Rain and praised her fellow nominees in her acceptance speech.
Speaking at the ceremony, she said: "Thank you so much. This is amazing, honestly! I just wanted to come and be part of the night 'cause I loved it last year, obviously. Thank you! I just want to say a massive ... some big love to the other girls. We work so hard ... See you later. Have a wonderful night."
Adele - whose win was the first of the night - surprised onlookers with her bright, printed dress, a change from her usual black attire and revealed she has been so busy with motherhood since giving birth in October that she has made very little progress on any new music.
She said: "I'm not very far along [with my new album]. I've been having lots of meetings ... I've been out the loop, really.
"I've been singing my baby nursery rhymes."
Jay-Z and Kanye West took home three awards for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration for No Church in the Wild, featuring Frank Ocean and The Dream, along with Best Rap Song and Best Rap Performance for N****s In Paris.
Fun won twice, Song of the Year for We Are Young along with Best New Artist.
Kelly Clarkson picked up the award for Best Pop Vocal Album for Stronger while Sir Paul McCartney took home his 15th Grammy Award for Kisses On The Bottom, which won the Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album.
The crowd were treated to performances from Taylor Swift, Justin Timberlake, Rihanna, Mumford & Sons, The Black Keys and a collaboration from Sir Elton John and Ed Sheeran.
Watch: Kimbra, 11, performing on What Now.
Grammy award winners - Full list
Song of the Year: 'We Are Young,' Fun and Janelle Monae
Record of the Year: 'Somebody That I Used to Know,' Gotye & Kimbra
Best New Artist: Fun
Best Pop Vocal Album: 'Stronger', Kelly Clarkson
Best Rap/Sung Collaboration:'No Church in the Wild,' Jay-Z and Kanye West featuring Frank Ocean and The Dream
Best Pop Solo Performance: 'Set Fire to the Rain' Adele
Best Country Solo Performance: 'Blown Away,' Carrie Underwood
Best Urban Contemporary Album: 'Channel Orange', Frank Ocean
Best Rock Performance: 'Lonely Boy,' The Black Keys
Producer of the Year, Non-Classical: Dan Auerbach
Best Country Album: 'Uncaged', Zac Brown Band
Best Alternative Music Album: 'Making Mirrors', Gotye
Best Pop Duo/Group Performance: 'Somebody That I Used To Know,' Gotye featuring Kimbra
Best Rock Album: 'El Camino', The Black Keys
Best Rock Song: 'Lonely Boy,' Dan Auerbach, Brian Burton and Patrick Carney
Best Long Form Music Video: 'Big Easy Express' Mumford & Sons, Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros & Old Crow Medicine Show
Best Short Form Music Video: 'We Found Love' Rihanna feat. Calvin Harris
Best World Music Album: 'The Living Room Sessions', Part 1, Ravi Shankar
Best Country Song: 'Blown Away,' Josh Kear, Chris Tompkins and Carrie Underwood
Best Country Duo/Group Performance: 'Pontoon,' Little Big Town
Best Rap Song: 'N****s In Paris,' Shawn Carter, Mike Dean, Chauncey Hollis and Kanye West
Best Rap Performance: 'N****s In Paris,' Shawn Carter and Kanye West
Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media: 'The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo', Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross
Best R&B Album: 'Black Radio', Robert Glasper
Best Dance/Electronica Album: 'Bangarang', Skrillex
Best Dance Recording: 'BangaranG', Skrillex featuring Sirah
Best Regional Roots Album: 'The Band Courtbouillon', Wayne Toups, Steve Riley & Wilson Savoy
