The third Grammy award ceremony was held on 12th April 1961, at Beverly Hilton Hotel in USA. The Academy recognized the musical accomplishments by the artists for the year 1960. The show was aired as a series of taped annual specials by NBC. Frank Sinatra, Ray Charles and Henry Mancini were the artists mostly nominated in the Grammy categories for the year. Ray Charles was presented with the highest Grammys Awards; Bob Newhart and Henry Mancini were honored with three Grammys each. It was in the year 1961; Grammys presented two separate awards for ‘The Best Spoken’ and for ‘The Best Musical Comedy Performance’. Given below is the list of the nominees and winners who walked out with the prestigious Grammy statuettes.

Grammy Award Winners 1961

Album Of The Year

The nominees were:

  • Bob Newhart - Button Down Mind
  • Erich Leinsdorf - Puccini: Turandot
  • Frank Sinatra - Nice 'n' Easy
  • Harry Belafonte - Belafonte Returns to Carnegie Hall
  • Nat King Cole - Wild Is Love

Winner: Bob Newhart - Button Down Mind

Best Album Cover

The nominees were:

  • Peggy Lee - Latin a la Lee
  • Milt Jackson - Bean Bags
  • Reiner conducting the Chicago Symphony - Prokofiev: Alexander Nevsky
  • Monteux conducting the Boston Symphony - Stravinsky: Petruchka
  • Dick Schory - Wild Percussion and Horns A'Plenty

Winner: Peggy Lee - Latin a la Lee

Best Album Created For Children

The nominees were:

  • David Seville - Let's All Sing with the Chipmunks
  • Howard Mitchell - Adventures in Music, Grade 3, Vol. 1
  • Pete Seeger - Folk Songs for Young People
  • Ralph Bellamy - Stories and Songs of the Civil War
  • Sterling Holloway - Mother Goose Nursery Rhymes

Winner: David Seville - Let's All Sing with the Chipmunks

Best Arrangement

The nominees were
  • Henry Mancini – Mr. Lucky Lyrics
  • George Shearing - Honeysuckle Rose
  • Ray Charles - Let The Good Times Roll Lyrics
  • Percy Faith & His Orchestra - Theme from A Summer Place
  • Dick Schory - Wild Percussion and Horns A'Plenty

Winner: Henry Mancini – Mr. Lucky Lyrics

Best Chamber Music Performance - Vocal Or Instrumental

The nominees were:

  • Laurindo Almeida - Conversations with the Guitar
  • Robert Shaw Chorale - Bach: Cantata No. 4 / Christ Lag in Todesbanden
  • Juilliard Quartet - Debussy and Ravel Quartets
  • Griller Quartet - Haydn: Quartets, Opp. 71 and 74
  • Smetana Quartet - Janacek String Quartets Nos. 1 and 2

Winner: Laurindo Almeida - Conversations with the Guitar

Best Classical Opera Production

The nominees were:
  • Erich Leinsdorf, conducting the Rome Opera House Chorus and Orchestra (solos: Tebaldi, Nilsson, Bjorling, Tozzi) - Puccini: Turandot
  • Josef Krips (solos: Siepi, Danco, Dermote, Corena) - Mozart: Don Giovanni
  • Tullio Serafin (solos: Siepi, Tebaldi, Del Monaco) - Boito: Mefistofele
  • Tullio Serafin conducting the Accademia di Santa Cecilia (solos: Tebaldi, Bergonzi, Bastianini, Corena) - Puccini: La Boheme
  • Tullio Serafin conducting the Rome Opera Chorus and Orchestra (solos: de los Angeles, Del Monte, Sereni) - Verdi: La Traviata

Winner: Erich Leinsdorf, conducting the Rome Opera House Chorus and Orchestra (solos: Tebaldi, Nilsson, Bjorling, Tozzi) - Puccini: Turandot

Best Classical Performance - Choral (Including Oratorio)

The nominees were:
  • Thomas Beecham conducting the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and Chorus (solos: Vyvyan, Sinclair, Vicki, Tozzi) - Handel: Messiah
  • Moravian Festival Chorus - Arias, Anthems and Chorales of American Moravians, Vol. 1
  • Robert Shaw Chorale - Bach: Motet No. 3 (Jesu Meine Freude)
  • Charles Munch and New England Conservatory Chorus - Berlioz: Requiem
  • Maria Stader, Sieglinde Wagner, Hans Ernst Haefliger, Kim Borg - Dvorak: Requiem

Winner: Thomas Beecham conducting the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and Chorus (solos: Vyvyan, Sinclair, Vicki, Tozzi) - Handel: Messiah

