26th Grammy Awards

The 26th Grammy Awards were held on February 28, 1984, and were broadcast live on American television. They recognized accomplishments by musicians from the year 1983. Michael Jackson won a record eight awards during the show.^[1][2]

Ratings

The 26th Grammys had the highest ratings in its history with 43.8 mil. viewers. ^[3]

General

• Record of the Year
  • Quincy Jones (producer) & Michael Jackson (producer & artist) for "Beat It"

• Album of the Year
  • Quincy Jones (producer) & Michael Jackson (producer & artist) for Thriller

• Song of the Year
  • Sting (songwriter) for "Every Breath You Take" performed by The Police

• Best New Artist
  • Culture Club

Blues

• Best Traditional Blues Recording
  • B. B. King for Blues 'n Jazz

Children's

• Best Recording for Children
  • Quincy Jones (producer) & Michael Jackson for E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial

Classical

• Best Orchestral Recording
  • James Mallinson (producer), Georg Solti (conductor) & the Chicago Symphony Orchestra for Mahler: Symphony No. 9 in D
• Best Classical Vocal Soloist Performance
  • James Levine (conductor), Marilyn Horne, Leontyne Price & the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra for Leontyne Price & Marilyn Horne in Concert at the Met
• Best Opera Recording
  • Christopher Raeburn (producer), Georg Solti (conductor), Thomas Allen, Kiri Te Kanawa, Kurt Moll, Lucia Popp, Samuel Ramey, Frederica von Stade & the London Philharmonic for Mozart: Le Nozze di Figaro
  • Jay David Saks, Max Wilcox (producers), James Levine (conductor), Plácido Domingo, Cornell MacNeil, Teresa Stratas, & the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra for Verdi: La Traviata (Original Soundtrack)
• Best Choral Performance (other than opera)
  • Georg Solti (conductor), Margaret Hillis (choir director) & the Chicago Symphony Orchestra & Chorus for Haydn: The Creation
• Best Classical Performance - Instrumental Soloist or Soloists (with orchestra)
  • Raymond Leppard (conductor), Wynton Marsalis & the National Philharmonic Orchestra for Haydn: Trumpet Concerto in E Flat/L. Mozart: Trumpet Concerto In D/Hummel: Trumpet Concerto in E Flat
• Best Classical Performance - Instrumental Soloist or Soloists (without orchestra)
  • Glenn Gould for Beethoven: Piano Sonatas Nos. 12 & 13
• Best Chamber Music Performance
  • Mstislav Rostropovich & Rudolf Serkin for Brahms: Sonata for Cello and Piano in E Minor, Op. 38 and Sonata in F, Op. 99
• Best Classical Album
  • James Mallinson (producer), Georg Solti (conducytor) & the Chicago Symphony Orchestra for Mahler: Symphony No. 9 in D

Comedy

• Best Comedy Recording
  • Eddie Murphy for Eddie Murphy: Comedian

Composing and arranging

• Best Instrumental Composition
  • Giorgio Moroder (composer) for "Love Theme From Flashdance" performed by various artists
• Best Album of Original Score Written for a Motion Picture or A Television Special
  • Michael Boddicker, Irene Cara, Kim Carnes, Douglas Cotler, Keith Forsey, Richard Gilbert, Jerry Hey, Duane Hitchings, Craig Krampf, Ronald Magness, Dennis Matkosky, Giorgio Moroder, Phil Ramone, Michael Sembello, Shandi Sinnamon (composers) for Flashdance performed by various artists
• Best Arrangement on an Instrumental
  • Dave Grusin (arranger) for "Summer Sketches '82"
• Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocal(s)
  • Nelson Riddle (arranger) for "What's New" performed by Linda Ronstadt
• Best Vocal Arrangement for Two or More Voices
  • Arif Mardin & Chaka Khan (arrangers) for "Be Bop Medley" performed by Chaka Khan

Country

• Best Country Vocal Performance, Female
  • Anne Murray for "A Little Good News"
• Best Country Vocal Performance, Male
  • Lee Greenwood for "I.O.U."
• Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal
  • Alabama for The Closer You Get...
• Best Country Instrumental Performance
  • New South for "Fireball"
• Best Country Song
  • Mike Reid (songwriter) for "Stranger in My House" performed by Ronnie Milsap

