The 4th Annual Grammy Awards were held on May 29, 1962, at Chicago, Los Angeles and New York. They recognized accomplishments by musicians from the year 1961. Henry Mancini won 5 awards.

Award winners

The following awards were given at the 1961 ceremony (winners in bold).

  • Record of the Year
  • Henry Mancini for "Moon River"
  • Si Zentner for "Up A Lazy River"
  • Frank Sinatra for "The Second Time Around"
  • Dave Brubeck for "Take Five"
  • Jimmy Dean for "Big Bad John"
  • Album of the Year (other than classical)
  • Judy Garland for Judy at Carnegie Hall
  • John Green for West Side Story (Motion Picture Soundtrack)
  • Nat King Cole for The Nat King Cole Story
  • Johnny Mann for Great Band With Great Voices performed by Si Zentner
  • Ray Charles for Genius + Soul = Jazz
  • Henry Mancini for Breakfast At Tiffany's
  • Song of the Year
  • Henry Mancini & Johnny Mercer (songwriters) for "Moon River" performed by Henry Mancini
  • Betty Comden, Adolph Green & Jule Styne (songwriters) for "Make Someone Happy" performed by Perry Como
  • Tony Velona (songwriter) for "Lollipops And Roses" performed by Jack Jones
  • Jimmy Dean (songwriter) for "Big Bad John" performed by Jimmy Dean
  • Hank Cochran (songwriter) for "A Little Bitty Tear" performed by Burl Ives
  • Best New Artist
  • Peter Nero
  • Timi Yuro
  • Dick Gregory
  • Ann-Margret
  • The Lettermen

Children's

  • Best Recording for Children
  • Leonard Bernstein (conductor) for Prokofiev: Peter and the Wolf performed by the New York Philharmonic Orchestra
  • Young Abe Lincoln performed by Original Broadway Cast
  • Soupy Sales for The Soupy Sales Show
  • David Randolph & James Goodfriend (arrangers) Golden Treasury Of Great Music And Literature performed by Various Artists
  • George Bruns (composer) 101 Dalmatians performed by Various Artists

Classical

  • Best Classical Performance - Orchestra
  • Charles Münch (conductor) & the Boston Symphony Orchestra for Ravel: Daphnis et Chloé
  • Best Classical Performance - Vocal Soloist (with or without orchestra)
  • Francesco Molinari-Pradelli (conductor), Joan Sutherland & the Royal Opera House Orchestra for The Art of the Prima Donna
  • Best Opera Recording
  • Gabriele Santini (conductor), Victoria de los Ángeles, Jussi Björling, Miriam Pirazzini, Mario Sereni & the Rome Opera Orchestra for Puccini: Madama Butterfly
  • Best Classical Performance - Choral (other than opera)
  • Robert Shaw (choir director) & the Robert Shaw Orchestra & Chorale for Bach: B Minor Mass
  • Best Classical Performance - Instrumental Soloist (with orchestra)
  • Eugene Ormandy (conductor), Isaac Stern & the Philadelphia Orchestra for Bartók: Violin Concerto No. 1
  • Best Classical Performance - Instrumental Soloist or Duo (without orchestra)
  • Laurindo Almeida for Reverie for Spanish Guitar
  • Best Classical Performance - Chamber Music
  • Jascha Heifetz, Gregor Piatigorsky & William Primrose for Beethoven: Serenade, Op. 8/Kodály: Duo for Violin and Cello, Op. 7
  • Best Contemporary Classical Composition
  • Laurindo Almeida (composer and artist) for Discantus
  • Igor Stravinsky (composer and artist) for Stravinsky: Movements for Piano and Orchestra
  • Album of the Year - Classical
  • Igor Stravinsky (conductor) & the Columbia Symphony Orchestra for Stravinsky Conducts 1960: Le Sacre du Printemps; Petrushka