Best Classical Performance - Concerto Or Instrumental Soloist

The nominees were:
  • Sviatoslav Richter (Leinsdorf conducting the Chicago Symphony) - Brahms: Piano Concerto No. 2 in B Flat
  • Glenn Gould (Golschmann conducting the Columbia Symphony) - Bach: Concerto No. 5
  • Gervase De Peyer (Maag conducting the London Symphony) - Mozart: Clarinet Concerto
  • Malcolm Frager (Leibowitz conducting the Paris Conservatoire) - Prokofiev: Concerto No. 2
  • Van Cliburn (Reiner conducting the Chicago Symphony) - Schumann: Piano Concerto in A

Winner: Sviatoslav Richter (Leinsdorf conducting the Chicago Symphony) - Brahms: Piano Concerto No. 2 in B Flat

Best Classical Performance - Instrumental Soloist Or Duo (Other Than Orchestra)
The nominees were:
  • Laurindo Almeida - The Spanish Guitars of Laurindo Almeida
  • Jaime Laredo - Bach: Partita No. 3 in E; Brahms: Sonata No. 3 in D Minor
  • Paul Maynard - Brahms: Keyboard Music of the French Court
  • Artur Rubinstein - Chopin: Ballades
  • Julian Bream - The Art of Julian Bream

Winner: Laurindo Almeida - The Spanish Guitars of Laurindo Almeida

Best Classical Performance – Orchestra

The nominees were:
  • Fritz Reiner conducting the Chicago Symphony - Bartok: Music for Strings, Percussion and Celesta
  • Aaron Copland conducting the Boston Symphony - Copland: Appalachian Spring
  • Morton Gould conducting the Morton Gould Orchestra - Grofe: Grand Canyon Suite
  • Thomas Beecham conducting the Royal Philharmonic - Haydn: Solomon Symphonies, Vol. 2
  • Leonard Bernstein conducting the New York Philharmonic - Ives: Symphony No. 2

Winner: Fritz Reiner conducting the Chicago Symphony - Bartok: Music for Strings, Percussion and Celesta

Best Classical Performance - Vocal Soloist

The nominees were:
  • Leontyne Price - A Program of Song
  • Eileen Farrell - Arias in Great Tradition
  • Peter Pears - Britten: Nocturne
  • Salli Terri - Conversations with the Guitar
  • Joan Sutherland - Handel: Arias

Winner: Leontyne Price - A Program of Song

Best Comedy Performance - Musical

The nominees were:
  • Paul Weston, Jo Stafford - Jonathan and Darlene Edwards in Paris
  • David Seville - Alvin for President
  • Tom Lehrer - An Evening Wasted with Tom Lehrer
  • Homer & Jethro - Homer and Jethro at the Country Club
  • Stan Freberg - The Old Payola Roll Blues

Winner: Paul Weston, Jo Stafford - Jonathan and Darlene Edwards in Paris

Best Comedy Performance - Spoken World

The nominees were:
  • Bob Newhart - Button Down Mind Strikes Back
  • Carl Reiner, Mel Brooks - 2,000 Year Old Man
  • Shelley Berman - The Edge of Shelley Berman
  • Jonathan Winters - The Wonderful World of Jonathan Winters

Winner: Bob Newhart - Button Down Mind Strikes Back

Best Contemporary Classical Composition
The nominees were:
  • Aaron Copland - Orchestral Suite from Tender Land
  • Charles Ives - Symphony No. 2
  • Easley Blackwood - Symphony No. 1
  • Edgard Varese - Density 21.5
  • Francis Poulenc - La Voix Humaine

Winner: Aaron Copland - Orchestral Suite from Tender Land

Best Engineered Recording - Novelty
The nominees were:
  • Stan Freberg - The Old Payola Roll Blues
  • David Seville & the Chipmunks - Alvin for President
  • Jack Cookerly - June Night
  • David Seville & the Chipmunks - Let's All Sing the Chipmunks
  • Larry Verne - Mr. Custer

Winner: Stan Freberg - The Old Payola Roll Blues

Best Engineering Contribution - Classical Recording
The nominees were:
  • Charles Munch conducting the New England Conservatory Chorus and Boston Symphony - Bartok: Music for Strings, Percussion and Celesta (Fritz Reiner conducting the Chicago Symphony)
  • Fritz Reiner conducting the Chicago Symphony Orchestra - Prokofiev: Alexander Nevsky
  • Erich Leinsdorf conducting the Rome Opera Chorus and Orchestra; solos: Tebaldi, Nilsson, Bjorling, Tozzi - Puccini: Turandot
  • Fritz Reiner conducting the Chicago Symphony - R. Strauss: Don Quixote

