Grammy Award for Album of the Year
The Grammy Award for Album of the Year is the most prestigious award category at the Grammys. It has been awarded since 1959 and though it was originally presented to the artist alone, the award is now presented to the artist, the producer, the engineer and/or mixer and the mastering engineer. In 1962, the award name was extended to Album of the Year (other than classical) but, in 1965, the shorter name returned. It was not until 1968, 1969, and 1999 that the award was won by a rock album, country album, or a hip hop album respectively.
Frank Sinatra, Stevie Wonder, and Paul Simon are the biggest winners in this category with 3 victories each. Paul McCartney leads all performers with nine nominations: five as a member of The Beatles, three for solo albums, and one as a member of Wings. Frank Sinatra leads solo performers with eight nominations, seven for solo albums and one for a duet album. Paul McCartney and Paul Simon are the only artists with nominations in every decade from the 1960s to the 2000s, if counting the nominations from the 1960s as part of their respective groups, The Beatles, and Simon & Garfunkel. They've only competed against each other once: in 1969, when The Beatles were nominated for Magical Mystery Tour and Simon & Garfunkel were up for Bookends. They both lost to Glen Campbell and his album By the Time I Get to Phoenix.
Taylor Swift is the category's youngest winner, winning for her album Fearless at age 20. The youngest person to make an appearance on an Album of the Year is Stevie Wonder's daughter Aisha Wonder who, at age 2, appeared on "Isn't She Lovely?" off the album Songs in the Key of Life.
The Beatles' Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band was the first album by a rock 'n' roll artist to win the award. In fact, until 1970, The Beatles were the only rock artists to even be nominated. Other Beatles' albums to be nominated for this award were Help!, Revolver, Magical Mystery Tour and Abbey Road.
Only two artists have ever been awarded the Grammy for "Album of the Year" in two consecutive years, and nobody has ever won for three or more years in a row. Sinatra had wins in 1966 and 1967, and Wonder followed with wins in 1974 and 1975. Wonder also won the most Grammys for Album of the Year within a decade, with three in the 1970s. Another notable musician with respect to "Album of the Year" Grammys won within one decade is Alison Krauss. Krauss has won two of the aforementioned awards, although neither as a solo artist; she was one of the artists featured on the 2000 O Brother, Where Art Thou? soundtrack and in 2009 she won with Robert Plant for their Raising Sand collaboration.
The award could be considered a marker of significance as some of the modern music world's most successful albums have been awarded the honor. Among those include (from lowest to greatest sales figures): Come Away With Me by Norah Jones, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill by Lauryn Hill, Faith by George Michael, The Joshua Tree by U2, Tapestry by Carole King, Supernatural by Santana, Falling Into You by Celine Dion, Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band by The Beatles, Jagged Little Pill by Alanis Morissette (the highest selling international debut album of all time) , Rumours by Fleetwood Mac, Saturday Night Fever: The Original Movie Sound Track by the Bee Gees and Various Artists, The Bodyguard: Original Soundtrack Album by Whitney Houston and Various Artists (the highest selling soundtrack of all time, internationally), and the most commercially successful album of all time, Thriller by Michael Jackson.
To date, there have been two "live" albums to take the top honor: Judy At Carnegie Hall and The Concert For Bangladesh, though two "MTV Unplugged" albums (Eric Clapton's and Tony Bennett's) have won the award as well, which were performed in front of an intimate, live audience. One television soundtrack recording was also the very first recipient: The Music from Peter Gunn. Two comedy albums have also triumphed in this same category: The Button-Down Mind of Bob Newhart and The First Family. There has been three soundtrack compilation albums that have been successful, as well: Saturday Night Fever, The Bodyguard and O Brother, Where Art Thou?.
From 2012, classical albums will also be eligible for this category. The separate award for Best Classical Album will be discontinued.
Years reflect the year in which the Grammy Awards were awarded, for music released in the previous year.
Many wonder what the difference is between Record of the Year and Album of the Year. Record of the Year is awarded for a single or for one track from an album. This award goes to the performing artist, the producer, recording engineer, and/or mixer for that song. Album of the Year is awarded for a whole album, and the award is presented to the artist, producer, recording engineer, and mastering engineer for that album. So, in this context, "record" means one song and "album" means the whole collection of songs on a CD or LP. In essence, "record" really just means single.
