Adele at the 54th GRAMMY Awards in 2012

Adele

Photo: Kevork Djansezian/WireImage.com

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Adele To Michael Jackson: Who's Won The Most GRAMMYs In A Night?

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A historical look back at the artists who have won six or more GRAMMY Awards in one night
Paul Grein
GRAMMYs
May 15, 2017 - 2:36 am

Adele made GRAMMY history at the 54th Annual GRAMMY Awards. By winning six awards, she equaled Beyoncé's record for the most GRAMMYs won by a female artist in one night and Eric Clapton's record for the most awards won by a British artist in one night.

Adele, 23, also broke Michael Jackson's record as the youngest artist to scoop up six or more of the coveted gramophones in one outing. Jackson was 25 at the time of his Thriller sweep.

Adele is only the eighth artist in GRAMMY history to win six or more awards in one night. Here's a list of the individuals who have accomplished this feat, arranged in chronological order:

Roger Miller
8th Annual GRAMMY Awards
March 15, 1966

The genial country singer/songwriter won six awards at age 30. That was the biggest GRAMMY sweep to that point. It remains the biggest sweep for a country artist. Five of the six awards were for Miller's country classic "King Of The Road," including Best Country & Western Song. The other award was for Best Country & Western Album for The Return Of Roger Miller. Miller died in 1992.

Paul Simon
13th Annual GRAMMY Awards
March 16, 1971

Simon won seven awards, breaking Miller's record of six. Then 29, Simon was the first person in GRAMMY history to win Album, Record and Song Of The Year in the same night. He won all seven of his GRAMMYs for Bridge Over Troubled Water and its classic title track. He shared five of the awards with his partner Art Garfunkel. They won as artists, and also as co-producers of the album and single, and as co-arrangers of the title track, which was one of the first and highly acclaimed power ballads. Simon also won two awards for the song, which he wrote.

Michael Jackson
26th Annual GRAMMY Awards
Feb. 28, 1984

Jackson won eight awards, topping Simon's mark of seven. Jackson's bounty included Record Of The Year for "Beat It" and Album Of The Year for Thriller. Jackson, then 25, won vocal performance awards in three fields: Pop (Thriller), Rock ("Beat It") and R&B ("Billie Jean"). He also shared the award for Producer Of The Year (Non-Classical) with Quincy Jones. Seven of Jackson's awards were for Thriller. The eighth was for E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial, which he recorded (with Jones) to accompany the Steven Spielberg blockbuster. The album was voted Best Recording For Children.

Quincy Jones
33rd Annual GRAMMY Awards
Feb. 20, 1991

The veteran artist and producer won six awards, including Album Of The Year for Back On The Block. The album drew on Jones' unparalleled history in the music business. His awards ranged from Best Jazz Fusion Performance for a version of Weather Report's "Birdland" to Best Rap Performance By A Duo Or Group for the title track, on which he teamed with Melle Mel, Ice-T, Big Daddy Kane, Kool Moe Dee, and his son, Quincy D. III. Jones also won Producer Of The Year (Non-Classical). He became the first person to win that award three times. Jones was 57 at the time of his sweep, older than anybody else who won so many GRAMMYs in one night.

Eric Clapton
35th Annual GRAMMY Awards
Feb. 24, 1993

Clapton, then 47, became the first British artist to win six GRAMMYs in one night. The rock legend's sweep included Record and Song Of The Year for the heartfelt "Tears In Heaven" and Album Of The Year for Unplugged. He also took vocal performance awards in both pop and rock. One of Clapton's awards was for his 1970 Derek And The Dominos classic "Layla," which was voted Best Rock Song.

Santana
42nd Annual GRAMMY Awards
Feb. 23, 2000

The band won eight awards in 2000, which tied Jackson's record. This was the first time a group or duo had won six or more GRAMMYs in one night. Santana's awards included Record Of The Year for "Smooth" (featuring Rob Thomas) and Album Of The Year for Supernatural. The group won both vocal and instrumental awards in both the Pop and Rock Fields. Santana also won awards for collaborations with such diverse artists as Thomas, Clapton and Everlast, the former frontman for the hip-hop group House Of Pain.

Beyoncé
52nd Annual GRAMMY Awards
Jan. 31, 2010

Beyoncé won six awards in 2010, including Song Of The Year for the exuberant "Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)." Beyoncé, then 28, was the first woman to win six GRAMMYs in one night. She won vocal performance awards in Pop, R&B and Traditional R&B Fields. Five of Beyoncé's awards were for her album I Am… Sasha Fierce. The sixth was for a remake of the Etta James classic, "At Last," which she recorded for the movie Cadillac Records.

