1969 Grammy Award Winners

Winners Announced: March 12, 1969
Televised “Best On Record”: May 5, 1969
Held at: Chicago, Los Angeles, Nashville & New York
Opening/Closing: Rowan and Martin
Eligibility Year: November 2, 1967 – November 1, 1968

Musical Highlights and Achievements

By the Time I Get to Phoenix Emerges Victorious: Glen Campbell’s hit album won the Album of the Year, highlighting the influence of country-pop during this period.
Simon & Garfunkel’s Mrs. Robinson: The iconic song from The Graduate won Record of the Year.
Jazz Legend Gets Recognized: Duke Ellington won Best Original Jazz Composition for “In the Beginning God,” marking a significant win for the jazz community.

Trivia and Noteworthy Moments

Comedy Duo: Rowan and Martin, popular for their sketch comedy show Laugh-In, served as the Opening and Closing act, adding humor to the proceedings.
A Night of Firsts: José Feliciano snagged Best New Artist, making history as the first artist to win that category with an album primarily sung in Spanish.
Cross-Genre Appreciation: The Grammys were diverse this year, with winners spanning from jazz and country to rock and folk, reflecting the eclectic musical tastes of the late ’60s.
Take our 1969 Quiz!

1969 Grammy Winners

Record of the Year:
Mrs. Robinson – Simon and Garfunkel

Album of the Year:
By the Time I Get to Phoenix, Glen Campbell (Capitol)

Song of the Year:
Little Green Apples – Bobby Russell, songwriter

Best New Artist of 1968:
José Feliciano

Best Contemporary Pop Vocal Performance, Male:
Light My Fire – José Feliciano

Best Contemporary Pop Vocal Performance, Female:
Do You Know the Way to San Jose – Dionne Warwick

Best Contemporary Pop Vocal Performance, Duo or Group:
Mrs. Robinson – Simon and Garfunkel

Best Contemporary Pop Performance, Chorus:
Mission Impossible/Norwegian Wood (medley), Alan Copeland Singers

Best Contemporary Pop Performance, Instrumental:
Classical Gas – Mason Williams

Best Rhythm and Blues Song:
(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay – Otis Redding and Steve Cropper, songwriters

Best Rhythm and Blues Vocal Performance, Male:
(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay – Otis Redding

Best Rhythm and Blues Vocal Performance, Female:
Chain of Fools – Aretha Franklin

Best Rhythm and Blues Performance By a Duo or Group, Vocal or Instrumental:
Cloud Nine – The Temptations

Best Instrumental Jazz Performance, Small Group or Soloist With Small Group:
Bill Evans at the Montreux Jazz Festival, Bill Evans Trio

Best Instrumental Jazz Performance, Large Group or Soloist With Large Group:
And His Mother Called Him Bill – Duke Ellington

Best Country Song:
Little Green Apples – Bobby Russell, songwriter

Best Country Vocal Performance, Male:
Folsom Prison Blues – Johnny Cash

Best Country Vocal Performance, Female:
Harper Valley P.T.A. – Jeannie C. Riley

Best Country Performance, Duo or Group Vocal or Instrumental:
Foggy Mountain Breakdown – Flatt and Scruggs

Best Sacred Performance:
Beautiful Isle of Somewhere – Jack Hess

Best Gospel Performance:
The Happy Gospel of the Happy Goodmans, Happy Goodman Family

Best Soul Gospel Performance:
The Soul of Me – Dottie Rambo

Best Folk Performance:
Both Sides Now – Judy Collins

Best Instrumental Arrangement:
Classical Gas – Mike Post, arranger

Best Arrangement Accompanying Vocalist(s):
MacArthur Park – Jimmy L. Webb, arranger

Best Instrumental Theme:
Classical Gas – Mason Williams, composer

Best Score From an Original Cast Show Album:
Hair, Gerome Ragni, James Rado and Galt MacDermott, composers (RCA)

Best Original Score Written for a Motion Picture or a Television Special:
The Graduate, Paul Simon and Dave Grusin, composers

Best Classical Performance, Orchestra:
Boulez Conducts Debussy, Pierre Boulez conducting New Philharmonia Orchestra

Best Chamber Music Performance:
Gabrieli, Canzoni for Brass, Winds, Strings and Organ, E. Power Biggs with Edward Tarr Ensemble and Gabrieli Consort; Vittorio Negri, conductor

Best Classical Performance, Instrumental Soloist(s) (With or Without Orchestra):
Horowitz on Television, Vladimir Horowitz

Best Opera Recording:
Mozart, Cosi fan tutte, Erich Leinsdorf conducting New Philharmonia Orchestra and Ambrosian Opera Chorus; solos: Price, Raskin, Troyanos, Milnes, Shirley and Flagello (RCA)

Best Choral Performance (Other Than Opera):
The Glory of Gabrieli, Vittorio Negri conducting Gregg Smith Singers and Texas Boys Choir; George Bragg directing Edward Tarr Ensemble with E. Power Biggs

Best Classical Vocal Soloist Performance:
Rossini Rarities, Montserrat Caballe; Carlo Felice Cillario conducting RCA Italiana Opera Orchestra and Chorus

Best Comedy Recording:
To Russell, My Brother, Whom I Slept With, Bill Cosby (Warner Bros.)

Best Spoken Word Recording:
Lonesome Cities, Rod McKuen (Warner Bros.-Seven Arts)

Best Album Cover:
Underground, John Berg and Richard Mantel, art directors (Columbia)

Best Album Notes:
Johnny Cash at Folsom Prison, Johnny Cash, annotator