Award ceremony
The 26th Annual Grammy Awards were held on February 28, 1984, at Shrine Auditorium, Los Angeles, and were broadcast live on American television. They recognized accomplishments by musicians from the year 1983. Michael Jackson, who had been recovering from scalp burns sustained due to an accident that occurred during the filming of a Pepsi commercial, won a record eight awards during the show.[2][3] It is notable for garnering the largest Grammy Award television audience ever with 51.67 million viewers.[4]
Album of the Year and Record of the Year went to Michael Jackson for Thriller and "Beat It", and Song of the Year went to The Police for "Every Breath You Take".
Ratings
The 26th Grammy Awards had the highest ratings in the awarding body's history with 51.67 million viewers, a record unmatched as of 2024, and is the third most watched live awards show in U.S. television history (after the 1983 and 1998 editions of the Academy Awards).[1] Donna Summer opened the show with "She Works Hard for the Money", and a tribute to working women.
Performers
Presenters
Winners
General
Blues
Children's
Classical
- Best Orchestral Recording
- Best Classical Vocal Soloist Performance
- Best Opera Recording
- Christopher Raeburn (producer), Georg Solti (conductor), Thomas Allen, Kiri Te Kanawa, Kurt Moll, Lucia Popp, Samuel Ramey, Frederica von Stade & the London Philharmonic for Mozart: Le Nozze di Figaro
- Jay David Saks, Max Wilcox (producers), James Levine (conductor), Plácido Domingo, Cornell MacNeil, Teresa Stratas, & the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra for Verdi: La Traviata (Original Soundtrack)
- Best Choral Performance (other than opera)
- Best Classical Performance - Instrumental Soloist or Soloists (with orchestra)
- Best Classical Performance - Instrumental Soloist or Soloists (without orchestra)
- Best Chamber Music Performance
- Best Classical Album
Comedy
Composing and arranging
- Best Instrumental Composition
- Giorgio Moroder (composer) for "Love Theme From Flashdance" performed by various artists
- Best Album of Original Score Written for a Motion Picture or A Television Special
- Michael Boddicker, Irene Cara, Kim Carnes, Douglas Cotler, Keith Forsey, Richard Gilbert, Jerry Hey, Duane Hitchings, Craig Krampf, Ronald Magness, Dennis Matkosky, Giorgio Moroder, Phil Ramone, Michael Sembello, Shandi Sinnamon (composers) for Flashdance performed by various artists
- Best Arrangement on an Instrumental
- Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocal(s)
- Best Vocal Arrangement for Two or More Voices
Country
Folk
Gospel
Historical
Jazz
Latin
Musical show
Music video
Packaging and notes
Pop
Production and engineering
Rock
Spoken
References
- ^ a b "Whitney Houston Tragic Grammys Draw 39.9 Million Viewers, Second Most Watched Ever". Deadline.com. February 13, 2014. Retrieved May 15, 2017.
- ^ "Grammy honors thrill Jackson". The Milwaukee Sentinel. 29 February 1984. Archived from the original on 23 October 2015. Retrieved 1 May 2011.
- ^ "1983 Grammy Award Winners". Grammy.com. Retrieved 1 May 2011.
- ^ "Grammys Ratings Soar, Nab Second-Largest Audience Ever". Billboard.