Adele
54th Annual GRAMMY Awards
Feb. 12, 2012

Adele, 23, won six awards, including Album Of The Year for 21 and Record and Song Of The Year for "Rolling In The Deep." She also took Best Pop Solo Performance for the torch song "Someone Like You" and Best Short Form Music Video for "Rolling In The Deep." In addition to matching the records set by Beyoncé and Clapton, she surpassed the late Amy Winehouse for the most wins by a female British artist in one night. Winehouse won five awards in 2008.

(Paul Grein, a veteran music journalist based in Los Angeles, writes the weekly Chart Watch column for Yahoo.com. This piece was adapted from a longer piece which Grein wrote for Yahoo.com.)

Record Of The Year GRAMMY Rewind

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Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston, Adele: Record Of The Year GRAMMY Rewind

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Time travel through GRAMMY history and revisit the impressive lineage of Record Of The Year winners
Tim McPhate
GRAMMYs
Jan 4, 2018 - 5:17 pm

Numerically speaking, it's the first category on the GRAMMY Awards nominations list. Conversely, it is typically one of the final categories announced on the annual GRAMMY telecast. And its winners have spanned jazz, pop, rock, R&B, and Latin, among other genres.

Rewind The Record Of The Year GRAMMY Winners

What's the category? It's Record Of The Year, which is an award that goes to a track's artist, producer, engineer, mixer, and mastering engineer.

The Record Of The Year category's 59-year history offers a unique aural tour through the annals popular music — one that certainly has the makings for one powerfully diverse playlist.

Record Of The Year: Full List Of Winners And Nominees

There's Bobby Darin's swingin' "Mack The Knife" (1959), Henry Mancini's exquisite "Days Of Wine And Roses" (1963), Frank Sinatra's velvety "Strangers In The Night" (1966),  Simon And Garfunkel's inspired "Bridge Over Troubled Water," Roberta Flack's radiant "Killing Me Softly With His Song" (1973), and Captain & Tennille's breezy "Love Will Keep Us Together" (1975).

In the '80s, radio-friendly hits such as Toto's "Rosanna" (1982), Michael Jackson's "Beat It" (1983) and Tina Turner's "What's Love Got To Do With It" (1984) were among the winning recordings.

The '90s netted the likes of Eric Clapton's moving "Tears In Heaven" (1992), Whitney Houston's ubiquitous "I Will Always Love You" (1993) and Santana featuring Rob Thomas' infectious "Smooth" (1999).

The Record Of The Year lineage continued into the 2000s and beyond with unforgettable hits such as U2's "Beautiful Day" (2000), Green Day's "Boulevard Of Broken Dreams" (2005), Amy Winehouse's "Rehab" (2007), Daft Punk featuring Pharrell Williams & Nile Rodgers' "Get Lucky" (2013), and most recently, Adele's "Hello" (2016).

Which recording will become the 60th Record Of The Year GRAMMY winner? Tune in to the 60th GRAMMY Awards on Jan. 28 to find out.

What's The Difference? GRAMMY Record Of The Year Vs. Song Of The Year

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Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson, Beyoncé, Mariah Carey

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Michael Jackson, Beyoncé, Jay-Z: 25 GRAMMY Record Setters | Black History Month

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From wins and nominations to momentous firsts and incredible feats, take a look at 25 GRAMMY records set by African-Americans
Paul Grein
GRAMMYs
Feb 8, 2018 - 3:50 pm

African-American artists have been making history at the GRAMMYs since the awards were first presented on May 4, 1959. Ella Fitzgerald and Count Basie each took home two awards that night.

Watch: Kendrick Lamar Wins Best Rap Album

And they have continued to be at the forefront right through this year, when Kendrick Lamar scooped up five GRAMMYs (bringing his total to date to an even dozen).

To help celebrate Black History Month, here are 25 GRAMMY records set by African-American artists. Note: This isn't just a list of the first African-American winners in various categories — though those milestones are meaningful in their own right. These are instances where an African-American artist or producer set a record in competition with everybody.

1. Michael Jackson

The first artist to win eight GRAMMYs in one night: Michael Jackson (1983). In that Thriller of a year, Jackson also became the first artist to amass 12 nominations in one night.

Michael Jackson Wins Record Of The Year

2. Quincy Jones

Artist with the most GRAMMY nominations: Quincy Jones (79). Jones landed his first noms in 1960; his most recent in 2001.

