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Grammy Awards of 1981

Winners List

* Album of the Year
o Michael Omartian (producer) & Christopher Cross for Christopher Cross

* Song of the Year
o Christopher Cross for "Sailing"

* Best New Artist
o Christopher Cross

Children's

* Best Recording for Children
o David Levine & Lucy Simon (producers) for In Harmony/A Sesame Street Record performed by various artists

Classical

* Best Classical Orchestral Recording
o Raymond Minshull (producer), Georg Solti (conductor) & the Chicago Symphony Orchestra for Bruckner: Symphony No. 6 in A
* Best Classical Vocal Soloist Performance
o Henry Lewis (conductor), Leontyne Price & the Philharmonia Orchestra for Prima Donna, Vol. 5 - Great Soprano Arias From Handel to Britten
* Best Opera Recording
o Gunther Breest, Michael Horwath (producers), Pierre Boulez (conductor), Toni Blankenheim, Franz Mazura, Yvonne Minton, Teresa Stratas & the Orchestre de l'Opera de Paris for Berg: Lulu
* Best Choral Performance, Classical
o Carlo Maria Giulini (conductor), Norbert Balatsch (chorus master) & the Philharmonia Orchestra & Chorus for Mozart: Requiem
* Best Classical Performance- Instrumental Soloist or Soloists (with orchestra)
o Bernard Haitink (conductor), Itzhak Perlman, Mstislav Rostropovich & the Concertgebouw Orchestra for Brahms: Violin and Cello Concerto in A Minor (Double Concerto)
o Seiji Ozawa (conductor), Itzhak Perlman & the Boston Symphony Orchestra for Berg: Violin Concerto/Stravinsky: Violin Concerto in D
* Best Classical Performance - Instrumental Soloist or Soloists (without orchestra)
o Itzhak Perlman for The Spanish Album
* Best Chamber Music Performance
o Itzhak Perlman & Pinchas Zukerman for Music for Two Violins (Moszkowski: Suite For Two Violins/Shostakovich: Duets/Prokofiev: Sonata for Two Violins)
* Best Classical Album
o Gunther Breest, Michael Horwath (producers), Pierre Boulez (conductor), Toni Blankenheim, Franz Mazura, Yvonne Minton, Teresa Stratas, & the Orchestre de l'Opera de Paris for Berg: Lulu

Comedy

* Best Comedy Recording
o Rodney Dangerfield for No Respect

Composing and arranging

* Best Instrumental Composition
o John Williams (composer) for The Empire Strikes Back
* Best Album of Original Score Written for a Motion Picture or a Television Special
o John Williams (composer) for The Empire Strikes Back
* Best Instrumental Arrangement
o Jerry Hey & Quincy Jones (arrangers) for "Dinorah, Dinorah" performed by George Benson
* Best Arrangement Accompanying Vocalist(s)
o Christopher Cross & Michael Omartian (arrangers) for "Sailing" performed by Christopher Cross
* Best Arrangement for Voices
o Janis Siegel (arranger) for "Birdland" performed by The Manhattan Transfer

Country

* Best Country Vocal Performance, Female
o Anne Murray for "Could I Have This Dance?"
* Best Country Vocal Performance, Male
o George Jones for "He Stopped Loving Her Today"
* Best Country Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group
o Emmylou Harris & Roy Orbison for "That Lovin' You Feelin' Again"
* Best Country Instrumental Performance
o Gilley's Urban Cowboy Band for "Orange Blossom Special/Hoedown"
* Best Country Song
o Willie Nelson (songwriter) for "On the Road Again"

Folk

* Best Ethnic or Traditional Recording
o Norman Dayron (producer) for Rare Blues performed by various artists

Gospel

* Best Gospel Performance, Traditional
o Blackwood Brothers for We Come to Worship
* Best Gospel Performance, Contemporary or Inspirational
o The Archers, Cynthia Clawson, Andrae Crouch, Tramaine Hawkins, Walter Hawkins, Dony McGuire, Reba Rambo & B.J. Thomas for The Lord's Prayer
* Best Soul Gospel Performance, Traditional
o James Cleveland & the Charles Fold Singers for Lord, Let Me Be an Instrument
* Best Soul Gospel Performance, Contemporary
o Shirley Caesar for Rejoice
* Best Inspirational Performance
o Debby Boone for With My Song I Will Praise Him

Historical

* Best Historical Reissue Album
o Keith Hardwick (producer) for Segovia - The EMI Recordings 1927-39

Jazz

* Best Jazz Vocal Performance, Female
o Ella Fitzgerald for A Perfect Match - Ella and Basie
* Best Jazz Vocal Performance, Male
o George Benson for "Moody's Mood"
* Best Jazz Instrumental Performance, Soloist
o Bill Evans for I Will Say Goodbye
* Best Instrumental Jazz Performance, Group
o Bill Evans for We Will Meet Again
* Best Instrumental Jazz Performance, Big Band
o Count Basie for On the Road
* Best Jazz Fusion Performance, Vocal or Instrumental
o The Manhattan Transfer for "Birdland"

Latin

* Best Latin Recording
o Cal Tjader for La Onda Va Bien

Musical Show

* Best Cast Show Album
o Andrew Lloyd Webber (producer and composer), Tim Rice (producer and lyricist) & the original cast with Patti Lupone & Mandy Patinkin for Evita - Premier American Recording

Packaging and Notes

* Best Album Package
o Roy Kohara (art director) for Against the Wind performed by Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band
* Best Album Notes
o David McClintick (notes writer) for Trilogy: Past, Present and Future performed by Frank Sinatra

Pop

* Best Pop Vocal Performance, Female
o Bette Midler for "The Rose"
* Best Pop Vocal Performance, Male
o Kenny Loggins for "This Is It"
* Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal
o Barbra Streisand & Barry Gibb for "Guilty"
* Best Pop Instrumental Performance
o Bob James & Earl Klugh for One on One

Production and engineering

* Best Engineered Recording, Non-Classical
o James Guthrie (engineer) for The Wall performed by Pink Floyd
* Best Engineered Recording, Classical
o Karl-August Naegler (engineer), Pierre Boulez (conductor) & the Orchestre de l'Opera de Paris for Berg: Lulu (Complete Version)
* Producer of the Year, (Non-Classical)
o Phil Ramone
* Classical Producer of the Year
o Robert Woods

R&B

* Best R&B Vocal Performance, Female
o Stephanie Mills for "Never Knew Love Like This Before"
* Best R&B Vocal Performance, Male
o George Benson for Give Me the Night
* Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal
o The Manhattans for "Shining Star"
* Best R&B Instrumental Performance
o George Benson for "Off Broadway "
* Best Rhythm & Blues Song
o James Mtume & Reggie Lucas (songwriters) for "Never Knew Love Like This Before" performed by Stephanie Mills

Rock

* Best Rock Vocal Performance, Female
o Pat Benatar for Crimes of Passion
* Best Rock Vocal Performance, Male
o Billy Joel for Glass Houses
* Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal
o Bob Seger & the Silver Bullet Band for Against the Wind
* Best Rock Instrumental Performance
o The Police for "Reggatta de Blanc"

Spoken

* Best Spoken Word, Documentary or Drama Recording
o Pat Carroll for Gertrude Stein, Gertrude Stein, Gertrude Stein