The 11th Annual Grammy Awards were held on March 12, 1969. They recognized accomplishments of musicians for the year 1968.

Presenters

  • Dan Rowan & Dick Martin - Introduced The Temptations
  • Flip Wilson - Introduced Jeannie C. Riley
  • The King Family - Best New Artist & Best Contemporary Male Vocal Performance and introduced Jose Feliciano
  • Lou Rawls & Bobbie Gentry - Introduced Glen Campbell
  • Burt Bacharach - Introduced Dionne Warwick
  • Mama Cass Elliott - Introduced The Beatles
  • Nancy Sinatra - Introduced Mason Williams
  • Davy Jones - Introduced Bobby Goldsboro
  • Don Rickles & Tiny Tim - Introduced Simon & Garfunkel
  • Tommy Smothers - Introduced the cast of Hair
  • Henry Mancini - Record of the Year

Performers

  • The Temptations - "Cloud Nine"
  • Jeannie C. Riley - "Harper Valley PTA"
  • Jose Feliciano - "Light My Fire"
  • Glen Campbell - "Wichita Lineman"
  • Dionne Warwick - "Do You Know the Way to San Jose"
  • The Beatles - "Hey Jude"
  • Mason Williams - "Classical Gas"
  • Bobby Goldsboro - "Honey"
  • Simon & Garfunkel - "Mrs. Robinson"
  • O.C. Smith - "Little Green Apples"
  • The Cast of Hair - "Age of Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In"

Award winners

Record of the Year

  • "Mrs. Robinson" — Simon & Garfunkel
  • Paul Simon & Roy Halee, producers
  • “Wichita Lineman” — Glen Campbell
  • Al De Lory, producer
  • “Honey” — Bobby Goldsboro
  • Bobby Goldsboro & Bob Montgomery, producers
  • “Hey Jude” — The Beatles
  • George Martin, producer
  • “Harper Valley PTA” — Jeannie C. Riley
  • Shelby S. Singleton Jr., producer

Album of the Year

  • “By the Time I Get to Phoenix” — Glen Campbell
  • Al De Lory, producer
  • “Magical Mystery Tour” — The Beatles
  • George Martin, producer
  • “Feliciano!” — José Feliciano
  • Rick Jarrard, producer
  • “Bookends” — Simon And Garfunkel
  • Roy Halee & Simon And Garfunkel (Art Garfunkel & Paul Simon), producers
  • “A Tramp Shining” — Richard Harris
  • Jimmy L. Webb, producer

Song of the Year

  • "Little Green Apples" — Roger Miller / O.C. Smith
  • Bobby Russell, songwriter
  • “Mrs. Robinson” — Simon And Garfunkel
  • Paul Simon, songwriter
  • “Honey” — Bobby Goldsboro
  • Bobby Russell, songwriter
  • “Hey Jude” — The Beatles
  • John Lennon & Paul McCartney, songwriters
  • “Harper Valley PTA” — Jeannie C. Riley
  • Tom T. Hall, songwriter

Best New Artist

  • José Feliciano
  • Cream
  • O.C. Smith
  • Jeannie C. Riley
  • Gary Puckett And The Union Gap

Classical

  • Best Classical Performance - Orchestra
  • Pierre Boulez (conductor) & the New Philharmonia Orchestra for Boulez Conducts Debussy (La Mer; Prelude A L'Apres-Midi D'Un Faune; Jeux)
  • Best Vocal Soloist Performance
  • Carlo Felice Cillario (conductor), Montserrat Caballé & the RCA Italiana Opera Orchestra & Chorus for Rossini: Rarities
  • Best Opera Recording
  • Richard Mohr (producer), Erich Leinsdorf (conductor), Ezio Flagello, Sherrill Milnes, Leontyne Price, Judith Raskin, George Shirley, Tatiana Troyanos & the New Philharmonia Orchestra for Mozart: Cosi Fan Tutte
  • Best Choral Performance (other than opera)
  • Vittorio Negri (conductor), George Bragg, Gregg Smith, (choir directors), E. Power Biggs, the Edward Tarr Ensemble, the Gregg Smith Singers & the Texas Boys Choir for The Glory of Gabrieli
  • Best Performance - Instrumental Soloist or Soloists (with or without orchestra)
  • Vladimir Horowitz for Horowitz on Television (Chopin, Scriabin, Scarlatti, Horowitz)
  • Best Chamber Music Performance
  • Vittorio Negri (conductor), E. Power Biggs & the Edward Tarr Ensemble for Glory of Gabrieli Vol. II - Canzonas for Brass, Winds, Strings and Organ