3. Beyoncé And Jay-Z

The only couple where both individuals have received 20 or more GRAMMYs: Beyoncé and Jay-Z. At last count, she has amassed 22 GRAMMYs. He has won 21.

Beyoncé wins Best Urban Contemporary Album GRAMMY

4. Beyoncé

The youngest artist to amass 20 career GRAMMYs: Beyoncé, who was 33 when she picked up her 18th, 19th and 20th GRAMMYs at the 2014 awards. She broke a record that was held by Kanye West, who was 35 when he collected his 19th, 20th and 21st GRAMMYs at the 2012 awards.

5. Mariah Carey

The youngest artist to receive nominations in each of the four General Field categories (Record, Album and Song Of The Year and Best New Artist): Mariah Carey, who was 20 when she was nominated in all four categories for 1990. She won for Best New Artist.

Mariah Carey Wins Best New Artist

6. Stevie Wonder

The only artist in GRAMMY history to win Album Of The Year with three consecutive studio albums: Stevie Wonder. He achieved this extraordinary three-peat with Innervisions (1973), Fulfillingness' First Finale (1974) and Songs In The Key Of Life (1976).

7. Stevie Wonder

The first artist to win Album Of The Year with an entirely self-produced album: Stevie Wonder (Innervisions).

8. Stevie Wonder

The youngest artist to win his third GRAMMY for Album Of The Year: Stevie Wonder, who was just 26 when he won for the third time with Songs In The Key Of Life.

9. Ray Charles

The artist with the longest span of Album Of The Year nominations: Ray Charles. His noms in the category span 43 years, from Genius + Soul = Jazz (1961) to Genius Loves Company (2004).

10. Ella Fitzgerald

The first woman to receive an Album Of The Year nomination: Ella Fitzgerald, who was nominated in 1958, the awards' first year, for Ella Fitzgerald Sings The Irving Berlin Song Book.

11. Roberta Flack

The first artist to win back-to-back awards for Record Of The Year: Roberta Flack ("The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face," 1972, and "Killing Me Softly With His Song," 1973).

Roberta Flack Wins Record of the Year

12. The 5th Dimension

The first group or duo to win twice for Record Of The Year: The 5th Dimension. The vocal quintet won for "Up, Up And Away" (1967) and "Aquarius/Let The Sunshine In (The Flesh Failures)" (1969).

13. Ray Charles

The artist with the longest span of Record Of The Year nominations: Ray Charles. His noms in the category span 44 years, from "Georgia On My Mind" (1960) to "Here We Go Again," a collaboration with Norah Jones (2004).

14. Thom Bell

The first producer to win for Producer Of The Year, Non-Classical: Thom Bell (1974, the first year the award was presented).

15. Quincy Jones

The first producer to win twice for Producer Of The Year, Non-Classical: Quincy Jones. He shared his second award with Michael Jackson. Jones was also the first producer to win three times in the category.

Quincy Jones Wins Producer Of The Year

16. Babyface

The only producer to win four times for Producer Of The Year, Non-Classical: Babyface. He shared the first of these awards with his partner, L.A. Reid.

17. Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis

The producer(s) with the most nominations for Producer Of The Year, Non-Classical: Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis. The hit-making team amassed 11 noms from 1986–2005. They won the award for 1986.

18. Aretha Franklin

Most consecutive awards in any category: Aretha Franklin, eight consecutive awards for Best R&B Vocal Performance, Female (1967–1974). The streak kicked off with the immortal "Respect." They don't call her the "Queen Of Soul" for nothing.

19. Ella Fitzgerald

The first woman to receive a GRAMMY Lifetime Achievement Award: Ella Fitzgerald (1967).

20. Lauryn Hill

The first woman to win five GRAMMYs in one night: Lauryn Hill (1998). Her awards included Album Of The Year for The Miseducation Of Lauryn Hill.

21. Beyoncé

The first woman to win six GRAMMYs in one night: Beyoncé (2009). Her awards included Song Of The Year for "Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)."

22. Ray Charles

Most posthumous GRAMMYs in one night (five): Ray Charles (2004). His awards included Album Of The Year for Genius Loves Company.

23. Pinetop Perkins

The oldest artist to win a GRAMMY: Pinetop Perkins, who was 97 when he won Best Traditional Blues Album for Joined At The Hip (2010).

24. Elizabeth Cotten

The oldest female artist to win a GRAMMY: Elizabeth Cotten, who was 90 when she won Best Ethnic Or Traditional Folk Recording for Elizabeth Cotten Live! (1984). (She was 26 days older than Betty White was when she won the 2011 award for Best Spoken Word Album (Includes Poetry, Audio Books & Storytelling). Hey, days count in GRAMMY record-setting.)