Winner: Charles Munch conducting the New England Conservatory Chorus and Boston Symphony - Bartok: Music for Strings, Percussion and Celesta

Best Engineering Contribution - Popular Recording
The nominees were:
  • Harry Belafonte - Belafonte Returns to Carnegie Hall
  • Esquivel - Infinity in Sound
  • Nat King Cole - Wild Is Love
  • Dick Schory - Wild Percussion and Horns A'Plenty

Winner: Harry Belafonte - Belafonte Returns to Carnegie Hall

Best Folk Performance

The nominees were:
  • Harry Belafonte - Swing Dat Hammer
  • Belafonte Singers - Cheers
  • Brothers Four - Greenfields
  • Kingston Trio - Here We Go Again
  • Miriam Makeba - Miriam Makeba

Winner: Harry Belafonte - Swing Dat Hammer

Best Jazz Composition
  • The nominees were:
  • Miles Davis, Gil Evans - Sketches of Spain
  • Bob Brookmeyer - Blues Suite
  • Dave Brubeck - Blue Rondo a la Turk
  • Duke Ellington - Idiom '59 (Festival Session)
  • Jimmy Giuffre - Western Suite

Winner: Miles Davis, Gil Evans - Sketches of Spain

Best Jazz Performance - Large Group

The nominees were:
  • Henry Mancini - The Blues and the Beat
  • Gerry Mulligan - I'm Gonna Go Fishin'
  • Miles Davis, Gil Evans - Sketches of Spain
  • Recording Artists - Spirituals to Swing Concert
  • Count Basie - The Count Basie Story

Winner: Henry Mancini - The Blues and the Beat

Best Jazz Performance - Solo Or Small Group

The nominees were:
  • Andre Previn - West Side Story
  • Duke Ellington, Johnny Hodges - Back to Back
  • Art Tatum - Greatest Piano of Them All
  • Miles Davis - Jazz Track
  • Modern Jazz Quartet – Pyramid

Winner: Andre Previn - West Side Story

Best Performance - Documentary Or Spoken Word (Other Than Comedy)
The nominees were:
  • Franklin Delano Roosevelt - F.D.R. Speaks
  • John Gielgud - Ages of Man, Vol. 2 (One Man in His Time) Part 2 - Shakespeare
  • Archibald MacLeish - J.B.
  • Henry Fonda - Voices of the Twentieth Century

Winner: Franklin Delano Roosevelt - F.D.R. Speaks

Best Performance By A Band For Dancing

The nominees were:
  • Count Basie - Dance with Basie
  • Les Brown - Bandland
  • Perez Prado - Big Hits by Prado
  • Billy May - Girls and Boys on Broadway
  • Henry Mancini - The Blues and the Beat

Winner: Count Basie - Dance with Basie

Best Performance By A Chorus

The nominees were:
  • Norman Luboff Choir - Songs of the Cowboy
  • Belafonte Folk Singers - Belafonte Returns to Carnegie Hall
  • Ray Charles Singers - Deep Night
  • Pete King Chorale - My Favortie Things
  • Robert Shaw Chorale - What Wondrous Love

Winner: Norman Luboff Choir - Songs of the Cowboy

Best Performance By An Orchestra
The nominees were:
  • Henry Mancini - MrLucky Lyrics
  • Count Basie - Count Basie Story
  • Esquivel - Infinity in Sound
  • Gerry Mulligan - The Concert Jazz Band
  • Percy Faith - Theme from A Summer Place

Winner: Henry Mancini - MrLucky Lyrics

Best Show Album - Original Cast

The nominees were:
  • The Sound of Music - Richard Rodgers, Oscar Hammerstein
  • Camelot - Alan Jay Lerner, Frederick Loewe
  • Bye Bye Birdie - Charles Strouse, Lee Adams
  • Fiorello! - Jerry Bock, Sheldon Harnick
  • The Unsinkable Molly Brown - Meredith Willson
Winner: The Sound of Music - Richard Rodgers, Oscar Hammerstein
 

Best Soundtrack Album Or Recording Of Music Score From A Motion Picture Or Television

The nominees were:
  • Ernest Gold - Exodus
  • Adolph Deutsch - The Apartment
  • Henry Mancini - Mr. Lucky
  • Miklos Rozsa - Ben-Hur
  • Nelson Riddle - The Untouchables

Winner: Ernest Gold - Exodus

Best Soundtrack Album Or Recording Of Original Cast From A Motion Picture Or Television