1950s
Year | Winner | Nominations |
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1959 | The Music from Peter Gunn performed by Henry Mancini |
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1960s
1970s
1980s
1990s
2000s
Year | Winner | Nominations |
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2000 | Supernatural performed by Santana; engineered/mixed by Alvaro Villagra, Andy Grassi, Anton Pukshansky, Benny Faccone, Chris Theis, Commissioner Gordon, David Frazer, David Thoener, Glenn Kolotkin, Jeff Poe, Jim Gaines, Jim Scott, John Gamble, John Karpowich, John Seymour, Matty Spindel, Mike Couzzi, Steve Farrone, Steve Fontano, T-Ray, Tom Lord-Alge, Tony Prendatt & Warren Riker; produced by Alex Gonzales, Art Hodge, Charles Goodan, Clive Davis, Dante Ross, Dust Brothers, Fher Olvera, Jerry 'Wonder' Duplessis, K. C. Porter, Lauryn Hill, Matt Serletic, Stephen M. Harris & Wyclef Jean |
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2001 | Two Against Nature performed by Steely Dan; engineered/mixed by Dave Russell, Elliot Scheiner, Phil Burnett & Roger Nichols; produced by Donald Fagen & Walter Becker |
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2002 | O Brother, Where Art Thou? Soundtrack performed by Alison Krauss & Union Station, Chris Sharp, Chris Thomas King, Emmylou Harris, Gillian Welch, Harley Allen, John Hartford, Mike Compton, Norman Blake, Pat Enright, Peasall Sisters, Ralph Stanley, Sam Bush, Stuart Duncan, The Cox Family, The Fairfield Four, The Whites & Tim Blake Nelson; engineered/mixed by Mike Piersante & Peter Kurland; master engineered by Gavin Lurssen; produced by T-Bone Burnett |
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2003 | Come Away with Me performed by Norah Jones; engineered/mixed by Jay Newland & S. Husky Höskulds; master engineered by Ted Jensen; produced by Arif Mardin, Craig Street, Jay Newland & Norah Jones |
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2004 | Speakerboxxx/The Love Below performed by OutKast; engineered/mixed by Brian Paturalski, Chris Carmouche, Darrell Thorp, Dexter Simmons, John Frye, Kevin Davis, Matt Still, Moka Nagatani, Neal H. Pogue, Padraic Kernin, Pete Novak, Reggie Dozier, Robert Hannon, Terrence Cash & Vincent Alexander; master engineered by Bernie Grundman & Brian Gardner; produced by André 3000, Big Boi & Carl Mo |
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2005 | Genius Loves Company performed by Ray Charles and Various Artists; engineered/mixed by Al Schmitt, Ed Thacker, Joel W. Moss, John Harris, Mark Fleming, Pete Karam, Robert Fernandez, Seth Presant & Terry Howard; master engineered by Doug Sax & Robert Hadley; produced by Don Mizell, Herbert Waltl, John R. Burk, Phil Ramone & Terry Howard |
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2006 | How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb performed by U2; engineered/mixed by Carl Glanville, Flood, Greg Collins, Jacknife Lee, Nellee Hooper, Simon Gogerly & Steve Lillywhite; master engineered by Arnie Acosta; produced by Brian Eno, Chris Thomas, Daniel Lanois, Flood, Jacknife Lee & Steve Lillywhite |
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2007 | Taking the Long Way performed by Dixie Chicks; engineered/mixed by Chris Testa, Jim Scott & Richard Dodd; master engineered by Richard Dodd; produced by Rick Rubin |
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2008 | River: The Joni Letters performed by Herbie Hancock; featuring Norah Jones, Joni Mitchell, Corinne Bailey Rae , Tina Turner ; produced by Herbie Hancock & Larry Klein; engineered/mixed by Helik Hadar; master engeineered by Bernie Grundman |
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2009 | Raising Sand performed by Robert Plant & Alison Krauss; produced by T Bone Burnett; engineered/mixed by Mike Piersante; master engeineered by Gavin Lurssen |
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2010s
Year | Winner | Nominations |
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2010 | Fearless performed by Taylor Swift; Colbie Caillat, featured artist; Nathan Chapman & Taylor Swift, producers; Chad Carlson, Nathan Chapman & Justin Neibank, engineers/mixers; Hank Williams, mastering engineer |
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2011 | The Suburbs performed by Arcade Fire; Arcade Fire & Markus Dravs, producers; Arcade Fire, Markus Dravs, Mark Lawson & Craig Silvey, engineers/mixers; George Marino, mastering engineer
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