25. Deleon Richards

The youngest individual artist to receive a GRAMMY nomination: Deleon Richards, who was just eight when she was nominated for Best Soul Gospel Performance — Female for her album Deleon (1985).

(Paul Grein is a veteran music journalist and historian whose work appears regularly at Yahoo.com and Hitsdailydouble.com.)

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Celebrate Black History Month with Beyoncé, Ray Charles

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In recognition of Black History Month, a look at a group of inspiring African-American artists who have mined GRAMMY gold
Crystal Larsen
GRAMMYs
May 15, 2017 - 2:36 am

Black History Month is celebrated throughout the month of February in the United States in a collective effort to promote, preserve and research black history and culture year-round.

Of course, music is and has always been an indelible part of American culture. And whether it's jazz, blues, R&B or hip-hop, African-American musicians, singers and producers have made immense contributions to our nation's musical history.

To help celebrate Black History Month, we take a look back at memorable albums and snapshots from the careers of a select group of talented African-American artists who have not only won plenty of GRAMMYs, but have enriched our culture and inspired legions of listeners along the way.

 

Quincy Jones, Back On The Block (iTunes>)
GRAMMY wins: 27
Memorable GRAMMY gold: "Q" holds the record for most GRAMMY nominations with 79 and in 1990 the esteemed producer picked up six GRAMMYs, including Producer Of The Year, Non-Classical and Album Of The Year for Back On The Block.

 

Stevie Wonder, Songs In The Key Of Life (iTunes>)
GRAMMY wins: 25
Memorable GRAMMY gold: Fresh off winning five GRAMMY Awards in both 1973 and 1974, the legendary Wonder rolled another five in 1976, including wins for Best Producer Of The Year and Album Of The Year for Songs In The Key Of Life.

 

Aretha Franklin, I Never Loved A Man The Way I Love You (iTunes>)
GRAMMY wins: 18
Memorable GRAMMY gold: The Queen of Soul commanded respect from her peers in picking up a pair of GRAMMYs in 1967 for Best Rhythm & Blues Recording and Best Rhythm & Blues Solo Vocal Performance, Female for, you guessed it, "Respect." The Queen was honored at the 53rd Annual GRAMMY Awards in 2011 with a special tribute performance by Yolanda Adams, Christina Aguilera, Jennifer Hudson, Martina McBride, and Florence Welch.

 

Kanye West, Graduation (iTunes>)
GRAMMY wins: 18
Memorable GRAMMY gold: The enigmatic rapper graduated in 2007 with four GRAMMYs for Best Rap Song, Best Rap Album, Best Rap Performance By A Duo Or Group, and Best Rap Solo Performance. West won another four GRAMMYs this year, including Best Rap Song for "All Of The Lights" with Jeff Bhasker, Fergie, Malik Jones, and Warren Trotter, and Best Rap Album for My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy.

 

Ray Charles, Genius Loves Company (iTunes>)
GRAMMY wins: 17 
Memorable GRAMMY gold: Following his passing in 2004, Charles' Genius Loves Company album spawned five posthumous statues at the 47th Annual GRAMMY Awards, including Album Of The Year and Record Of The Year. His album Genius + Soul = Jazz earned an induction into the GRAMMY Hall Of Fame in 2011.

 

Beyoncé, I Am…Sasha Fierce (iTunes>)
GRAMMY wins: 16
Memorable GRAMMY gold: In 2010 the R&B/pop princess won a six-pack of GRAMMYs at the 52nd Annual GRAMMY Awards, including Song Of The Year for "Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)." This year, aside from giving birth to her daughter, Blue Ivy Carter, Beyoncé garnered nominations for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration for "Party" with André 3000 and Best Long Form Music Video for I Am...World Tour.

 

B.B. King, Completely Well (iTunes>)
GRAMMY wins: 15
Memorable GRAMMY gold: King was crowned with his first GRAMMY in 1970 for Best R&B Vocal Performance, Male for "The Thrill Is Gone," which hit No. 15 on the Billboard Hot 100. King won GRAMMYs in the '80s, '90s and '00s, with his most recent win coming in 2008 for Best Traditional Blues Album for One Kind Favor.

