About The Show

This is truly the grand-daddy of all awards shows. The National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences recognizes outstanding musical achievements. The Grammys always prove to be a night of spectacle and performance that truly can't be missed.

Host: Billy Crystal
Date: February 21, 1989
City: Los Angeles

The Nominees

Best Album Notes

Best Album Of Original Instrumental Background Score Written For A Motion Picture Or Television

Best Arrangement On An Instrumental

  • Winner:
    Eddie Daniels
    Memos from Paradise
  • Henry Manicin & R.P.O. Pops Suite from The Thorn Birds
  • Flim & the BB's Jazz Patrol
  • John Dankworth conducting the London Symphony Orchestra Caravan
  • Turtle Island String Quartet A Night in Tunisia

Best Bluegrass Recording - Vocal Or Instrumental

Best Chamber Music Performance - Vocal Or Instrumental

  • Winner:
    Murray Perahia, George Solti, pianos; David Corkhill, Evelyn Glennie, percussion
    Bartok: Sonata for 2 Pianos and Percussion; Brahms: Variation on a Theme by Joseph Haydn for 2 Piano
  • James Levine, piano; Ensemble Wien-Berlin Mozart: Quintet in E Flat for Piano and Winds, K. 452; Beethoven: Quintet in E Flat for Piano and Wi
  • Kim Kashkashian, viola; Robert Levin, piano Hindemith: Viola Sonata Op. 11, No. 4; Violin Sonata, 4; Op. 25, No. 4; Violin Sonatas, 1937
  • Guarneri Quartet Dvorak: String Quartet in F (American Quartet); Smetana: String Quartet in E Minor (From My Life)
  • Gidon Kremer, violin; Martha Argerich, piano Beethoven: Violin-Piano Sonatas No. 4 in A, Op. 23, and No. 5 in F, Op. 24

Best Choral Performance

  • Winner:
    Robert Shaw conducting the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and Chorus
    Verdi: Requiem and Operatic Choruses
  • Trevor Pinnock conducting the English Concert Choir and English Concert Vivaldi: Gloria; Scarlatti: Dixit Dominus
  • Helmuth Froschauer, chorus master; Herbert von Karajan conducting the Vienna Singverein and Vienna Philharmonic Mozart: Requiem
  • Margaret Hillis, choral director; Georg Solti conducting the Chicago Symphony Chorus and Orchestra Bach: St. Matthew Passion
  • John Eliot Gardiner conducting the Monteverdi Choir, the English Baroque Soloists Bach: Christmas Oratorio

Best Classical Album

  • Winner:
    Robert Shaw conducting the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and Chorus
    Verdi: Requiem and Operatic Choruses
  • Vladimir Horowitz, piano; Carlo Maria Giulini conducting the La Scala Opera Orchestra Horowitz Plays Mozart (Piano Concerto No. 23 in A and Piano Sonata No. 13 in B Flat)
  • Robert Shaw conducting the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra for String Symphony; Louis Lane conducting the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra for Sunday Morning, &quo Rorem: String Symphony; Sunday Morning; Eagles
  • Georg Solti conducting the Vienna State Opera Choir and Vienna Philharmonic (solos: Placido Domingo, Jessye Norman, Eva Randova, Siegmund Nimsgern, Hans Sotin, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau) Wagner: Lohengrin
  • Leonard Bernstein conducting the New York Philharmonic Mahler: Symphony No. 2 in C Minor (Resurrection)

Best Classical Performance - Instrumental Soloist(s) With Orchestra

  • Winner:
    Vladimir Horowitz, piano (Carlo Maria Giulini conducting La Scala Opera Orchestra)
    Mozart: Piano Concerto No. 23 in A
  • Gary Gray, clarinet (Harry Newstone conducting the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra) The Art of Gary Gray (Copland: Clarinet Concerto; Lutoslawski: Dance Preludes for Clarinet and Orche
  • Isaac Stern, violin (Lorin Maazel conducting the Orchestre National de France) Dutilleux: L'Arbre des Songes - Concerto for Violin and Orchestra
  • Itzhak Perlman, violin (Zubin Mehta conducting the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra) Bruch: Scottish Fantasy and Violin Concerto No. 2 in D Minor
  • Zoltan Kocsis, piano (Ivan Fischer conducting the Budapest Festival Orchestra) Bartok: Works for Piano and Orchestra (Concerto No. 1, Concerto No. 2, Rhapsody for Piano and Orches
  • Isaac Stern, violin; Yo-Yo Ma, cello (Claudio Abbado conducting the Chicago Symphony Orchestra) Brahms: Double Concerto in A Minor, Op. 102
  • Wynton Marsalis, trumpet (Raymond Leppard conducting the English Chamber Orchestra) Baroque Music for Trumpets (Vivaldi, Telemann, Pachelbel, Haydn, von Biber)

