Grammy Award for Best Album Notes

The Grammy Award – Best Album Notes has been presented since 1964. From 1973 to 1976 (the 15th through 18th Awards), a second award was presented for Best Album Notes – Classical. Those awards are listed under those years below. The award recognizes albums with excellent album notes, sometimes referred to as liner notes. It is presented to the album notes author or authors, not to the artists or performers on the winning work, except if the artist is also the album notes author.

Grammy Award for Best Album Notes
Awarded for	Quality album liner notes
Country	United States
Presented by	National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences
First awarded	1964
Currently held by	Robert Gordon & Deanie Parker – Written In Their Soul: The Stax Songwriter Demos (2024)
Website	grammy.com

Years reflect the year in which the Grammy Awards were presented, for works released in the previous year.

Winners and nominees

Year	Recipients(s)	Work	Performing artist(s)	Nominees Performers are in parentheses	Ref.
1964	Leonard Feather and Stanley Dance	The Ellington Era	Duke Ellington	Edward Albee and Harold Clurman – Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (Original Cast) Harold Arlen – The Barbra Streisand Album (Barbra Streisand) Sidney Bock – An Evening of Elizabethan Music (The Julian Bream Consort) Bob Ballard – The Amazing Amanda Ambrose (Amanda Ambrose) Benjamin A. Botkin, Sylvester Vigilante, Harold Preece & James Horan – The Badmen (Pete Seeger and others)
1965	Stanton Catlin and Carleton Beals	Mexico (Legacy Collection)	Carlos Chávez	Neville Cardus – Mahler: Symphony No. 5 in a C Sharp Minor/Berg: Wozzeck Excerpts (Erich Leinsdorf) Alexander Cohen – Beyond the Fringe '64 (Original Cast) Stan Getz, João Gilberto, and Gene Leess – Getz/Gilberto (Stan Getz and João Gilberto Rory Guy – The Definitive Piaf (Édith Piaf) George Sponholtz – The Young Chevalier (Maurice Chevalier) Jack Tracy – Quincy Jones Explores the Music of Henry Mancini (Quincy Jones)
1966	Stan Cornyn	September of My Years	Frank Sinatra	Dom Cerulli – The Voice of the Uncommon Man (Adlai Stevenson) Stanley Dance – Grand Terrace Band (Earl Hines) Charles Lamb – Father and Son (Hank Williams and Hank Williams Jr.) Gustav Rudolf Sellner & Otto Gerdes – Berg: Wozzeck (Karl Böhm conducting the Deutsche Oper Berlin)
1967	Stan Cornyn	Sinatra at the Sands	Frank Sinatra	Harvey Cowen – Ben Colder Strikes Again (Ben Colder) Stanley Dance and Ralph J. Gleason – The Ellington Era, Volume 2 (Duke Ellington) Fred W. Friendly – Edward R. Murrow: A Reporter Remembers, Vol. I—The War Years (Edward R. Murrow) Nelson Lyon – Doctor Zhivago (Maurice Jarre)
1968	John D. Loudermilk	Suburban Attitudes in Country Verse	John D. Loudermilk	Stan Cornyn – Francis Albert Sinatra & Antonio Carlos Jobim (Frank Sinatra & Antonio Carlos Jobim) Stanley Dance – The Far East Suite (Duke Ellington) Rory Guy – Extra Special! (Peggy Lee) Rod McKuen – The Earth (Rod McKuen with music by Anita Kerr) Richard Oliver – Listen! (Gary Lewis & the Playboys)
1969	Johnny Cash	At Folsom Prison	Johnny Cash	Stan Cornyn – Francis A. & Edward K. (Frank Sinatra and Duke Ellington) Miles Kreuger – Ethel Waters on Stage and Screen (Ethel Waters) Richard Oliver – Anthology of Indian Music, Volume 1 (Ravi Shankar, Ali Akbar Kahn and S. Balachander) Pete Seeger – Pete Seeger's Greatest Hits (Pete Seeger)
1970	Johnny Cash	Nashville Skyline	Bob Dylan	Joan Baez – David's Album John Dodds II – Chicago Mess Around (Johnny Dodds) John Hartford – John Hartford Rex Reed – At Town Hall (Mabel Mercer and Bobby Short
1971	Chris Albertson	The World's Greatest Blues Singer	Bessie Smith	Billy Edd Wheeler – As I See It (Jack Moran) Ralph J. Gleason – Bitches Brew (Miles Davis) Rod McKuen – Hold Back the World (Alexander's Greyhound Bass, Anthony d'Oberoff – I Do Not Play No Rock and Roll (Mississippi Fred McDowell) Rex Reed – Judy. London. 1969. (Judy Garland) James Goodfriend – Sixteen All Time Greatest Hits (Bill Monroe and the Blue Grass Boys) Arthur Knight – They Shoot Horses, Don't They? (the John Green Orchestra)
