1984 Grammy Award Winners

1984 Grammy Award Winners

Winners Announced: February 28, 1984
Held at: Shrine Auditorium, Los Angeles
Host: John Denver
Eligibility Year: October 1, 1982September 30, 1983

A Closer Look at the 1984 Grammy Awards

  • John Denver’s Hosting: John Denver returned as the host for the 1984 Grammy Awards, continuing his association with the Grammys.
  • Thriller Dominates: Michael Jackson’s album Thriller was the show’s star, winning eight Grammys, including Album of the Year, setting a record for one of the most awarded albums in Grammy history.
  • Country Legend: Willie Nelson won Best Country Vocal Performance for his Always On My Mind rendition.
  • The Police Shine: The song Every Breath You Take by The Police took home the Song of the Year award, while their album Synchronicity bagged Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal.
  • Emerging Talent: Culture Club snagged the Best New Artist award, confirming Boy George’s eclectic mix of style and music had hit the mainstream.
  • Comedy Grammys: Eddie Murphy: Comedian secured the award for Best Comedy Album.
  • Eclectic Wins: Love Is a Battlefield by Pat Benatar earned her the Grammy for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance, showcasing the diverse musical genres celebrated that year.
  • Instrumental Accolades: Yoda’s Theme, composed by John Williams for Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back, won the Grammy for Best Instrumental Composition.
  • Gospel Glory: Sailin’ on the Sea of Your Love by Shirley Caesar earned her the award for Best Soul Gospel Performance, Female.