The nominees were:
  • Cole Porter (film score) - Can-Can
  • Betty Comden, Adolph Green, Jule Styne (film score) - Bells Are Ringing
  • Elvis Presley - G.I. Blues
  • Nelson Riddle - Li'l Abner

Winner: Cole Porter (film score) - Can-Can

Country And Western Performance

The nominees were:
  • Marty Robbins - El Paso Lyrics
  • Jim Reeves - He'll Have To Go Lyrics
  • Johnny Horton - North To Alaska Lyrics
  • Hank Locklin - Plese Help Me, I'm Falling
  • Ferlin Husky - Wings of a Dove Lyrics

Winner: Marty Robbins - El Paso Lyrics

Female Vocal Performance - Album

The nominees were:
  • Ella Fitzgerald - Mack the Knife, Ella in Berlin
  • Rosemary Clooney - Clap Hands, Here Comes Rosie
  • Della Reese - Della
  • Peggy Lee - Latin a la Lee
  • Miriam Makeba - Miriam Makeba

Winner: Ella Fitzgerald - Mack the Knife, Ella in Berlin

Female Vocal Performance - Single

  • The nominees were:
  • Ella Fitzgerald - Mack The Knife Lyrics
  • Peggy Lee - I'm Gonna Go Fishin'
  • Brenda Lee - I'm Sorry Lyrics
  • Eileen Farrell - I've Gotta Right to Sing the Blues
  • Doris Day - The Sound of Music

Winner: Ella Fitzgerald - Mack The Knife Lyrics

Male Vocal Performance - Album

  • The nominees were:
  • Ray Charles - The Genius of Ray Charles
  • Harry Belafonte - Belafonte Returns to Carnegie Hall
  • Elvis Presley - GI Blues
  • Frank Sinatra - Nice 'n' Easy
  • Nat King Cole - Wild Is Love

Winner: Ray Charles - The Genius of Ray Charles

Male Vocal Performance - Single

The nominees were:
  • Ray Charles - Georgia On My Mind Lyrics
  • Elvis Presley - Are You Lonesome Tonight? Lyrics
  • Jim Reeves - He'll Have To Go Lyrics
  • Johnny Mathis - Misty Lyrics
  • Frank Sinatra - Nice 'n' Easy Lyrics

Winner: Ray Charles - Georgia On My Mind Lyrics

New Artist

The nominees were:
  • Bob Newhart
  • Joanie Sommers
  • Leontyne Pryce
  • Miriam Makeba Lyrics
  • The Brothers Four Lyrics

Winner: Bob Newhart

Record Of The Year

The nominees were:
  • Percy Faith - Theme from A Summer Place
  • Ella Fitzgerald - Mack The Knife Lyrics
  • Elvis Presley - Are You Lonesome Tonight? Lyrics
  • Frank Sinatra - Nice 'n' Easy Lyrics
  • Ray Charles - Georgia On My Mind Lyrics

Winner: Percy Faith - Theme from A Summer Place

Rhythm & Blues Performance

The nominees were:
  • Ray Charles - Let The Good Times Roll Lyrics
  • Etta James - All I Could Do Was Cry
  • Hank Ballard - Finger Poppin' Time
  • Muddy Waters - Got My Mojo Working Lyrics
  • Jackie Wilson - Lonely Teardrops Lyrics
  • LaVerne Baker - Shake a Hand

Winner: Ray Charles - Let The Good Times Roll Lyrics

Song Of The Year

The nominees were:
  • Ernest Gold - Theme from Exodus
  • Charles Grean, Joe Allison, Audrey Allison - He'll Have to Go
  • Lew Spence, Marily Keith, Alan Bergman - Nice 'n' Easy
  • Max Steiner - Theme from A Summer Place
  • Sammy Cahn, Jimmy Van Heusen - Second Time Around

Winner: Ernest Gold - Theme from Exodus

Vocal Group

The nominees were:
  • Eydie Gorme, Steve Lawrence - We Got Us
  • The Hi-Los - All over the Place
  • The Brothers Four - Greenfields Lyrics
  • The Kingston Trio - Here We Go Again
  • The Swe-Danes - Scandinavian Shuffle

Winner: Eydie Gorme, Steve Lawrence - We Got Us

Vocal Performance - Pop Single Artist

The nominees were:
  • Ray Charles - Georgia On My Mind Lyrics
  • Elvis Presley - Are You Lonesome Tonight? Lyrics
  • Peggy Lee - Heart
  • Ella Fitzgerald - Mack The Knife Lyrics
  • Frank Sinatra - Nice 'n' Easy Lyrics
Winner: Ray Charles - Georgia On My Mind Lyrics

Actors Born in

January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December