1972	Sam Samudio	Sam, Hard and Heavy	Sam the Sham	Colman Andrews – Miles Davis (Miles Davis) Don Demichael – The Genius of Louis Armstrong (Louis Armstrong) Nat Hentoff – Louis Armstrong: July 4, 1900 – July 6, 1971 (Louis Armstrong) James Lyons – Music of Varese (Konstantin Simonovitch conducting the Paris Instrumental Ensemble) Joshua Rifkin – Piano Rags by Scott Joplin (Rifkin) George T. Simon – This is Benny Goodman (Benny Goodman) Tom West – Honky Tonkin' with Charlie Walker (Charlie Walker)
1973
	Best Album Notes
	Tom T. Hall	Tom T. Hall's Greatest Hits	Tom T. Hall	Michael Brooks – Super Chief (Count Basie) Albert Goldman – Lenny Bruce: Carnegie Hall (Lenny Bruce) Charles Mingus – Let My Children Hear Music (Charles Mingus) Dan Morgenstern – Bunny Berigan, His Trumpet and His Orchestra, Volume 1 (Bunny Berigan)
	Best Album Notes – Classical
	James Lyons	Vaughan Williams: Symphony No. 2 ("A London Symphony")	André Previn conducting the London Symphony Orchestra	David Cairns – Berlioz: Benvenuto Cellini (Colin Davis conducting the London Symphony Orchestra) Tom Eastwood – Julian and John (Julian Bream & John Williams) Karolynne Gee – Michael Rabin: In Memoriam (Michael Rabin) H. C. Robbins Landon – Haydn: Symphonies (Complete), Volumes 4 and 5 (Antal Doráti conducting the Philharmonia Hungarica) Sacheverell Sitwell – John Ogdon Plays Alkan (John Ogdon) Ursula Von Rauchhaupt – String Quartets of the New Viennesse School (LaSalle Quartet)
1974
	Best Album Notes
	Dan Morgenstern	God Is in the House	Art Tatum	Stan Cornyn – Ol’ Blue Eyes Is Back (Frank Sinatra) Chet Flippo – Lonesome, On'ry and Mean (Waylon Jennings) William Ivey – This is Jimmie Rodgers (Jimmie Rodgers) Lionel Newman – Remember Marilyn (Marilyn Monroe)
	Best Album Notes – Classical
	Glenn Gould	Hindemith: Sonatas for Piano Complete	The Villa Musica Ensemble	Alan Rich – Rachmaninov: Concerto No. 2 in C Minor for Piano (Eugene Ormandy conducting the Philadelphia Orchestra with a solo by Arthur Rubinstein) H. C. Robbins Landon – Haydn: Symphony No. 36 and Symphony No. 48 (Antal Doráti) H. C. Robbins Landon – Haydn: Symphony No. 20 in C Major and Symphony No. 35 in B Flat Major (Antal Doráti) Irving Kolodin – Dvorák: Piano Quartet in E Flat Major, Op. 87 (the Guarneri Quartet with a solo by Arthur Rubinstein) Clair Van Ausdall – Debussy: La mer/Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune and Ravel: Daphnis and Chloe Suite #2 (Eugene Ormandy) Harvey Phillips – Bizet: Carmen (Leonard Bernstein) Misha Donat – Berio: Recital 1 ("For Cathy") (Cathy Berberian) Tom Eastwood – The Woods So Wild (Julian Bream) Erik Smith – Bach: Brandenburg Concertos (Neville Marriner)
1975
	Best Album Notes
	Charles R. Townsend	For the Last Time	Bob Wills & His Texas Playboys	Rudy Behlmer – 50 Years of Film Music (various Artists) Ralph J. Gleason – The Pianist (Duke Ellington) J.R. Young – The World is Still Waiting for the Sunrise (Les Paul and Mary Ford)
	Dan Morgenstern	The Hawk Flies	Coleman Hawkins
	Best Album Notes – Classical
	Rory Guy	The Classic Erich Wolfgang Korngold	Willy Mattes (conductor) with a solo by Ulf Hoelscher	David Cairns – Berlioz: The Damnation of Faust (Colin Davis conducting the London Symphony Orchestra) Deryck Cooke – Mahler: Symphony No. 10 (Wyn Morris conducting the New Philharmonic Orchestra) Donald Garvelmann – Scriabin: Piano Music (Complete), Volume 2 (various Artists) George Jellinek – Humperdinck: Hänsel und Gretel (Kurt Eichhorn conducting the Bavarian Radio Orchestra with solos by Anna Moffo & Helen Donath) Irving Kolodin – Verdi: I Vespri Siciliani (James Levine conducting the New Philharmonia Orchestra) Christopher Palmer – Herrmann: Citizen Kane (Charles Gerhardt conducting the National Philharmonic Orchestra) Wolfram Schwinger – Weber: Der Freischütz (Erich Kleiber) Erik Smith – Mozart: Don Giovanni (Colin Davis conducting the Royal Opera House Chorus and Orchestra) Clair W. Van Ausdall – Rachmaninov: The Bells and 3 Russian Songs (Eugene Ormandy conducting the Temple University Choirs)