Comedy

  • Best Comedy Performance
  • Bill Cosby for To Russell, My Brother, Whom I Slept With

Composing and arranging

  • Best Instrumental Theme
  • Mason Williams (composer) for "Classical Gas"
  • Best Original Score Written for a Motion Picture or a Television Special
  • Dave Grusin & Paul Simon (composers) for The Graduate performed by Simon & Garfunkel
  • Best Instrumental Arrangement
  • Mike Post (arranger) for "Classical Gas" performed by Mason Williams
  • Best Arrangement Accompanying Vocalist(s)
  • Jimmy L. Webb (arranger) for "MacArthur Park" performed by Richard Harris

Country

  • Best Country Vocal Performance, Female
  • Jeannie C. Riley for "Harper Valley PTA"
  • Best Country Vocal Performance, Male
  • Johnny Cash for "Folsom Prison Blues"
  • Best Country Performance, Duo or Group - Vocal or Instrumental
  • Flatt & Scruggs for "Foggy Mountain Breakdown"
  • Best Country Song
  • Bobby Russell (songwriter) for "Little Green Apples" performed by Roger Miller / O.C. Smith

Folk

  • Best Folk Performance
  • Judy Collins for "Both Sides Now"

Gospel

  • Best Gospel Performance
  • The Happy Goodman Family for The Happy Gospel of the Happy Goodmans
  • Best Soul Gospel Performance
  • Dottie Rambo for "The Soul of Me"
  • Best Sacred Performance
  • Jake Hess for "Beautiful Isle of Somewhere"

Jazz

  • Best Instrumental Jazz Performance - Small Group or Soloist with Small Group
  • Bill Evans for Bill Evans at the Montreux Jazz Festival performed by the Bill Evans Trio
  • Best Instrumental Jazz Performance - Large Group or Soloist with Large Group
  • Duke Ellington for "And His Mother Called Him Bill"

Musical show

  • Best Score From an Original Cast Show Album
  • Galt MacDermot, Gerome Ragni, James Rado (composers), Andy Wiswell (producer) the original cast (Ronnie Dyson, Gerome Ragni, Steve Curry, Lamont Washington, Diane Keaton, Melba Moore & James Rado) for Hair

Packaging and notes

  • Best Album Cover
  • John Berg, Richard Mantell (art directors), Horn Grinner Studios (photographer) for Underground performed by Thelonious Monk
  • Best Album Notes
  • Johnny Cash (notes writer) for Johnny Cash at Folsom Prison performed by Johnny Cash

Pop

  • Best Contemporary-Pop Vocal Performance, Female
  • Dionne Warwick for "Do You Know the Way to San Jose?"
  • Best Contemporary-Pop Vocal Performance, Male
  • Jose Feliciano for "Light My Fire"
  • Best Contemporary-Pop Performance - Vocal Duo or Group
  • Simon & Garfunkel for "Mrs. Robinson"
  • Best Contemporary Pop Performance, Chorus
  • Alan Copeland (choir director) for "Mission Impossible/Norwegian Wood Medley" performed by the Alan Copeland Singers
  • Best Pop Instrumental Performance
  • Mason Williams for "Classical Gas"

Production and engineering

  • Best Engineered Recording, Non-Classical
  • Hugh Davies & Joe Polito (engineers) for "Wichita Lineman" performed by Glen Campbell
  • Best Engineered Recording, Classical
  • Gordon Parry (engineer), Georg Solti (conductor) & the London Symphony Orchestra for Mahler: Symphony No. 9 in D

R&B

  • Best R&B Performance, Female
  • Aretha Franklin for "Chain of Fools"
  • Best R&B Vocal Performance, Male
  • Otis Redding for "(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay" (posthumously)
  • Best Rhythm & Blues Performance by a Duo or Group, Vocal or Instrumental
  • The Temptations for "Cloud Nine"
  • Best Rhythm & Blues Song
  • Otis Redding & Steve Cropper (songwriters) for "(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay" performed by Otis Redding

Spoken

  • Best Spoken Word Recording
  • Rod McKuen for Lonesome Cities

References