Comedy

  • Best Comedy Performance
  • Elaine May & Mike Nichols for An Evening with Mike Nichols and Elaine May
  • Stan Freberg for Stan Freberg Presents The United States Of America
  • Bill Dana for Jose Jimenez The Astronaut
  • Jonathan Winters Here's Jonathan
  • Carl Reiner & Mel Brooks for 2001 Years With Carl Reiner And Mel Brooks

Composing and arranging

  • Best Instrumental Theme or Instrumental Version of Song
  • Galt MacDermot for "African Waltz" performed by Cannonball Adderley
  • Bob Merrill (composer) for "Theme From Carnival" performed by Original Broadway Cast
  • Dimitri Tiomkin (composer) for The Guns Of Navarone (Motion Picture) performed by Dimitri Tiomkin
  • Duke Ellington (composer) for Paris Blues performed by Duke Ellington
  • Nino Rota (composer) for La Dolce Vita performed by Nino Rota
  • Best Sound Track Album or Recording of Score from Motion Picture or Television
  • Henry Mancini (composer) for Breakfast at Tiffany's
  • Dimitri Tiomkin (composer) for The Guns Of Navarone (Motion Picture) performed by Dimitri Tiomkin
  • Louis Armstrong & Duke Ellington for Paris Blues (Motion Picture) performed by Louis Armstrong & Duke Ellington
  • Nino Rota for La Dolce Vita (Motion Picture) performed by Nino Rota
  • John Williams for Checkmate performed by John Williams
  • Best Arrangement
  • Henry Mancini (arranger & artist) for "Moon River"
  • Bob Florence (arranger) for "Up A Lazy River" performed by Si Zentner
  • J.J. Johnson (arranger) for "Perceptions" performed by Dizzy Gillespie
  • Peter Nero (arranger & performer) for New Piano In Town
  • George Russell (arranger) for "All About Rosie" performed by Gerry Mulligan

Country

  • Best Country & Western Recording
  • Jimmy Dean for "Big Bad John"
  • LeRoy Van Dyke for "Walk On By"
  • Tex Ritter for "Hillbilly Heaven"
  • Faron Young for "Hello Walls"
  • Burl Ives for "A Little Bitty Tear"

Folk

  • Best Folk Recording
  • The Belafonte Folk Singers for Belafonte Folk Singers at Home and Abroad
  • The Limeliters for The Slightly Fabulous Limeliters
  • The Clancy Brothers & Tommy Makem for The Clancy Brothers And Tommy Makem
  • Bill Broonzy for The Big Bill Broonzy Story
  • Alan Lomax for Folk Songs Of Britain Vol. I

Gospel

  • Best Gospel or Other Religious Recording
  • Mahalia Jackson for Everytime I Feel the Spirit
  • The Staple Singers for Swing Low
  • Tex Ritter Lincoln Hymns
  • Alex Bradford for "Jesus Keep Me Near The Cross"
  • Tennessee Ernie Ford for Hymns At Home

Jazz

  • Best Jazz Performance - Soloist or Small Group (Instrumental)
  • André Previn for André Previn Plays Harold Arlen
  • Al Hirt for The Greatest Horn In The World
  • Modern Jazz Quartet for European Concert
  • Erroll Garner for Dreamstreet
  • Bill Evans Trio for Bill Evans At The Village Vanguard
  • Best Jazz Performance - Large Group (Instrumental)
  • Stan Kenton for Kenton's West Side Story
  • Gil Evans for Out Of The Cool
  • Dizzy Gillespie for Gillespiana
  • Count Basie And His Orchestra for Basie At Birdland
  • Andre Previn for A Touch Of Elegance
  • Best Original Jazz Composition
  • Galt MacDermot (composer) for "African Waltz" performed by Cannonball Adderley
  • Dave Brubeck (composer) for "Unsquare Dance" performed by Dave Brubeck
  • J.J. Johnson (composer) for "Perceptions" performed by Dizzy Gillespie
  • Lalo Schifrin (composer) for Gillespiana performed by Dizzy Gillespie
  • Andre Previn (composer) for "A Touch Of Elegance" performed by Andre Previn