1976
	Best Album Notes
	Pete Hamill	Blood on the Tracks	Bob Dylan	Ralph J. Gleason – The Real Lenny Bruce (Lenny Bruce) Benny Green – The Tatum Solo Masterpieces (Art Tatum) Tom T. Hall – Greatest Hits, Volume 2 (Tom T. Hall) George T. Simon – Glenn Miller: A Legendary Performer (Glenn Miller & His Orchestra)
	Best Album Notes – Classical
	Gunther Schuller	Footlifters: A Century of American Marches	Gunther Schuller conducting the All-Star Band	Rudi Blesh – Joplin: The Complete Works (Dick Hyman) Laszlo Eosze – Kodály: Orchestral Works (Antal Doráti conducting the Philharmonia Hungarica) Rory Guy and Itzhak Perlman – Joplin: The Easy Winners with solos by Itzhak Perlman and André Previn) Rory Guy – Gershwin: Gershwin's Wonderful with solos by Ralph Grierson & Artie Kane) James H. Moore – Gagliano: La Dafne (Paul Vorwerk conducting the Musica Pacifica) Christopher Palmer – Korngold: Die Tote Stadt (Erich Leinsdorf conducting the Munich Radio Orchestra with solos by René Kollo, Carol Neblett, Hermann Prey & Benjamin Luxon) Judith Robison – The English Harpsichord (William Byrd, Giles Farnaby and others with a solo by Igor Kipnis) H. C. Robbins Landon – Haydn: Symphonies 93–104 (Antal Doráti conducting the Philharmonia Hungarica)
1977	Dan Morgenstern	The Changing Face of Harlem: Savoy Sessions	Various Artists	George R. Marek – Beethoven: The Five Piano Concertos (Daniel Barenboim conducting the London Philharmonic Orchestra with a solo by Arthur Rubinstein) Douglas B. Green – The Blue Sky Boys (The Blue Sky Boys) Francis Robinson – Caruso: A Legendary Performer (Enrico Caruso) Mort Goode – The Complete Tommy Dorsey, Volume 1 – 1935 (Tommy Dorsey)
1978	George T. Simon	Bing Crosby: A Legendary Performer	Bing Crosby	Chris Albertson – Stormy Blues (Billie Holiday) Michael Brooks – The Lester Young Story, Volume 1 (Lester Young) George T. Simon – Guy Lombardo: A Legendary Performer (Guy Lombardo) Patrick Snyder – Flight Log (Jefferson Airplane)
1979	Michael Brooks	A Bing Crosby Collection, Volumes 1 and 2	Bing Crosby	Irving Kolodin and William Bender – Beethoven: Symphonies (9) (Herbert von Karajan conducting the Berlin Philharmonic) Leonard Feather – Ellington at Carnegie Hall – 1943 (Duke Ellington) Alan Lomax – Georgia Sea Island Songs (various Artists) Dan Morgenstern – The Individualism of Pee Wee Russell (Pee Wee Russell) David Baker and R.D. Darell – Works of Carpenter/Gilbert/Adolph Weiss/Powell (the Los Angeles Philharmonic)
1980	Bob Porter & James Patrick	Charlie Parker: The Complete Savoy Sessions  · Savoy	Charlie Parker	Melvin Maddocks – Giants of Jazz: Billie Holiday (Billie Holiday) (Time-Life) Dan Morgenstern and Stanley Dance – Giants of Jazz: Duke Ellington (Duke Ellington) (Time-Life) Dick Schory – The Magical Music of Walt Disney (Various artists) (Ovation) Richard M. Sudhalter – Hoagy Carmichael: A Legendary Performer and Composer (Hoagy Carmichael) (RCA)
1981	David McClintock	Trilogy: Past Present Future  · Reprise	Frank Sinatra	David Evans and Bruce Bastin – Atlanta Blues: 1933 (Blind Willie McTell, Curley Weaver and Buddy Moss) (John Edwards Memorial Foundation) Lauren Lortie – Elvis Aron Presley (Elvis Presley) (RCA) John McDonough and Richard M. Sudhalter – Giants of Jazz: Lester Young (Lester Young) (Time-Life) Dan Morgenstern – Chicago Concert 1956 (Louis Armstrong) (Columbia)
1982	Dan Morgenstern	Erroll Garner: Master of the Keyboard  · Book of the Month Records	Erroll Garner	C.P. Crumpacker – The Mario Lanza Collection (Mario Lanza) (RCA/Red Seal) John McDonough – Giants of Jazz: Pee Wee Russell (Pee Wee Russell) (Time-Life) David Thompson and Philip W. Payne – Giants of Jazz: Fats Waller (Fats Waller) (Time-Life) Dick Wellstood, Willa Rouder, and Frank Kappler – Giants of Jazz: James P. Johnson (James P. Johnson) (Time-Life)
