1986 Grammy Award Winners

1986 Grammy Award Winners

Trivia

Table of Contents

  • We Are the World Spotlight: The charity single We Are the World became the evening’s star, winning Song of the Year, Record of the Year, and Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals.
  • Michael Jackson’s Thrilling Night: The King of Pop, Michael Jackson, received Best Male Pop Vocal Performance accolades for his contribution to We Are the World.
  • Country Milestones: Young Dwight Yoakam caught the limelight, getting nominated for Best Country & Western Vocal Performance for his album Guitars, Cadillacs, Etc., Etc.
  • Clapton’s Musical Magic: Eric Clapton won Best Rock Instrumental Performance for the track Escape, a part of the Lethal Weapon movie soundtrack.
  • Sade’s Smooth Arrival: British-Nigerian band Sade, led by Sade Adu, notched the Best New Artist win.
  • Jazz Ingenuity: New York Scene by Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers secured the Best Jazz Instrumental Performance Group.
  • Genre Diversity: The awards recognized a wide array of genres, from Classical and Comedy to R&B and Latin, emphasizing the diversity of the music industry at the time.
  • Host Charisma: Kenny Rogers, with his smooth, seasoned voice and engaging persona, added a unique charm as the ceremony host.

1986 Grammy Winners

Record of the Year:
We Are the World – USA for Africa
Album of the Year:
No Jacket Required, Phil Collins (Atlantic)
Song of the Year:
We Are the World – Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie, songwriters
Best New Artist:
Sade
Best Pop Vocal Performance, Male:
No Jacket Required, Phil Collins
Best Pop Vocal Performance, Female:
Saving All My Love for You – Whitney Houston
Best Pop Performance By a Duo or Group With Vocal:
We Are the World – USA for Africa
Best Pop Instrumental Performance:
Miami Vice Theme – Jan Hammer
Best Rock Vocal Performance, Male:
The Boys of Summer – Don Henley
Best Rock Vocal Performance, Female:
One of the Living – Tina Turner
Best Rock Performance By a Duo or Group With Vocal:
Money for Nothing – Dire Straits
Best Rock Instrumental Performance:
Escape – Jeff Beck
Best Rhythm and Blues Song:
Freeway of Love – Narada Michael Walden and Jeffrey Cohen, songwriters
Best Rhythm and Blues Vocal Performance, Male:
In Square Circle, Stevie Wonder
Best Rhythm and Blues Vocal Performance, Female:
Freeway of Love – Aretha Franklin
Best Rhythm and Blues Performance By a Duo or Group With Vocal:
Nightshift – Commodores
Best Rhythm and Blues Instrumental Performance:
Musician, Ernie Watts
Best Jazz Vocal Performance, Male:
Another Night in Tunisia – Jon Hendricks and Bobby McFerrin
Best Jazz Vocal Performance, Female:
Cleo at Carnegie (The 10th Anniversary Concert), Cleo Laine
Best Jazz Vocal Performance, Duo or Group:
Vocalese, Manhattan Transfer
Best Jazz Instrumental Performance, Soloist:
Black Codes From the Underground, Wynton Marsalis
Best Jazz Instrumental Performance, Group:
Black Codes From the Underground, Wynton Marsalis Group
Best Jazz Instrumental Performance, Big Band:
The Cotton Club?Original Motion Picture Soundtrack, John Barry and Bob Wilber
Best Jazz Fusion Performance, Vocal or Instrumental:
Straight to the Heart, David Sanborn
Best Country Song:
Highwayman – Jimmy L. Webb, songwriter
Best Country Vocal Performance, Male:
Lost in the Fifties Tonight (In the Still of the Night), Ronnie Milsap
Best Country Vocal Performance, Female:
I Don’t Know Why You Don’t Want Me – Rosanne Cash
Best Country Performance By a Duo or Group With Vocal:
Why Not Me, Judds
Best Country Instrumental Performance:
Cosmic Square Dance – Chet Atkins and Mark Knopfler
Best Gospel Performance, Male:
How Excellent Is Thy Name – Larnelle Harris
Best Gospel Performance, Female:
Unguarded, Amy Grant
Best Soul Gospel Performance, Male:
Bring Back the Days of Yea and Nay – Marvin Winans
