Kanye West Storms Grammys Stage After Beck Win

There was a sense of deja-vu at the Grammys after rapper Kanye West slammed the decision to award the album of the year award to Beck instead of Beyonce.

The rocker unexpectedly took home one of the biggest prizes of the night , beating the Drunk In Love singer, Ed Sheeran, Sam Smith and Pharrell Williams.

As Beck collected his trophy, West walked onstage and abruptly turned around, leaving the confused-looking winner at the microphone for his thank you speech.

After the show, West blasted the Recording Academy for its decision, calling it "disrespectful".

"If they want real artists to keep coming back they need to stop playing with us, we ain't gonna play with them no more," he said in a rant on E! television.

"Beck needs to respect artistry and he should have given his award to Beyonce."

West argued Beyonce's self-titled album was an inspiration to fans and should have been recognised.

"When you keep on diminishing art and not respecting the craft and smacking people in the face after they deliver monumental feats of music, you're disrespectful to inspiration," he said, with his wife Kim Kardashian on his arm.

In 2009 West caused a stir at the MTV Video Music Awards when Taylor Swift beat Beyonce for best female video.

He crashed her acceptance speech and said Beyonce deserved to win instead, prompting boos from the crowd in front of a speechless Swift.

Beck's award was presented by the often-elusive Prince who, sporting a futuristic orange suit and carrying a staff, spoke out against a series of killings of African Americans.

"Like books and black lives, albums still matter," Prince said.