Folk

• Best Ethnic or Traditional Folk Recording
  • Clifton Chenier for I'm Here performed by Clifton Chenier & His Red Hot Louisiana Band

Gospel

• Best Gospel Performance, Female
  • Amy Grant for "Ageless Medley"
• Best Gospel Performance, Male
  • Russ Taff for Walls of Glass
• Best Gospel Performance by a Duo or Group
  • Larnelle Harris & Sandi Patti for "More Than Wonderful"
• Best Soul Gospel Performance, Female
  • Sandra Crouch for We Sing Praises
• Best Soul Gospel Performance, Male
  • Al Green for I'll Rise Again
• Best Soul Gospel Performance by a Duo or Group
  • Barbara Mandrell & Bobby Jones for "I'm So Glad I'm Standing Here Today"
• Best Inspirational Performance
  • Donna Summer for "He's a Rebel"

Historical

• Best Historical Album
  • Allan Steckler & Stanley Walker (producers) for The Greatest Recordings of Arturo Toscanini - Symphonies, Vol. I

Jazz

• Best Jazz Vocal Performance, Female
  • Ella Fitzgerald for The Best Is Yet to Come
• Best Jazz Vocal Performance, Male
  • Mel Tormé for Top Drawer
• Best Jazz Vocal Performance, Duo or Group
  • The Manhattan Transfer for "Why Not!"
• Best Jazz Instrumental Performance, Soloist
  • Wynton Marsalis for Think of One
• Best Instrumental Jazz Performance, Group
  • Phil Woods for At the Vanguard performed by the Phil Woods Quartet
• Best Instrumental Jazz Performance, Big Band
  • Rob McConnell for All in Good Time performed by Rob McConnell & the Boss Brass
• Best Jazz Fusion Performance, Vocal or Instrumental
  • Pat Metheny Group for Travels

Latin

• Best Latin Pop Performance
  • Jose Feliciano for Me Enamore
• Best Tropical Latin Performance
  • Tito Puente for On Broadway performed by Tito Puente & His Latin Ensemble
• Best Mexican-American Performance
  • Los Lobos for "Anselma"

Musical show

• Best Cast Show Album
  • Andrew Lloyd Webber (producer) & the original Broadway cast for Cats (Complete Original Broadway Cast Recording)

Music video

• Best Video, Short Form
  • Duran Duran for "Girls on Film/Hungry Like the Wolf"
• Best Video Album
  • Michael Jackson for Thriller

Packaging and notes

• Best Album Package
  • Robert Rauschenberg (art director) for Speaking in Tongues performed by Talking Heads
• Best Album Notes
  • Orrin Keepnews (notes writer) for The Interplay Sessions performed by Bill Evans

Pop

• Best Vocal Performance, Female
  • Irene Cara for "Flashdance - What a Feeling"
• Best Pop Vocal Performance, Male
  • Michael Jackson for Thriller
• Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal
  • The Police for "Every Breath You Take"
• Best Pop Instrumental Performance
  • George Benson for "Being With You"

Production and engineering

• Best Engineered Recording, Non-Classical
  • Bruce Swedien (engineer) for Thriller performed by Michael Jackson
• Best Engineered Recording, Classical
  • James Lock (engineer), Georg Solti (conductor) & the Chicago Symphony Orchestra for Mahler: Symphony No. 9 in D
• Producer of the Year (Non-Classical)
  • Michael Jackson & Quincy Jones
• Classical Producer of the Year
  • Marc Aubort & Joanna Nickrenz

R&B

• Best R&B Vocal Performance, Female
  • Chaka Khan for Chaka Khan
• Best R&B Vocal Performance, Male
  • Michael Jackson for "Billie Jean"
• Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal
  • Chaka Khan & Rufus for "Ain't Nobody"
• Best R&B Instrumental Performance
  • Herbie Hancock for "Rockit"
• Best Rhythm & Blues Song
  • Michael Jackson (songwriter) for "Billie Jean"

Rock

• Best Rock Vocal Performance, Female
  • Pat Benatar for "Love Is a Battlefield"
• Best Rock Vocal Performance, Male
  • Michael Jackson for "Beat It"
• Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal
  • The Police for Synchronicity
• Best Rock Instrumental Performance
  • Sting for "Brimstone and Treacle"

Spoken

• Best Spoken Word or Non-musical Recording
  • William Warfield for Copland: A Lincoln Portrait

References