Musical show

  • Best Original Cast Show Album
  • Frank Loesser (composer) & the original cast with Robert Morse, Rudy Vallee, Charles Nelson Reilly, Bonnie Scott, Claudette Southerland & Sammy Smith for How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
  • Cy Coleman & Carolyn Leigh (composers) for Wildcat performed by original cast including Lucille Ball
  • Jerry Herman (composer) for Milk And Honey performed by original cast including Robert Weede, Mimi Benzell, Molly Picon & Lanna Saunders
  • Betty Comden, Adolph Green & Jule Styne for Do Re Mi performed by original cast including Phil Silvers, Nancy Walker, John Reardon & Nancy Dussault
  • Bob Merrill (composer) for Carnival performed by original cast including Anna Maria Alberghetti, James Mitchell, Kaye Ballard, Pierre Olaf & Jerry Orbach
  • Best Sound Track Album or Recording of Original Cast From a Motion Picture or Television
  • Irwin Kostal, Johnny Green, Saul Chaplin, Sid Ramin (music directors) & the original cast for West Side Story
  • Tutti Camarata (music director) for Parent Trap (Motion Picture) performed by original cast including Hayley Mills
  • Ken Darby & Alfred Newman (music directors) for Flower Drum Song (Motion Picture) performed by original cast
  • Elvis Presley (performer) for Blue Hawaii (Motion Picture)
  • Tutti Camarata (music director) for Babes In Toyland (Motion Picture) performed by original cast including Ann Jillian, Ed Wynn & Ray Bolger

Packaging and notes

  • Best Album Cover - Classical
  • Marvin Schwartz (art director) for Puccini: Madama Butterfly performed by the Rome Opera Orchestra conducted by Gabriele Santini
  • Robert M. Jones (art director) for Gould: Ballet Music Fall River Legend Interplay, Latin American Symphonette conducted by Morton Gould
  • Meyer Miller (art director) for Golden Age Of English Lute Music performed by Julian Bream
  • Marvin Schwartz (art director) for Beethoven Nine Symphonies conducted by Otto Klemperer
  • Robert M. Jones (art director) for Albeniz Iberia/Ravel: Rapsodie Espagnole conducted by Jean Morel
  • Best Album Cover - Other Than Classical
  • Jim Silke (art director) for Judy at Carnegie Hall performed by Judy Garland
  • Kenneth Deardoff (art director) for New Orleans - The Living Legend performed by Peter Bocage
  • Reid Miles (art director) for Jackie's Bag performed by Jackie McLean
  • Robert M. Jones (art director) for Breakfast At Tiffany's performed by Henry Mancini
  • Robert "Bob" Cato (art director) for A Touch Of Elegance performed by Andre Previn