Best Classical Performance - Instrumental Soloist(s) Without Orchestra

  • Winner:
    Alicia de Larrocha, piano
    Albeniz: Iberia; Navarra; Suite Espagnola
  • Maurizio Pollini, piano Schubert: The Late Piano Sonatas (D. 958, 959, 960); 3 Piano Pieces, D. 946; Allegretto, D. 915
  • Vladimir Horowitz, piano Mozart: Piano Sonata No. 13 in B Flat, K. 333
  • Alfred Brendel, piano Liszt: Annees de Pelerinage, Second Year: Italy
  • Keith Jarrett, piano Bach: The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 1

Best Classical Performance - Vocal Soloist

  • Winner:
    Luciano Pavarotti, tenor (Emerson Buckley conducting the Symphonic Orchestra of Amelia Romagna Arturo Toscanini)
    Luciano Pavarotti in Concert (arias from Lucia de Lammermoor, Rigoletto, La Boheme, Fedora, Turandot
  • Jan DeGaetani, mezzo-soprano (Gilbert Kalish, accompanist) Songs of America (Stephen Foster, Elliott Carter, Ruth Crawford, Milton Babbitt, George Crumb, Carri
  • Christa Ludwig, soprano (James Levine, accompanist) Schubert: Winterreise
  • Jessye Norman, soprano (Geoffrey Parsons, accompanist) Handel, Schubert, Schumann: Lieder (Jessye Norman - Live at Hohenems)
  • Arleen Auger, soprano (Dalton Baldwin, accompanist) Love Songs (Copland, R. Strauss, Poulenc, Mahler, Schumann, Gounod, Schubert)

Best Contemporary Composition

  • Winner:
    Edo de Waart conducting the Orchestra of St. Luke's
    Nixon in China
  • Slatkin conducting the St. Louis Orchestra; Joan Morris, mezzo-soprano Symphony No. 4
  • Robert Shaw conducting the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra String Symphony
  • Leonard Bernstein conducting the Austrian Radio Symphony Orchestra; soloists A Quiet Place
  • Suzanne Stephens, clarinet Amour

Best Country & Western Instrumental Performance

Best Country & Western Song

Best Country & Western Vocal Collaboration

  • Winner:
    Roy Orbison, k.d. lang
    Crying
  • Earl Thomas Conley, Emmylou Harris We Believe in Happy Endings
  • Dwight Yoakan, Buck Owens Streets of Bakersfield
  • Rodney Crowell, Rosanne Cash It's Such a Small World
  • k.d. lang, Brenda Lee, Loretta Lynn, Kitty Wells Honky Tonk Angels' Medley

Best Engineered Recording - Classical

  • Winner:
    Robert Shaw conducting the Atlanta Symphony Chorus and Orchestra
    Verdi: Requiem and Operatic Choruses
  • Leonard Bernstein conducting the New York Philharmonic Mahler: Symphony No. 2 (Resurrection)
  • Georg Solti conducting the Chicago Symphony Orchestra Bruckner: Symphony No. 7 in E
  • Bernard Haitink conducting the Concertgebouw Orchestra Beethoven: The 9 Symphonies (Complete)
  • Robert Shaw conducting the Atlanta Symphony Chorus and Orchestra Beethoven: Missa Solemnis; Mozart: Great C Minor Mass

Best Gospel Performance - Duo, Group, Choir Or Chorus

Best Gospel Performance - Female

Best Instrumental Composition

Best Jazz Fusion Performance

Best Jazz Instrumental Performance - Big Band

  • Winner:
    Gil Evans & the Monday Night Orchestra
    Bud and Bird
  • Gene Harris All-Star Big Band Tribute to Count Basie
  • Illinois Jacquet & His Big Band Jacquet's Got It!
  • Woody Herman's Thundering Herd Ebony
  • Bill Holman Bill Holman Band

Best Jazz Instrumental Performance - Group

  • Winner:
    McCoy Tyner, Pharoah Sanders, David Murray, Cecil McBee, Roy Haynes
    Blues for Coltrane: A Tribute to John Coltrane
  • Wynton Marsalis Quartet The Wynton Marsalis Quartet Live at Blues Alley
  • Keith Jarrett Trio Still Live
  • Branford Marsalis Quartet Random Abstract
  • Chick Corea Elektric Band Amnesia

Best Jazz Instrumental Performance - Soloist

Best Jazz Vocal Performance - Duo Or Group

  • Winner: Take 6 Spread Love
  • Carmen McRae, Betty Carter The Carmen McRae-Betty Carter Duets
  • Cunninghams Strings 'n' Swing I Remember Bird
  • Lena Horne, Joe Williams I Won't Leave You Again
  • Jackie Cain, Roy Krat One More Rose