1983	John Chilton and Richard Sudhalter	Giants of Jazz: Bunny Berigan  · Time-Life	Bunny Berigan	Gary Giddins – Duke Ellington 1941 (Duke Ellington & His Orchestra) (Smithsonian) Thornton Hagert – An Experiment in Modern Music: Paul Whiteman at Aeolian Hall (Paul Whiteman) (Smithsonian) William Ivey – The Greatest Country Music Recordings of All Time (Various Artists) (Franklin Mint Record Society) William Ivey and Bob Pinson – 60 Years of Country Music (Various Artists) (RCA) Robert Palmer – Young Blood (The Coasters) (Atlantic/DeLuxe)
1984	Orrin Keepnews	The "Interplay" Sessions  · Milestone	Bill Evans	Lester Bangs – The Fugs Greatest Hits, Volume 1 (The Fugs) (Adelphi) Peter Guralnick – The Okeh Sessions (Big Maybelle) (Epic/CBS) Richard B. Hadlock – Giants of Jazz: Joe Sullivan (Joe Sullivan) (Time-Life) John McDonough – Seven Come Eleven (Benny Goodman) (Columbia)
1985	Gunther Schuller and Martin Williams	Big Band Jazz  · Smithsonian	Various Artists	Glenn Hinson – Virginia Traditions/Virginia Work Songs (various Artists) (Blue Ridge) Grover Sales – Amadeus (Original Soundtrack Album) (Neville Marriner conducting the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields) (Fantasy) James Sundquist – An Anthology of Sacred Carols for Classical Guitar (James Sundquist) (Eagle) Z Factor and Lorene Lortie – A Golden Celebration (Elvis Presley) (RCA)
1986	Peter Guralnick	Live at the Harlem Square Club, 1963  · RCA	Sam Cooke	Lenny Kaye – Bleecker and McDougal: The Folk Scene of the 1960s (Various Artists) (Elektra) Lenny Kaye – Crossroads: White Blues in the 1960s (Various Artists) (Elektra) James R. Morris, J.R. Taylor, and Dwight Blocker Bowers – American Popular Song (Various Artists) (Smithsonian/CBS Special Products) Neil Tesser – The Girl from Ipanema: The Bossa Nova Years (Stan Getz) (Verve)
1987	Gary Giddins, Wilfrid Sheed, Jonathan Schwartz, Murray Kempton, Andrew Sarris, Stephen Holden, and Frank Conroy	The Voice: The Columbia Years 1943–1952  · Columbia/CBS	Frank Sinatra	Cameron Crowe – Biograph (Bob Dylan) (Columbia/CBS) Richard Freed & Peter Eliot Stone – Virtuosi (Smithsonian Productions) (Various Artists) (Smithsonian) David Hall, John Stratton, Tom Owen, Robert Tuggle, and David Hamilton – The Mapleson Cylinders (The Metropolitan Opera) (Rodgers and Hammerstein Archives) Lenny Kaye – Elektrock: The Sixties (Various Artists) (Elektra)
1988	Orrin Keepnews	The Complete 1957 Riverside Recordings  · Riverside	Thelonious Monk	Peter Guralnick – The Complete Sun Sessions (Elvis Presley) (BMG Music/RCA) Nolan Porterfield – Jimmie Rodgers on Record: America's Blue Yodeler (Jimmie Rodgers) (Smithsonian) Mark Tucker – Singers and Soloists of the Swing Bands (Various Artists) (Smithsonian) Charles K. Wolfe – The Bristol Sessions (Various Artists) (Country Music Foundation)
1989	Anthony DeCurtis	Crossroads  · Polydor	Eric Clapton	John Edward Hasse – The Classic Hoagy Carmichael (Hoagy Carmichael) (Indiana Historical Society) Mike Kreuger – Show Boat (Frederica von Stade, Jerry Hadley, Teresa Stratas, Nancy Culp & Lillian Gish with John McGlinn conducting the London Sinfonietta) (Angel) Dan Morgenstern – The Complete Commodore Jazz Recordings, Volume 1 (Various Artists) (Mosaic) Vaughn Webb – Virginia Tradition: Southwest Virginia Blues (Various Artists) (BRI)
1990	Phil Schaap	Bird: The Complete Charlie Parker on Verve  · Verve	Charlie Parker	Dwight Blocker Bowers – American Musical Theater: Shows, Songs and Stars (Various Artists) (Smithsonian) Gene Lees – The Complete Fantasy Recordings (Bill Evans) (Fantasy) Howard Wright Marshall, Amy E. Skillman, and Charles Walden – Now That's a Good Tune (Masters of Traditional Missouri Fiddling) (Grey Eagle) Martin Williams, Dick Katz & Francis Davis – Jazz Piano 1898–1964 (Various Artists) (Smithsonian)
1991	Dan Morgenstern	Brownie: The Complete Emarcy Recordings of Clifford Brown  · EmArcy	Clifford Brown	Mary Katherine Aldin and Robert Palmer – Muddy Waters: The Chess Box (Muddy Waters) (MCA-Chess) Gary Giddons – Art Pepper: The Complete Galaxy Recordings (Art Pepper) (Galaxy/Fantasy) Robert Palmer – Bo Diddley: The Chess Box (Bo Diddley) (MCA-Chess) David Perry – The Jack Kerouac Collection (Jack Kerouac) (Rhino)