Pop

  • Best Solo Vocal Performance, Female
  • Judy Garland for Judy at Carnegie Hall
  • Billie Holiday for The Essential Billie Holiday (Carnegie Hall Concert)
  • Ella Fitzgerald for Mr. Paganini
  • Lena Horne for Lena At The Sands
  • Peggy Lee for Basin Street East
  • Best Solo Vocal Performance, Male
  • Jack Jones for "Lollipops and Roses"
  • Steve Lawrence for "Portrait Of My Love"
  • Andy Williams for "Danny Boy"
  • Jimmy Dean for "Big Bad John"
  • Burl Ives for "A Little Bitty Tear"
  • Best Performance by a Vocal Group
  • Lambert, Hendricks & Ross for High Flying
  • The Four Freshman for Voices In Fun
  • The Lettermen for "The Way You Look Tonight"
  • The Limeliters for The Slightly Fabulous Limeliters
  • The Kingston Trio for Close Up
  • Best Performance by a Chorus
  • Johnny Mann for Great Band With Great Voices performed by the Johnny Mann Singers and the Si Zentner Orchestra
  • Norman Luboff Choir for This Is Norman Luboff
  • Pete King for "Hey, Look Me Over"
  • Belafonte Folk Singers for Belafonte Folk Singers At Home And Abroad
  • Roger Wagner Chorale for A Song At Twilight
  • Best Performance by an Orchestra - for Dancing
  • Si Zentner for Up a Lazy River
  • Les Brown for The Lerner And Loewe Bandbook
  • Billy May & Glen Gray for "Shall We Swing?"
  • Henry Mancini for Mr. Lucky Goes Latin
  • Quincy Jones for I Dig Dancers
  • Lawrence Welk for Calcutta
  • Best Performance by an Orchestra - for Other Than Dancing
  • Henry Mancini for Breakfast at Tiffany's
  • Stan Kenton for West Side Story
  • Al Hirt for The Greatest Horn In The World
  • Andre Previn for A Touch Of Elegance
  • Gerry Mulligan for A Concert In Jazz
  • Best Rock and Roll Recording
  • Chubby Checker for "Let's Twist Again"
  • The Tokens for "The Lion Sleeps Tonight"
  • Ike & Tina Turner for "It's Gonna Work Out Fine"
  • Chris Kenner for "I Like It Like That"
  • James Darren for "Goodbye Cruel World"

Production and engineering

  • Best Engineering Contribution - Popular Recording
  • Robert Arnold (engineer) for Judy at Carnegie Hall performed by Judy Garland
  • Robert Fine (engineer) for Stereo 35/MM performed by Enoch Light
  • Al Schmitt (engineer) for Great Band With Great Voices performed by Johnny Mann Singers & Si Zentner
  • Bill MacMeekin (engineer) for Cozy performed by Steve Lawrence & Eydie Gorme
  • Al Schmitt (engineer) for Breakfast At Tiffany's performed by Henry Mancini
  • Best Engineering Contribution - Classical Recording
  • Lewis W. Layton (engineer), Charles Münch (conductor) & the Boston Symphony Orchestra for Ravel: Daphnis et Chloé
  • Heinrich Keilholtz (engineer) for R. Strauss: Elektra conducted by Karl Bohm
  • Chris Parker (engineer) for Prokofiev Piano Concerto No. 3 conducted by Erich Leinsdorf with piano by John Browning
  • Walter Ruhlmann & Paul Vavasseur (engineers) for Poulenc: Concerto In G For Organ, Strings And Timpani conducted by Georges Pretre with organ by Maurice Durufle
  • Robert Fine (engineer) for Brahms: Symphony No. 2 conducted by William Steinberg
  • Best Engineering Contribution - Novelty
  • John Kraus (engineer) for Stan Freberg Presents the United States of America performed by Stan Freberg
  • Rafael O. Valentin (engineer) for X-15 And Other Sounds Of Rockets, Missiles And Jets
  • Eddie Brackett (engineer) for The Soupy Sales Show performed by Soupy Sales
  • Ted Keep (engineer) for The Alvin Show performed by David Seville
  • Bruno Vineis (engineer) for Cartoons In Stereo effects by Bob Prescott

R&B

  • Best Rhythm & Blues Performance
  • Ray Charles for "Hit the Road Jack"
  • LaVerne Baker for Saved
  • Ernie K-Doe for "Mother In Law"
  • Etta James for "Fool That I Am"
  • Jimmy Reed for "Bright Lights, Big City"

Spoken

  • Best Documentary or Spoken Word Recording (other than comedy)
  • Leonard Bernstein for Humor in Music
  • Various artists for Wisdom: Conversations With The Elder Wise Men Of Our Day Vol. 1
  • Dorothy Parker for The World Of Dorothy Parker
  • Alexander Scourby & Robert Russell Bennett for The Coming Of Christ
  • Hal Holbrook for More Of Hal Holbrook In Mark Twain Tonight!

References

Citations

Bibliography