Best Soul Gospel Performance, Female:
Martin – Shirley Caesar
Best Soul Gospel Performance By a Duo or Group:
Tomorrow, Winans
Best Latin Pop Performance:
Ec Facil Amar, Lani Hall
Best Tropical Latin Performance (tie):
Mambo Diablo, Tito Puente and His Latin Ensemble
Solito, Eddie Palmieri
Best Mexican/American Performance:
Simplemente Mujer, Vikki Carr
Best Inspirational Performance:
Come Sunday – Jennifer Holliday
Best Traditional Blues Recording:
My Guitar Sings the Blues – B.B. King (MCA)
Best Ethnic or Traditional Folk Recording:
My Toot Toot – Rockin’ Sidney (Maison De Soul)
Best Reggae Recording:
Cliff Hanger, Jimmy Cliff (Columbia/CBS)
Best Polka Recording:
70 Years of Hits, Frank Yankovic (Cleveland International/CBS)
Best Arrangement on an Instrumental:
Early a.m. Attitude – Dave Grusin and Lee Ritenour, arrangers
Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocal(s):
Lush Life – Nelson Riddle, arranger
Best Vocal Arrangement for Two or More Voices:
Another Night in Tunisia – Cheryl Bentyne and Bobby McFerrin, arrangers
Best Instrumental Composition:
Miami Vice Theme – Jan Hammer, composer
Best Cast Show Album:
West Side Story, Stephen Sondheim, lyricist; Leonard Bernstein, composer (Deutsche Grammophone)
Best Album of Original Score Written for a Motion Picture or Television Special:
Beverly Hills Cop, Sharon Robinson, Jon Gilutin, Bunny Hull, Hawk, Howard Hewett, Micki Free, Sue Sheridan, Howie Rice, Keith Forsey, Harold Faltermeyer, Allee Willis, Dan Sembello, Marc Benno and Richard Theisen, composers and songwriters (MCA)
Best Contemporary Composition:
Requiem, Andrew Lloyd Webber, composer (Angel)
Best Classical Album:
Berlioz, Requiem, Robert Shaw conducting Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and Chorus; solo: Aler (Telarc)
Best New Classical Artist:
Chicago Pro Musica
Best Classical Orchestral Recording:
Fauré, Pelléas et Mélisande, Robert Shaw conducting Atlanta Symphony Orchestra
Best Chamber Music Performance:
Brahms, Cello and Piano Sonatas in E Minor and F Major, Emanuel Ax and Yo-Yo Ma
Best Classical Performance, Instrumental Soloist(s) (With Orchestra):
Elgar, Cello Concerto, Op. 85; Walton, Concerto for Cello and Orchestra, Yo-Yo Ma; André Previn conducting London Symphony Orchestra
Best Classical Performance, Instrumental Soloist(s) (Without Orchestra):
Ravel, Gaspard de la Nuit, Pavane Pour Une Infant Defunte, Valses Nobles et Sentimentales, Vladimir Ashkenazy
Best Opera Recording:
Schoenberg, Moses und Aron, Sir Georg Solti conducting Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Chorus; solos: Mazura and Langridge (London)
Best Choral Performance (Other Than Opera):
Berlioz, Requiem, Robert Shaw conducting Atlanta Symphony Chorus and Orchestra
Best Classical Vocal Soloist Performance:
Berlioz, Requiem, John Aler; Robert Shaw conducting Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and Chorus
Best Comedy Recording:
Whoopi Goldberg (Original Broadway Show Recording), Whoopi Goldberg (Geffen)
Best Spoken Word or Non-Musical Recording:
Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, Original Broadway cast (Manhattan)
Best Recording for Children:
Follow That Bird (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack), Jim Henson’s Muppets and the Sesame Street cast (RCA)
Best Album Package:
Lush Life, Kosh and Ron Larson, art directors (Asylum)
Best Album Notes:
Sam Cooke Live at the Harlem Square Club, 1963, Peter Guralnick, annotator (RCA)
Best Historical Album:
RCA/MET 100 Singers-100 Years, Melba, Schumann-Heink, Caruso, Price, Verrett, Domingo and 94 others (RCA Red Seal)
Best Music Video, Short Form:
We Are the World, the Video Event – USA for Africa
Best Music Video, Long Form:
Huey Lewis and the News: The Heart of Rock ‘n Roll – Huey Lewis and the News
Producers of the Year (Non-Classical):
Phil Collins and Hugh Padgham
Classical Producer of the Year:
Robert Woods