1992	James Brown, Cliff White, Harry Weinger, Nelson George, and Alan M. Leeds	Star Time  · Polydor	James Brown	John Bauldie – The Bootleg Series Volumes 1–3 (Rare & Unreleased) 1961–1991 (Bob Dylan) (Columbia) Rob Bowman – The Complete Stax/Volt Singles 1959–1968 (Various Artists) (Atlantic) Colin Escott – The Original Singles Collection . . . Plus (Hank Williams) (Polydor) Robert Palmer – The Birth of Soul (Ray Charles) (Atlantic)
1993	Dave Marsh, Jerry Wexler, David Ritz, Thulani Davis, Ahmet Ertegun, Tom Down, and Arif Mardin	Queen of Soul: The Atlantic Recordings  · Rhino	Aretha Franklin	Will Friedwald and Dick Katz – The Complete Capitol Recordings of the Nat King Cole Trio (The Nat King Cole Trio) (Mosaic) Peter Guralnick – The King of Rock 'n' Roll: The Complete 50s Masters (Elvis Presley) (RCA) Pete Welding and Lawrence Cohn – Roots n' Blues the Retrospective (1925–1950) (Various Artists) (Columbia/Legacy) Robert Kimball and Richard Sudhalter – You're the Top: Cole Porter in the 1930s (Various Artists) (Koch International Classics)
1994	Buck Clayton, Phil Schaap, and Joel E. Siegel	The Complete Billie Holiday on Verve 1945–1959  · Verve	Billie Holiday	Colin Escott – King of the Blues (B. B. King) (MCA) Orrin Keepnews and Jim Ferguson – The Complete Riverside Recordings (Wes Montgomery) (Riverside) Peter Guralnick – From Nashville to Memphis: The Essential 60s Masters (Elvis Presley) (RCA) Alan Lomax and Robert Palmer – Songs of the South: A Musical Journey from the Georgia Sea Islands to the Mississippi Delta Recorded in the Field by Alan Lomax (Various Artists) (Atlantic)
1995	Dan Morgenstern and Loren Schoenberg	Louis Armstrong: Portrait of the Artists as a Young Man, 1923–1934  · Columbia/Legacy/Smithsonian	Louis Armstrong	Yves Beauvais, Don Cherry, Ornette Coleman, and Robert Palmer – Beauty Is A Rare Thing: The Complete Atlantic Recordings (Ornette Coleman) (Rhino) Francis Pandras, Celia Powell, Peter Pullman, Sonny Rollins, and Horace Silver – The Complete Bud Powell on Verve (Bud Powell) (Verve) Carol Cooper, Steven Greenberg, and Jaime Wolf – Otis! The Definitive (Otis Redding) (Rhino) Peter Guralnick – Sam Cooke's SAR Records Story 1959–1965 (Various Artists) (ABKCO)
1996	Rob Bowman	The Complete Stax/Volt Soul Singles, Vol. 3: 1972–1975  · Stax	Various Artists	Geoffrey Mark Fidelman and James Gavin – Ella: The Legendary Decca Recordings (Ella Fitzgerald) (Decca Jazz) John Fricke – 25th Anniversary: Retrospective (Judy Garland) (Capitol) Dan Morgenstern – I'll Be Seeing You: A Tribute to Carmen McRae (Carmen McRae) (Decca Jazz) Dan Morgenstern – Let's Do It: Best of the Verve Years (Louis Armstrong) (Verve)
1997	George Avakian, Bob Belden, Bill Kirchner, and Phil Schaap	Miles Davis & Gil Evans: The Complete Columbia Studio Recordings  · Columbia	Miles Davis and Gil Evans	Will Friedwald, Dave Kapp, and Mel Tormé – The Mel Tormé Collection: 1944 – 1985 (Mel Tormé) (Rhino) Lawrence Hoffman – Mean Old World: The Blues from 1940 to 1994 (Various Artists) (Smithsonian) Will Friedwald – The Complete Capitol Singles Collection (Frank Sinatra) (Capitol) Chris Albertson – The Complete Recordings, Vol. 5 (Bessie Smith) (Columbia/Legacy)
1998	John Fahey, Luis Kemnitzer, Jon Pankake, Chuck Pirtle, Jeff Place, Neil V. Rosenberg, Lucy Sante, Peter Stampfel, and Eric Von Schmidt	Anthology of American Folk Music  · Smithsonian Folkways	Various Artists	Robert Gordon – Anthology (Al Green) (The Right Stuff) Ben Edmonds, Mark Kemp, Meegan Lee Ochs, and Michael Ventura – Farewells & Fantasies (Phil Ochs) (Elektra Traditions/Rhino) Dave Alvin, James Austin, Bill Dahl, Ahmet Ertegun, David Ritz, Billy Vera, and Jerry Wexler – Ray Charles Genius & Soul: The 50th Anniversary Collection (Ray Charles) (Rhino) Ian Whitcomb – Titanic: Music As Heard on the Fateful Voyage (Various Artists) (Rhino)