Best Mexican-american Performance

Best Musical Cast Show Album

  • Winner:
    Bernadette Peters, Joanna Gleason, Chip Zien, Tom Aldredge, Robert Westenberg. Stephen Sondheim, music and lyrics
    Into the Woods
  • Maureen McGovern, Larry Kert, Jack Gilford. Michael Tilson Thomas conducting the New York Choral Artists & Orchestra of St. Luke's. George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin Of Thee I Sing/Let 'Em Eat Cake
  • Frederica von Stade, Jerry Hadley, Teresa Stratas, Nancy Culp, Lillian Gish, others. John McGlinn conducting the London Sinfonietta. Jerome Kern, composer; Oscar Hammerstein, lyricist Show Boat

Best New Age Performance

  • Winner:
    Shadowfax
    Folksongs for a Nuclear Village
  • Suzanne Ciani Neverland
  • Steve Khan, Rob Mounsey Local Color
  • Mark Isham Castalia
  • Paul Winter Down in Belgorod

Best Opera Recording

  • Winner:
    Georg Solti conducting the Vienna State Opera Choir and Vienna Philharmonic (solos: Placido Domingo, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, Siegmund Nimsgern, Jessye Norman, Eva Randova, Hans Sotin)
    Wagner: Lohengrin
  • Richard Bonynge conducting the Welsh National Opera Orchestra and Chorus (solos: Joan Sutherland, Luciano Pavarotti, Montserrat Caballe, Samuel Ramey) Bellini: Norma
  • Leonard Bernstein conducting the Chorus and Orchestra of Santa Cecilia (solos: Angelina Reaux, Jerry Hadley, Barbara Daniels, Thomas Hampson) Puccini: La Boheme
  • John Pritchard conducting the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra and Chorus (solos: Luciano Pavarotti, Agnes Baltsa, Lucia Popp, Edita Gruberova, Leo Nucci) Mozart: Idomeneo
  • Edo de Waart conducting the Orchestra of St. Luke's (solos: Sanford Sylvan, James Maddalena, Thomas Hammons, John Duykers, Carolann Page) Adams: Nixon in China
  • Leonard Bernstein conducting the Austrian Radio Symphony (solos: Chester Ludgin, Beverly Morgan, John Brandstetter, Peter Kazaras, Jean Kraft, Wendy White) Bernstein, Wadsworth: A Quiet Place

Best Orchestral Recording

  • Winner:
    Robert Shaw conducting the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra; Sunday Morning, Eagles, Louis Lane conducting the Atlanta Symphony
    Rorem: String Symphony
  • Roger Norrington conducting the London Classical Players Beethoven: Symphony No. 9 in D Minor
  • Leonard Slatkin conducting the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra Copland: Appalachian Spring (Complete); Letter from Home; John Henry; Cortege Macabre from Grohg
  • Leonard Bernstein conducting the New York Philharmonic Mahler: Symphony No. 2 in C Minor (Resurrection)
  • Georg Solti conducting the Chicago Symphony Orchestra Bruckner: Symphony No. 7 in E

Best Polka Recording

  • Winner:
    Jimmy Sturr & His Orchestra
    Born to Polka
  • Walter Ostanek & His Band All Aboard It's Polka Time
  • Stas Bulanda's Average Polka Band Let's Have a Party
  • Lenny Gomulka's Chicago Push Join the Polka Generation
  • Jimmy Weber & the Sounds Sounds from a Polka Party

Best Pop Instrumental Performance

Best Recording For Children

  • Candle The Bible: The Amazing Book

Best Reggae Recording

Best Rhythm & Blues Instrumental Performance

Best Rhythm & Blues Song

  • Winner:
    Anita Baker, Skip Scarborough
    Giving You the Best That I Got
  • Luther Vandross, Marcus Miller Any Love
  • Johnny Kemp, Gene Griffin Just Got Paid
  • Jimmy George I'll Always Love You
  • Babyface, L.A. Reid, Daryl Simmons Don't Be Cruel

Best Soul Gospel Performance - Duo, Group, Choir Or Chorus

Best Soul Gospel Performance - Female

Best Soul Gospel Performance - Male

Best Spoken Word Or Nonmusical Recording

  • Winner:
    Rev. Jesse Jackson
    Speech by Rev. Jesse Jackson, July 27 - track from Aretha Franklin's One Lord, One Faith, One Baptis
  • John Cleese The Screwtape Letters
  • various artists, Garrison Keillor A Prairie Home Companion: The 2nd Annual Farewell Performance
  • John Gielgud A Christmas Carol
  • Jonathan Winters Winters' Tale

Best Traditional Blues Recording

Best Traditional Folk Recording

Best Tropical Latin Performance

Classical Producer Of The Year

  • Winner:
    Robert Woods
  • Steven Epstein
  • Joanna Nickrenz
  • Andrew Cornall
  • Thomas Frost

Hall Of Fame

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