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. It is notable for garnering the largest Grammy Award television audience ever with 51.67 million viewers.
Michael Jackson received the most nominations ever in a single night with 12 and won 8 awards, breaking the record for most awards in a single night. Jackson won Album of the Year for Thriller and Record of the Year for "Beat It". The Police won Song of the Year for "Every Breath You Take" and Culture Club won for Best New Artist.
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 , and is the third most watched live awards show in U.S. television history (after the 1983 and 1998 editions of the Academy Awards). Donna Summer opened the show with "She Works Hard for the Money", and a tribute to working women.
Performers
Presenters
Winners
General
Record of the Year
Album of the Year
- Thriller â Michael Jackson
- Quincy Jones (producer) & Michael Jackson (producer)
- Let's Dance - David Bowie
- David Bowie & Nile Rodgers, producers
- An Innocent Man - Billy Joel
- Phil Ramone, producer
- Synchronicity - The Police
- The Police & Hugh Padgham, producers
- Flashdance: Original Soundtrack from the Motion Picture - Various Artists
- Irene Cara, Shandi Sinnamon, Helen St. John, Karen Kamon, Joe Esposito, Laura Branigan, Donna Summer, Cycle V, Kim Carnes & Michael Sembello, featured artists; Giorgio Moroder, producer
Song of the Year
Best New Artist
Blues
Children's
Classical
- Best Orchestral Recording
- James Mallinson (producer), Georg Solti (conductor) & the Chicago Symphony Orchestra for Mahler: Symphony No. 9 in D
- Best Classical Vocal Soloist Performance
- James Levine (conductor), Marilyn Horne, Leontyne Price & the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra for Leontyne Price & Marilyn Horne in Concert at the Met
- 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)
- Georg Solti (conductor), Margaret Hillis (choir director) & the Chicago Symphony Orchestra & Chorus for Haydn: The Creation
- Best Classical Performance - Instrumental Soloist or Soloists (with orchestra)
- Raymond Leppard (conductor), Wynton Marsalis & the National Philharmonic Orchestra for Haydn: Trumpet Concerto in E Flat/L. Mozart: Trumpet Concerto In D/Hummel: Trumpet Concerto in E Flat
- Best Classical Performance - Instrumental Soloist or Soloists (without orchestra)
- Glenn Gould for Beethoven: Piano Sonatas Nos. 12 & 13
- Best Chamber Music Performance
- Mstislav Rostropovich and Rudolf Serkin for Brahms: Sonata for Cello and Piano in E Minor, Op. 38 and Sonata in F, Op. 99
- Best Classical Album
- James Mallinson (producer), Georg Solti (conductor) & the Chicago Symphony Orchestra for Mahler: Symphony No. 9 in D
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
- Dave Grusin (arranger) for "Summer Sketches '82"
- Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocal(s)
- Nelson Riddle (arranger) for "What's New" performed by Linda Ronstadt
- Best Vocal Arrangement for Two or More Voices
- Arif Mardin & Chaka Khan (arrangers) for "Be Bop Medley" performed by Chaka Khan
Country
Folk
Gospel
Historical
Jazz
Latin
Musical show
Music video
Packaging and notes
Pop
Production and engineering
R&B
Rock
Spoken
References