1999	Bob Belden, Todd Coolman, and Michael Cuscuna	Miles Davis Quintet 1965–1968  · Columbia/Legacy	Miles Davis Quintet	Joel Dorn, Tom Dowd, Andrew Homzy, Patrick Milligan, Sue Mingus, Tina Marisa Rocchio, and Stefano Zenni – Passions of a Man: The Complete Atlantic Recordings 1956–1961 (Charles Mingus) (Rhino) Daniel Cooper & Colin Escott – The Complete Hank Williams (Hank Williams) (Mercury Nashville) Bill Ivey, Bill C. Malone, Claudia Perry, John W. Rumble, and Ron Wynn – From Where I Stand: The Black Experience in Country Music (Various Artists) (Warner Bros. Nashville) Sedgwick Clark, Barbara Haws, Kurt Masur, Alan Rich, Robert Sherman, and Steven Smolian – The Historic Broadcasts 1923 to 1987 (The New York Philharmonic) (New York Philharmonic Special Editions)
2000	Bob Blumenthal	The Classic Quartet: The Complete Impulse! Recordings  · Impulse	John Coltrane	Rick Bragg – Live at The Grand Ole Opry (Hank Williams) (Mercury Nashville) Rob Bowman – The Last Soul Company (Various Artists) (Malaco) Daniel Cooper – The Complete Country & Western Recordings (1959–1986) (Ray Charles) (Rhino) Marc Kirkeby – Sony Music 100 Years: Soundtrack for a Century (Various Artists) (Sony)
2001	Bob Blumenthal	The Complete Columbia Recordings 1955–1961  · Columbia/Legacy	Miles Davis and John Coltrane	Jeff Place – The Best of Broadside 1962–1988: Anthems of the American Underground from the Pages of Broadside Magazine (Various Artists) (Smithsonian Folkways) John Chilton – The Complete Lester Young Studio Sessions on Verve (Lester Young) (Verve) Bud Scoppa – Hotcakes & Outtakes: 30 Years of Little Feat (Little Feat) (Rhino) Dr. Demento – The Remains of Tom Lehrer (Tom Lehrer) (Rhino) Gerald Early – Yes I Can! The Sammy Davis Jr. Story (Sammy Davis, Jr.) (Warner Archives/Rhino)
2002	Walter Mosley	...And It's Deep Too! The Complete Warner Bros. Recordings (1968–1992)  · Warner Archives/Rhino	Richard Pryor	Mari Evans – The Long Road Back To Freedom: An Anthology of Black Music (various artists (Buddha) Gerald Early – Rhapsodies in Black: Music and Words from the Harlem Renaissance (various artists (Rhino) Rob Bowman – The Stax Story (various artists (Stax)
	Elijah Wald	Arhoolie Records 40th Anniversary Collection: 1960–2000 The Journey of Chris Strachwitz  · Arhoolie	Various Artists
2003	David Evans	Screamin' and Hollerin' the Blues: The Worlds of Charley Patton  · Revenant	Charlie Patton	Artie Shaw – Artie Shaw: Self Portrait (Artie Shaw) (Bluebird/RCA) Dennis McNally – The Golden Road (1965–1973) (The Grateful Dead) (Rhino) Will Friedwald – Frank Sinatra in Hollywood 1940–1964 (Frank Sinatra) (Reprise/Warner) Tim Page – A State of Wonder: The Complete Goldberg Variations 1955 & 1981 (Glenn Gould) (Sony Classical)
2004	Tom Piazza	Martin Scorsese Presents the Blues: A Musical Journey  · Hip-O	Various Artists	Loren Schoenberg – Count Basie and His Orchestra—America's #1 Band! The Columbia Years (Count Basie and His Orchestra) (Columbia/Legacy) Ashley Kahn – Four Women: The Nina Simone Philips Recordings (Nina Simone) (Verve) Will Friedwald – Peggy Lee—The Singles Collection (Peggy Lee) (Capitol/EMI) Daniel Wolff – Sam Cooke with The Soul Stirrers—The Complete Specialty Records Recordings (Sam Cooke with The Soul Stirrers) (Specialty)
2005	Loren Schoenberg	The Complete Columbia Recordings of Woody Herman and His Orchestra & Woodchoppers (1945–1947)  · Mosaic	Woody Herman and His Orchestra	Sean Wilentz – The Bootleg Series Vol. 6: Bob Dylan Live 1964, Concert at Philharmonic Hall (Bob Dylan) (Columbia/Legacy) Barry Alfonso – Carry It On (Peter, Paul and Mary) (Rhino) Paul Krassner – Let the Buyer Beware (Lenny Bruce) (Shout! Factory) Chris Morris – No Thanks! The 70's Punk Rebellion (Various Artists) (Rhino)
2006	Alan Lomax and John Szwed	The Complete Library of Congress Recordings  · Rounder	Jelly Roll Morton	Adam White – Heaven Must Have Sent You: The Holland/Dozier/Holland Story (Various Artists) (Hip-O) Patrick Carr – The Legend (Johnny Cash) (Columbia/Legacy) David Ritz – Pure Genius: The Complete Atlantic Recordings (1952–1959) (Ray Charles) (Atlantic/Rhino/Warner) Henry "Hank" Sapoznik – You Ain't Talkin' to Me: Charlie Poole and the Roots of Country Music (Charlie Poole and various artists) (Columbia/Legacy)
