26th Annual Grammy Awards
The 26th Annual Grammy Awards were held on February 28, 1984, at Shrine Auditorium, Los Angeles, and were broadcast live on American television. They recognized accomplishments by musicians from the year 1983. Michael Jackson who had been recovering from scalp burns sustained due to an accident which occurred during filming of a Pepsi commercial, won a record eight awards during the show. It is notable for garnering the largest Grammy Award television audience ever.
Album of the Year and Record of the Year went to Quincy Jones and Michael Jackson for Thriller and "Beat It", and Song of the Year went to The Police for "Every Breath You Take".
Ratings
The 26th Grammy Awards had the highest ratings in the awarding body's history with 51.67 million viewers, a record unmatched as of, and is the second most watched live awards show in U.S. television history. Donna Summer opened the show with "She Works Hard for the Money", and a tribute to working women.Performers
Winners
General
- Record of the Year
- * "Beat It" – Michael Jackson
- * Quincy Jones & Michael Jackson
- Album of the Year
- * Thriller – Michael Jackson
- * Quincy Jones & Michael Jackson
- Song of the Year
- * "Every Breath You Take" – The Police
- * Sting
- Best New Artist
- * Culture Club
Blues
- Best Traditional Blues Recording
- * Blues 'n Jazz – B.B. King
Children's
- Best Recording for Children Presented by Latin Group Menudo.
- * Quincy Jones & Michael Jackson for E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
Classical
- Best Orchestral Recording
- * James Mallinson, Georg Solti & the Chicago Symphony Orchestra for Mahler: Symphony No. 9 in D
- Best Classical Vocal Soloist Performance
- * James Levine, Marilyn Horne, Leontyne Price & the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra for Leontyne Price & Marilyn Horne in Concert at the Met
- Best Opera Recording
- * Christopher Raeburn, Georg Solti, 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, James Levine, Plácido Domingo, Cornell MacNeil, Teresa Stratas, & the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra for Verdi: La Traviata
- Best Choral Performance
- * Georg Solti, Margaret Hillis & the Chicago Symphony Orchestra & Chorus for Haydn: The Creation
- Best Classical Performance - Instrumental Soloist or Soloists
- * Raymond Leppard, 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
- * Glenn Gould for Beethoven: Piano Sonatas Nos. 12 & 13
- Best Chamber Music Performance
- * Mstislav Rostropovich and 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, Georg Solti & the Chicago Symphony Orchestra for Mahler: Symphony No. 9 in D
Comedy
- Best Comedy Recording
- * – Eddie Murphy
Composing and arranging
- Best Instrumental Composition
- * Giorgio Moroder 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 for Flashdance performed by various artists
- Best Arrangement on an Instrumental
- * Dave Grusin for "Summer Sketches '82"
- Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocal
- * Nelson Riddle for "What's New" performed by Linda Ronstadt
- Best Vocal Arrangement for Two or More Voices
- * Arif Mardin & Chaka Khan 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 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 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
- Best Instrumental Jazz Performance, Big Band
- * Rob McConnell for All in Good Time
- Best Jazz Fusion Performance, Vocal or Instrumental
- * Pat Metheny Group for Travels
Latin
- Best Latin Pop Performance
- * Jose Feliciano for Me enamoré
- 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 & the original Broadway cast for Cats
Music video
- Best Video, Short Form
- * Girls on Film/Hungry Like the Wolf – Duran Duran
- Best Video Album
- * Duran Duran – Duran Duran
Packaging and notes
- Best Album Package
- * Speaking in Tongues
- * Robert Rauschenberg
- Best Album Notes
- * The Interplay Sessions
- * Orrin Keepnews
Pop
- Best Pop Vocal Performance, Female
- * "Flashdance... What a Feeling" – Irene Cara
- Best Pop Vocal Performance, Male
- * "Thriller" – Michael Jackson
- Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals
- * "Every Breath You Take" – The Police
- Best Pop Instrumental Performance
- * "Being With You" – George Benson
Production and engineering
- Best Engineered Recording, Non-Classical
- * Thriller
- * Bruce Swedien
- Best Engineered Recording, Classical
- * James Lock, Georg Solti & the Chicago Symphony Orchestra for Mahler: Symphony No. 9 in D
- Producer of the Year
- * Michael Jackson & Quincy Jones
- Classical Producer of the Year
- * Marc Aubort & Joanna Nickrenz
R&B
- Best R&B Vocal Performance, Female
- * Chaka Khan – Chaka Khan
- Best R&B Vocal Performance, Male
- * "Billie Jean" – Michael Jackson
- Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal
- * "Ain't Nobody" – Chaka Khan & Rufus
- Best R&B Instrumental Performance
- * "Rockit" – Herbie Hancock
- Best Rhythm & Blues Song
- * "Billie Jean" – Michael Jackson
- * "Michael Jackson
Rock
- Best Rock Vocal Performance, Female
- * "Love Is a Battlefield" – Pat Benatar
- Best Rock Vocal Performance, Male
- * "Beat It" – Michael Jackson
- Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal
- * "Synchronicity" – The Police
- Best Rock Instrumental Performance
- * "Brimstone and Treacle" – Sting
Spoken
- Best Spoken Word or Non-musical Recording
- * Copland: A Lincoln Portrait – William Warfield