 

Jay-Z, The Blueprint 3 (iTunes>)
GRAMMY wins: 14
Memorable GRAMMY gold: Following the three GRAMMYs he won last year, Jay-Z picked up three GRAMMYs again at the 53rd Annual GRAMMY Awards last year for Best Rap Performance By A Duo Or Group for "On To The Next One" with Swizz Beatz and Best Rap/Sung Collaboration and Best Rap Song for "Empire State Of Mind" with Alicia Keys. This year he took home the Best Rap Performance award for "Otis" with Kanye West.

 

Alicia Keys, Songs In A Minor (iTunes>)
GRAMMY wins: 14
Memorable GRAMMY gold: Proving her worth right out of the gate, in 2001 Keys released her debut album, Songs In A Minor, and won five GRAMMYs, including Song Of The Year for "Fallin'" and Best New Artist. She picked up two awards with Jay-Z for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration and Best Rap Song for "Empire State Of Mind" at the 53rd Annual GRAMMY Awards in 2011.

 

Michael Jackson, Thriller (iTunes>)
GRAMMY wins: 13
Memorable GRAMMY gold: Riding the wave of Thriller, the King of Pop won an unprecedented eight GRAMMY Awards in 1983, including Album Of The Year and Record Of The Year for "Beat It." Jackson's This Is It garnered a nod for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance at the 53rd Annual GRAMMY Awards.

 

Duke Ellington, Anatomy Of A Murder (iTunes>)
GRAMMY wins: 11
Memorable GRAMMY gold: The eminent big-band leader and composer picked up three GRAMMYs at the 2nd Annual GRAMMY Awards in 1959 for Anatomy Of A Murder, including Best Performance By A Dance Band.

 

Natalie Cole, Unforgettable With Love (iTunes>)
GRAMMY wins: 9
Memorable GRAMMY gold: The smooth R&B songstress had an unforgettable year in 1991, picking up a trio of GRAMMYs, including Record Of The Year for "Unforgettable."

 

Miles Davis, Aura (iTunes>)
GRAMMY wins: 8
Memorable GRAMMY gold: One of jazz's most noteworthy trumpet players picked up two GRAMMY Awards in 1989, including Best Jazz Instrumental Performance, Big Band for his colorful opus Aura.

 

Tina Turner, Private Dancer (iTunes>)
GRAMMY wins: 8
Memorable GRAMMY gold: Turner landed three GRAMMY Awards in 1984, with her No. 1 hit "What's Love Got To Do With It" winning for Best Pop Vocal Performance, Female and Record Of The Year. This year the anthem was inducted into the GRAMMY Hall Of Fame.

 

Usher, Raymond V Raymond (iTunes>)
GRAMMY wins: 7
Memorable GRAMMY gold: Usher picked up two trophies at the 53rd Annual GRAMMY Awards, including Best Male R&B Vocal Performance for "There Goes My Baby." His first two GRAMMYs came in 2001 and 2002 for "U Remind Me" and "U Don't Have To Call," respectively. Usher performed his No. 1 single from Raymond V Raymond, "OMG," on the 53rd GRAMMY telecast with Justin Bieber in 2011.

 

Buddy Guy, Living Proof (iTunes>)
GRAMMY wins: 6
Memorable GRAMMY gold: The influential blues guitarist picked up his sixth GRAMMY this year for Best Contemporary Blues Album for Living Proof, marking the fourth time he has won the award. Guy first won the award in 1991 for Damn Right, I've Got The Blues.

 

Whitney Houston, The Bodyguard — Original Soundtrack Album (iTunes>)
GRAMMY wins: 6
Memorable GRAMMY gold: Houston, whose untimely death came on the eve of the 54th Annual GRAMMY Awards on Feb. 11, made an impressive GRAMMY debut in 1985, garnering an Album Of The Year nomination for her self-titled debut, and winning Best Pop Vocal Performance, Female for "Saving All My Love For You." On the strength of the 1992 blockbuster film The Bodyguard, which she starred in, in 1993 Houston took home Album Of The Year honors for the film's soundtrack, and earned Record Of The Year for the heart-wrenching "I Will Always Love You." Houston was honored on the 54th GRAMMY telecast with a stirring performance of the song by GRAMMY winner Jennifer Hudson.

 

Blind Boys Of Alabama, Down In New Orleans (iTunes>)
GRAMMY wins: 5
Memorable GRAMMY gold: After a GRAMMY win in 2008 for Best Traditional Gospel Album for Down In New Orleans, the Blind Boys Of Alabama were honored with The Recording Academy's esteemed Lifetime Achievement Award in 2009.

Which African-American artists do you think made important contributions to popular music? Drop us a comment and let us know who your picks are.