2007	Dan Morgenstern	If You Got To Ask, You Ain't Got It!  · Bluebird/Legacy	Fats Waller	Marshall Wyatt – Good for What Ails You: Music of the Medicine Shows, 1926–1937 (Various Artists) (Old Hat) Tim Brooks – Lost Sounds: Blacks and the Birth of the Recording Industry 1891–1922 (Various Artists) (Archeophone) David Ritz and Ben Edmonds – Pirate Radio (The Pretenders) (Rhino/Warner/Sire) David Fricke – There Is a Season (The Byrds) (Columbia/Legacy)
2008	Bruce Nemerov	John Work III: Recording Black Culture  · Spring Fed	Various Artists	Patrick Feaster and David Giovannoni – Actionable Offenses: Indecent Phonograph Recordings from the 1890s (Various Artists) (Archeophone) Loren Schoenberg – Classic Chu Berry Columbia and Victor Sessions (Chu Berry) (Mosaic) David Sager – Off the Record: The Complete 1923 Jazz Band Recordings (King Oliver's Creole Jazz Band) (Off The Record) Ricky Jay – Ricky Jay Plays Poker (Various Artists) (Octone/Legacy)
2009	Francis Davis	Kind of Blue: 50th Anniversary Collector's Edition  · Columbia/Legacy	Miles Davis	Art Rosenbaum – Art of Field Recording Volume I: Fifty Years of Traditional American Music Documented by Art Rosenbaum (Various Artists) (Dust-to-Digital) Patrick Feaster and David Giovannoni – Debate '08: Taft and Bryan Campaign on the Edison Phonograph (William Jennings Bryan and William Howard Taft) (Archeophone) David Ritz and Jerry Wexler – Rare & Unreleased Recordings from the Golden Reign of the Queen of Soul (Aretha Franklin) (Rhino/Atlantic) Henry "Hank" Sapoznik – The Unsung Father of Country Music: 1925–1934 (Ernest V. Stoneman) (5-String)
2010	Dan Morgenstern	The Complete Louis Armstrong Decca Sessions (1935–1946)  · Mosaic	Louis Armstrong	Mark Berresford – Dance-O-Mania: Harry Yerkes and the Dawn of the Jazz Age, 1919–1923 (The Happy Six) (Rivermont) Douglas Brinkley and Johnny Depp – Gonzo: The Life and Work of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson—Music from the Film (Various Artists) (Legacy) Ed Cray and Bill Nowlin – My Dusty Road (Woody Guthrie) (Rounder) Lloyd Ecker and Susan Ecker – Origins of the Red Hot Mama, 1910–1922 (Sophie Tucker) (Archeophone)
2011	Robert Gordon	Keep an Eye on the Sky  · Rhino	Big Star	Gage Averill – Alan Lomax in Haiti: Recordings for the Library of Congress, 1936–1937 (Various Artists) (Harte) Ashley Kahn – Side Steps (John Coltrane) (Prestige) Doug Seroff – There Breathes a Hope: The Legacy of John Work II and His Fisk Jubilee Quartet, 1909–1916 (Fisk University Jubilee Quartet) (Archeophone) Will Sheff – True Love Cast Out All Evil (Roky Erickson with Okkervil River) (Anti-)
2012	Adam Machado	Hear Me Howling!: Blues, Ballads & Beyond as Recorded by the San Francisco Bay by Chris Strachwitz in the 1960s  · Arhoolie	Various Artists	Neil Diamond – The Bang Years 1966-1968 (Neil Diamond) (Columbia) Ted Olson and Tony Russell – The Bristol Sessions 1927–1928: The Big Bang of Country Music (Various Artists) (Bear Family) Ken Shipley – Complete Mythology (Syl Johnson) (Numero) Alec Palao – The Music City Story: Street Corner Doo Wop, Raw R&B and Soulful Sounds From Berkeley, California 1950–75 (Various Artists (Ace)
2013	Billy Vera	Singular Genius: The Complete ABC Singles  · Concord	Ray Charles	Stephen Wade – Banjo Diary: Lessons From Tradition (Stephen Wade) (Smithsonian Folkways) Hans Olof Gottfridsson – First Recordings: 50th Anniversary Edition (The Beatles and Tony Sheridan) (Time Life) Holly George-Warren – The Pearl Sessions (Janis Joplin) (Sony Legacy) Fernando Gonzalez – Piazzolla in Brooklyn (The Pablo Aslan Quintet) (Soundbrush)