1984 Grammy Winners

Record of the Year:
Beat It – Michael Jackson
Album of the Year:
Thriller, Michael Jackson (Epic/CBS)
Song of the Year:
Every Breath You Take – Sting, songwriter
Best New Artist:
Culture Club
Best Pop Vocal Performance, Male:
Thriller, Michael Jackson
Best Pop Vocal Performance, Female:
Flashdance: What a Feeling – Irene Cara
Best Pop Performance By a Duo or Group With Vocal:
Every Breath You Take – Police
Best Pop Instrumental Performance:
Being With You – George Benson
Best Rock Vocal Performance, Male:
Beat It – Michael Jackson
Best Rock Vocal Performance, Female:
Love Is a Battlefield – Pat Benatar
Best Rock Performance By a Duo or Group With Vocal:
Synchronicity, Police
Best New Rhythm and Blues Song:
Billie Jean – Michael Jackson, songwriter
Best Rhythm and Blues Vocal Performance, Male:
Billie Jean – Michael Jackson
Best Rhythm and Blues Vocal Performance, Female:
Chaka Khan, Chaka Khan
Best Rhythm and Blues Vocal Performance By a Duo or Group With Vocal:
Ain’t Nobody – Rufus and Chaka Khan
Best Rhythm and Blues Instrumental Performance:
Rockit – Herbie Hancock
Best Jazz Vocal Performance, Male:
Top Drawer, Mel Tormé
Best Jazz Vocal Performance, Female:
The Best Is Yet to Come, Ella Fitzgerald
Best Jazz Vocal Performance, Duo or Group:
Why Not! – Manhattan Transfer
Best Jazz Instrumental Performance, Soloist:
Think of One, Wynton Marsalis
Best Jazz Instrumental Performance, Group:
At the Vanguard, Phil Woods Quartet
Best Jazz Instrumental Performance, Big Band:
All in Good Time, Rob McConnell and the Boss Brass
Best Jazz Fusion Performance, Vocal or Instrumental:
Travels, Pat Metheny Group
Best New Country Song:
Stranger in My House – Mike Reid, songwriter
Best Country Vocal Performance, Male:
I.O.U. – Lee Greenwood
Best Country Vocal Performance, Female:
A Little Good News – Anne Murray
Best Country Performance By a Duo or Group With Vocal:
The Closer You Get, Alabama
Best Country Instrumental Performance:
Fireball – New South (Ricky Skaggs, Jerry Douglas, Tony Rice, J.D. Crowe and Todd Phillips)
Best Gospel Performance, Male:
Walls of Glass, Russ Taff
Best Gospel Performance, Female:
Ageless Medley – Amy Grant
Best Gospel Performance By a Duo or Group:
More Than Wonderful – Sandi Patti and Larnelle Harris
Best Soul Gospel Performance, Male:
I’ll Rise Again, Al Green
Best Soul Gospel Performance, Female:
We Sing Praises, Sandra Crouch
Best Soul Gospel Performance By a Duo or Group:
I’m So Glad I’m Standing Here Today – Bobby Jones with Barbara Mandrell
Best Latin Pop Performance:
Me Enamore, José Feliciano
Best Tropical Latin Performance:
On Broadway, Tito Puente and His Latin Ensemble
Best Inspirational Performance:
He’s a Rebel – Donna Summer
Best Traditional Blues Recording:
Blues ‘n Jazz, B.B. King (MCA)
Best Mexican-American Performance:
Anselma – Los Lobos
Best Ethnic or Traditional Folk Recording:
I’m Here, Clifton Chenier and His Red Hot Louisiana Band (Alligator)
Best Arrangement on an Instrumental:
Summer Sketches ’82 – Dave Grusin, arranger
Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocal(s):
What’s New – Nelson Riddle, arranger
Best Vocal Arrangement for Two or More Voices:
Be Bop Medley – Arif Mardin and Chaka Khan, arrangers
Best Instrumental Composition:
Love Theme From Flashdance – Giorgio Moroder, composer
Best Cast Show Album:
Cats (Complete Original Broadway Cast Recording), Andrew Lloyd Webber, producer (Geffen/Warner Bros.)
Best Album of Original Score Written for a Motion Picture or a Television Special:
Flashdance, Giorgio Moroder, Keith Forsey, Irene Cara, Shandi Sinnamon, Ronald Magness, Douglas Cotler, Richard Gilbert, Michael Boddicker, Jerry Hey, Phil Ramone, Michael Sembello, Kim Carnes, Duane Hitchings, Craig Krampf and Dennis Matkosky, songwriters (Casablanca/Polygram)
Best Classical Album:
Mahler, Symphony No. 9 in D Major, Sir Georg Solti conducting Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Chorus (London)
Best Classical Orchestral Recording:
Mahler, Symphony No. 9 in D Major, Sir Georg Solti conducting Chicago Symphony Orchestra (London)
Best Chamber Music Performance:
Brahms, Sonata for Cello and Piano in E Minor, Op. 38 and Sonata in F Major, Op. 99, Mstislav Rostropovich and Rudolf Serkin
Best Classical Performance, Instrumental Soloist(s) (With Orchestra):
Haydn, Concerto for Trumpet and Orchestra in E-Flat Major; L. Mozart, Concerto for Trumpet and Orchestra in D Major; Hummel, Concerto for Trumpet and Orchestra in E-Flat Major, Wynton Marsalis; Raymond Leppard conducting National Philharmonic Orchestra
Best Classical Performance, Instrumental Soloist(s) (Without Orchestra):
Beethoven, Sonata for Piano No. 12 in A-Flat Major, Op. 26 and No. 13 in E-Flat Major, Op. 27, No. 1, Glenn Gould
Best Opera Recording (tie):
Mozart, Le Nozzi de Figaro, Sir Georg Solti conducting London Philharmonic; solos: Kanawa, Popp, Ramey, Allen, Moll and von Stade (London)
Verdi, La Traviata (Original Soundtrack), James Levine conducting The Metropolitan Opera Orchestra and Chorus; solos: Stratas, Domingo and MacNeil (Elektra)
Best Choral Performance (Other Than Opera):
Haydn, The Creation, Sir Georg Solti conducting Chicago Symphony Orchestra; Margaret Hillis, choral director, Chicago Symphony Chorus
Best Classical Vocal Soloist Performance:
Leontyne Price and Marilyn Horne in Concert at The Met, Leontyne Price and Marilyn Horne; James Levine conducting The Metropolitan Opera Orchestra
Best Comedy Recording:
Eddie Murphy, Comedian, Eddie Murphy (The Entertainment Co./Columbia)
Best Spoken Word or Non-Musical Recording:
Copland, A Lincoln Portrait, William Warfield (Mercury/Philips)
Best Recording for Children:
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, Michael Jackson, narration and vocals (MCA)
Best Album Package:
Speaking in Tongues, Robert Rauschenberg, art director (Sire/Warner Bros.)
Best Album Notes:
The Interplay Sessions, Orrin Keepnews, annotator (Milestone)
Best Historical Album:
The Greatest Recordings of Arturo Toscanini Symphonies Vol. I, Arturo Toscanini (Franklin Mint)
Best Video, Short Form:
Girls on Film/Hungry Like the Wolf – Duran Duran
Producers of the Year (Non-Classical):
Quincy Jones and Michael Jackson
Classical Producers of the Year:
Marc J. Aubort and Joanna Nickrenz