Best Folk Album: 'The Goat Rodeo Sessions', Yo-Yo Ma, Stuart Duncan, Edgar Meyer & Chris Thile
Best Blues Album: 'Locked Down', Dr. John
Best Americana Album: 'Slipstream', Bonnie Raitt
Best Compilation Soundtrack Album: 'Midnight In Paris'
Best Latin Jazz Album: '¡Ritmo!', The Clare Fischer Latin Jazz Big Band
Best Jazz Vocal Album: 'Radio Music Society', Esperanza Spaulding
Best Improvised Jazz Solo: 'Hot House,' Gary Buron & Chick Corea
Best New Age Album: 'Echoes of Love', Oakram
Best Comedy Album: 'Blow Your Pants Off', Jimmy Fallon
Best Spoken Word Album: 'Society's Child: My Autobiography', Janis Ian
Best Children's Album: 'Can You Canoe?', The Okee Dokee Brothers
Best Reggae Album: 'Rebirth', Jimmy Cliff
Best Contemporary Classical Composition: 'Hartke, Stephen: Meanwhile - Incidental Music To Imaginary Puppet Plays,' Stephen Hartke
Best Classical Compendium: 'Penderecki: Fonogrammi; Horn Concerto; Partita; The Awakening Of Jacob; Anaklasis,' Antoni Wit
Best Classical Vocal Performance: 'Poemes,' Renee Fleming
Best Producer of the Year, Classical: Blanton Alspaugh
Best Orchestral Performance: 'Adams Harmonielehre and Short Ride In A Fast Machine,' Michael Tilson Thomas
Best Opera Recording: 'Wagner: Der Ring Des Nibelungen,' James Levine and Fabio Luisi
Best Engineered Album, Classical: 'Life & Breath', Tom Caufield and John Newton
Best Tropical Latin Album: 'Retro', Marlow Rosado Y La Riqueña
Best Regional Mexican or Tejano Album: Pecados Y Milagros, Lila Downs
Best Latin Rock, Urban or Alternative Album: 'Imaginaries', Quetzal
Best Latin Pop Album, Rock or Urban Album: 'MTV Unplugged Deluxe Edition', Juanes
Best Contemporary Christian Music Album: 'Eye on It', TobyMac
Best Gospel Album: 'Gravity', Lecrae
Best Contemporary Christian Music Song: '10,000 Reasons (Bless the Lord),' Matt Redman (Writers: Jonas Myrin and Matt Redman) & 'Your Presence is Heaven,' Israel and New Breed (Writers: Israel Houghton and Micah Massey)
Best Gospel Song: 'Go Get It,' Mary Mary (Writer: Erica Campbell, Tina Campbell and Warryn Campbell)
Best Gospel Contemporary Christian Musical Performance: '10,000 Reason (Bless the Lord)' Matt Redman
Best Surround Sound Album: 'Modern Cool,' Jim Anderson, surround mix engineer; Darcy Proper, surround mastering engineer; Michael Friedman, surround producer (Patricia Barber)
Best Remixed Recording, Non Classical: 'Promises' (Skrillex & Nero Remix) Skrillex, remixer (Nero)
Best Engineered Album, Non Classical: 'The Goat Rodeo Sessions,' Richard King, engineer, Richard King, mastering engineer (Yo-Yo Ma, Stuart Duncan, Edgar Meyer & Chris Thile)
Best Historical Album: 'The Smile Sessions' (Deluxe Box Set), Alan Boyd, Mark Linett, Brian Wilson & Dennis Wolfe, compilation producers; Mark Linett, mastering engineer (The Beach Boys)
Best Album Notes: 'Singular Genius: The Complete ABC Singles', Billy Vera, album notes writer (Ray Charles)
Best Boxed or Special Limited Edition Package: 'Woody At 100: The Woody Guthrie Centennial Collection', Fritz Klaetke, art director (Woody Guthrie)
Best Recording Package: 'Biophilia' Michael Amzalag & Mathias Augustyniak, art directors (Björk)
Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocalist: 'City of Roses' Thara Memory & Esperanza Spalding, arrangers (Esperanza Spalding)
Best Instrumental Arrangement: 'How About You' Gil Evans, arranger (Gil Evans Project)
Best Instrumental Composition: 'Mozart Goes Dancing' Chick Corea, composer (Chick Corea & Gary Burton)
- nzherald.co.nz / BANG! Showbiz
