
1961 Grammy Award Winners
Winners Announced: April 12, 1961
Held in: Los Angeles and New York
Host/Emcee: Mort Sahl
Eligibility Year: September 1, 1959 – November 30, 1960
Highlights and Achievements
- Ray Charles Makes Waves: The man behind hits like What’d I Say won two awards, including Best Vocal Performance Single Record or Track, Male for Georgia On My Mind.
- First Female Winner in Country: The groundbreaking artist Marty Robbins won the Grammy for Best Country & Western Performance for El Paso. Did you know it was also the first year a woman won in a country category? The Carter Sisters won for their song He Will Set Your Fields on Fire.
Little-Known Trivia
- First Grammy Telecast: This 1961 event was the first-ever Grammy Awards to be telecast. A closed-circuit television feed linked the Los Angeles and New York ceremonies.
- Take our 1961 Quiz!
Record of the Year:
Theme From A Summer Place, Percy Faith
Theme From A Summer Place, Percy Faith
Album of the Year:
Button Down Mind, Bob Newhart (Warner Bros.)
Button Down Mind, Bob Newhart (Warner Bros.)
Song of the Year:
Theme From Exodus, Ernest Gold, songwriter
Theme From Exodus, Ernest Gold, songwriter
Best New Artist of 1960:
Bob Newhart
Bob Newhart
Best Performance By a Pop Single Artist:
Georgia on My Mind, Ray Charles
Georgia on My Mind, Ray Charles
Best Vocal Performance Single Record or Track, Male:
Georgia on My Mind, Ray Charles (ABC)
Georgia on My Mind, Ray Charles (ABC)
Best Vocal Performance Single Record or Track, Female:
Mack the Knife, Ella Fitzgerald (Verve)
Mack the Knife, Ella Fitzgerald (Verve)
Best Vocal Performance, Album, Male:
Genius of Ray Charles, Ray Charles (Atlantic)
Genius of Ray Charles, Ray Charles (Atlantic)
Best Vocal Performance, Album, Female:
Mack the Knife?Ella in Berlin, Ella Fitzgerald (Verve)
Mack the Knife?Ella in Berlin, Ella Fitzgerald (Verve)
Best Performance By a Vocal Group:
We Got Us, Eydie Gormé and Steve Lawrence
We Got Us, Eydie Gormé and Steve Lawrence
Best Performance By a Chorus:
Songs of the Cowboy, Norman Luboff Choir
Songs of the Cowboy, Norman Luboff Choir
Best Rhythm and Blues Performance:
Let the Good Times Roll, Ray Charles
Let the Good Times Roll, Ray Charles
Best Jazz Performance, Solo or Small Group:
West Side Story, André Previn
West Side Story, André Previn
Best Jazz Performance, Large Group:
Blues and the Beat, Henry Mancini
Blues and the Beat, Henry Mancini
Best Jazz Composition of More Than Five Minutes:
Sketches of Spain, Miles Davis and Gil Evans, composers
Sketches of Spain, Miles Davis and Gil Evans, composers
Best Performance By a Band for Dancing:
Dance With Basie, Count Basie
Dance With Basie, Count Basie
Best Country and Western Performance:
El Paso, Marty Robbins
El Paso, Marty Robbins
Best Performance, Folk:
Swing Dat Hammer, Harry Belafonte
Swing Dat Hammer, Harry Belafonte
Best Performance By an Orchestra:
Mr. Lucky, Henry Mancini
Mr. Lucky, Henry Mancini
Best Arrangement:
Mr. Lucky, Henry Mancini, arranger
Mr. Lucky, Henry Mancini, arranger
Best Show Album (Original Cast):
The Sound of Music, Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein, composers (Columbia)
The Sound of Music, Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein, composers (Columbia)
Best Soundtrack Album or Recording of Music Score From Motion Picture or Television:
Exodus, Ernest Gold, composer (RCA)
Exodus, Ernest Gold, composer (RCA)
Best Soundtrack Album or Recording of Original Cast From Motion Picture or Television:
Can-Can, Cole Porter, composer (Capital)
Can-Can, Cole Porter, composer (Capital)
Best Classical Performance, Orchestra:
Bartók, Music for Strings, Percussion and Celeste, Fritz Reiner conducting Chicago Symphony
Bartók, Music for Strings, Percussion and Celeste, Fritz Reiner conducting Chicago Symphony
Best Classical Performance, Vocal or Instrumental:
Chamber Music Conversations With the Guitar, Laurindo Almeida
Chamber Music Conversations With the Guitar, Laurindo Almeida
Best Classical Performance, Concerto or Instrumental Soloist:
Brahms, Piano Concerto No. 2 in B-Flat, Sviatoslav Richter; Erich Leinsdorf conducting Chicago Symphony
Brahms, Piano Concerto No. 2 in B-Flat, Sviatoslav Richter; Erich Leinsdorf conducting Chicago Symphony
Best Classical Performance, Instrumental Soloist or Duo (Other Than Orchestral):
The Spanish Guitars of Laurindo Almeida, Laurindo Almeida
The Spanish Guitars of Laurindo Almeida, Laurindo Almeida
Best Classical Opera Production:
Puccini, Turandot, Erich Leinsdorf conducting Rome Opera House Chorus and Orchestra; solos: Tebaldi, Nilsson, Björling and Tozzi
Puccini, Turandot, Erich Leinsdorf conducting Rome Opera House Chorus and Orchestra; solos: Tebaldi, Nilsson, Björling and Tozzi
Best Classical Performance, Choral (Including Oratorio):
Handel, The Messiah, Sir Thomas Beecham conducting Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and Chorus
Handel, The Messiah, Sir Thomas Beecham conducting Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and Chorus
Best Classical Performance, Vocal Soloist:
A Program of Song, Leontyne Price
A Program of Song, Leontyne Price
Best Contemporary Classical Composition:
Orchestral Suite From Tender Land Suite, Aaron Copland, composer
Orchestral Suite From Tender Land Suite, Aaron Copland, composer
Best Comedy Performance (Spoken Word):
Button Down Mind Strikes Back, Bob Newhart
Button Down Mind Strikes Back, Bob Newhart
Best Comedy Performance (Musical):
Jonathan and Darlene Edwards in Paris, Jo Stafford and Paul Weston
Jonathan and Darlene Edwards in Paris, Jo Stafford and Paul Weston
Best Performance, Documentary or Spoken Word (Other Than Comedy):
F.D.R. Speaks, Robert Bialek
F.D.R. Speaks, Robert Bialek
Best Album Created for Children:
Let’s All Sing With the Chipmunks, David Seville (Liberty)
Let’s All Sing With the Chipmunks, David Seville (Liberty)
Best Album Cover:
Latin a la Lee, Marvin Schwartz, art director (Capitol)
Latin a la Lee, Marvin Schwartz, art director (Capitol)