Winning a Grammy Award is the ultimate recognition in the music industry, symbolizing the pinnacle of sonic excellence. Among the various Grammy categories, none are as prestigious as the “big four” awards – album of the year, song of the year, record of the year, and best new artist. The Album of the Year, also known as the “big award,” is bestowed upon full-length releases that demonstrate exceptional artistic achievement and quality, regardless of commercial success or sales figures. To qualify for consideration, an album must contain a minimum of five distinct tracks and have a total playtime of at least 15 minutes, or a total playtime of 30 minutes with no specific track requirements, as outlined by the Recording Academy.
According to the Recording Academy, this Grammy is awarded to any artist, featured artist, songwriter of new material, producer, recording engineer, mixer, and mastering engineer who contributed at least 33% of the playing time to the album. Let’s delve into the history of Album of the Year winners over the years and explore the nominees for the upcoming 67th Annual Grammy Awards on Feb. 2.
Album of the Year 2025 Grammy Nominees:
– “New Blue Sun” – André 3000
– “Cowboy Carter” – Beyoncé
– “Short n’ Sweet” – Sabrina Carpenter
– “Brat” – Charli XCX
– “Djesse Vol. 4” – Jacob Collier
– “Hit Me Hard and Soft” – Billie Eilish
– “Chappell Roan The Rise And Fall Of A Midwest Princess” – Chappell Roan
– “The Tortured Poets Department” – Taylor Swift
Here is a list of Album of the Year Grammy winners dating back to 1959:
– “The Music from Peter Gunn” – Henry Mancini (1st Grammy Awards in 1959)
– “Come Dance with Me!” – Frank Sinatra (2nd Grammy Awards in 1959)
– “The Button-Down Mind of Bob Newhart” – Bob Newhart (3rd Grammy Awards in 1961)
– “Judy at Carnegie Hall” – Judy Garland (4th Grammy Awards in 1962)
– “The First Family” – Vaughn Meader (5th Grammy Awards in 1963)
– “The Barbra Streisand Album” – Barbra Streisand (6th Grammy Awards in 1964)
– “Getz/Gilberto” – Stan Getz and João Gilberto (7th Grammy Awards in 1965)
– “September of My Years” – Frank Sinatra (8th Grammy Awards in 1966)
– “A Man and His Music” – Frank Sinatra (9th Grammy Awards in 1967)
– “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” – The Beatles (10th Grammy Awards in 1968)
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Simon, at the 29th Grammy Awards in 1987, U2’s “The Joshua Tree” took home Album of the Year. The following year, at the 30th Grammy Awards in 1988, George Michael’s “Faith” secured the prestigious honor. In 1989, Bonnie Raitt’s “Nick of Time” claimed the award at the 31st Grammy Awards. Quincy Jones’ “Back on the Block” was the winner at the 32nd Grammy Awards in 1990.
Natalie Cole’s “Unforgettable… with Love” earned the title at the 33rd Grammy Awards in 1991, while Eric Clapton’s “Unplugged” was recognized at the 34th Grammy Awards in 1992. Whitney Houston’s “The Bodyguard: Original Soundtrack Album” triumphed at the 35th Grammy Awards in 1993. Tony Bennett’s “MTV Unplugged” followed suit at the 37th Grammy Awards in 1995.
Alanis Morissette’s “Jagged Little Pill” was the standout at the 38th Grammy Awards in 1996, with Celine Dion’s “Falling into You” claiming victory the following year at the 39th Grammy Awards in 1997. Bob Dylan’s “Time Out of Mind” secured the award at the 40th Grammy Awards in 1998. Lauryn Hill’s “The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill” was honored at the 41st Grammy Awards in 1999.
Santana’s “Supernatural” was the Album of the Year at the 42nd Grammy Awards in 2000, while Steely Dan’s “Two Against Nature” took the crown the following year at the 43rd Grammy Awards. The “O Brother, Where Art Thou?” soundtrack by Various Artists was recognized at the 44th Grammy Awards in 2002. Norah Jones’ “Come Away with Me” was the recipient of the award in 2003.
OutKast’s “Speakerboxxx/The Love Below” was honored at the 45th Grammy Awards in 2004, and Ray Charles’ “Genius Loves Company” followed at the 46th Grammy Awards in 2005. U2’s “How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb” secured the award at the 47th Grammy Awards in 2006, while The Chicks’ “Taking the Long Way” claimed victory at the 49th Grammy Awards in 2007.
Herbie Hancock’s “River: The Joni Letters” was the Album of the Year at the 50th Grammy Awards in 2008. Robert Plant and Alison Krauss’ “Raising Sand” took home the award in 2009 at the 51st Grammy Awards. Taylor Swift’s “Fearless” was recognized at the 52nd Grammy Awards in 2010, with