2014	Neil Tesser	Afro Blue Impressions (Remastered and Expanded)  · Pablo/Concord	John Coltrane	Ben Young – Call it Art 1964–1965 (The New York Art Quartet) (Triple Point) Alec Palao – Electric Music for the Mind and Body (Country Joe & the Fish) (Ace/Vanguard) Jonathan Cott – Stravinsky: Le Sacre du Printemps (Leonard Bernstein and the New York Philharmonic) (Sony Classical) Sean Wilentz – 360 Sound: The Columbia Records Story (Various Artists) (Columbia) Nathan Salsburg – Work Hard, Play Hard, Pray Hard: Hard Time, Good Time & End Time Music 1923–1936 (Various Artists) (Tompkins Square)
2015	Ashley Kahn	Offering: Live at Temple University  · Resonance/Impulse	John Coltrane	David Sager – Happy: The 1920 Rainbo Orchestra Sides (Isham Jones Rainbo Orchestra) (Archeophone) Alec Palao – I'm Just Like You: Sly's Stone Flower 1969–70 (various artists) (Light In The Attic) Scott B. Bomar – The Other Side of Bakersfield: 1950s & 60s Boppers and Rockers from 'Nashville West' (various artists (Bear Family) Jon Kirby – Purple Snow: Forecasting the Minneapolis Sound (Various Artists) (Numero) Scott Blackwood – The Rise & Fall of Paramount Records, Volume One (1917–27) (Various Artists) (Third Man/Revenant)
2016	Joni Mitchell	Love Has Many Faces: A Quartet, A Ballet, Waiting To Be Danced  · Rhino	Joni Mitchell	James P. Leary – Folksongs of Another America: Field Recordings from the Upper Midwest, 1937–1946 (Various Artists) (Dust-to-Digital/University of Wisconsin Press) Jeff Place – Lead Belly: The Smithsonian Folkways Collection (Lead Belly) (Smithsonian Folkways) Ted Olson – Portrait of an American Singer (Tennessee Ernie Ford) (Bear Family) Ryan Barna – Songs of the Night: Dance Recordings, 1916–1925 (Joseph C. Smith's Orchestra) (Archeophone)
2017	Ken Bloom & Richard Carlin	Sissle and Blake Sing Shuffle Along  · Harbinger/Musical Theater Project	Eubie Blake & Noble Sissle	Mikal Gilmore – The Complete Monument & Columbia Albums Collection (Kris Kristofferson) (Legacy) Ted Olson & Tony Russell – The Knoxville Sessions, 1929–1930: Knox County Stomp (Various Artists) (Bear Family) Rob Sevier & Ken Shipley – Ork Records: New York, New York (Various Artists) (Numero) Richard Martin – Waxing the Gospel: Mass Evangelism and the Phonograph, 1890–1900 (Various Artists) (Archeophone)
2018	Lynell George	Live at the Whisky a Go Go: The Complete Recordings  · Stax	Otis Redding	Wayne Bledsoe & Bradley Reeves – Arthur Q. Smith: The Trouble With the Truth (Various Artists) (Bear Family) Ted Olson – Big Bend Killing: The Appalachian Ballad Tradition (Various Artists) (Great Smoky Mountains Association) Bryan S. Wright – The Complete Piano Works of Scott Joplin (Richard Dowling) (Rivermont) David Giovannoni – Edouard-Léon Scott de Martinville, Inventor of Sound Recording: A Bicentennial Tribute (Various Artists) (Archeophone) Michael Corcoran – Washington Phillips and His Manzarene Dreams (Washington Phillips) (Dust-to-Digital)
2019	David Evans	Voices of Mississippi: Artists and Musicians Documented by William Ferris  · Dust-to-Digital	Various Artists	James P. Leary – Alpine Dreaming: The Helvetia Records Story, 1920–1924 (Various Artists) (Archeophone) Richard Martin & Ted Olson – 4 Banjo Songs, 1891–1897: Foundational Recordings of America's Iconic Instrument (Charles A. Asbury) (Archeophone) Ben Ratliff – The 1960 Time Sessions (Sonny Clark Trio) (Tompkins Square) David Gilbert – The Product of Our Souls: The Sound and Sway of James Reese Europe's Society Orchestra (Various Artists) (Archeophone) Amanda Petrusich – Trouble No More: The Bootleg Series Vol. 13 / 1979–1981 (Deluxe Edition) (Bob Dylan) (Columbia/Legacy)
2020	Steve Greenberg	Stax '68: A Memphis Story  · Craft Recordings/Stax/Concord	Various Artists	Judy Cantor-Navas – The Complete Cuba Jam Sessions (Various Artists) (Craft Recordings) Robert Marovich – The Gospel According to Malaco (Various Artists) (Malaco) Brendan Greaves – Pedal Steal + Four Corners (Terry Allen & the Panhandle Mystery Band) (Paradise of Bachelors) Jeff Place – Pete Seeger: The Smithsonian Folkways Collection (Pete Seeger) (Smithsonian Folkways)
2021	Bob Mehr	Dead Man's Pop  · Warner	The Replacements	Tim Brooks – At the Minstrel Show: Minstrel Routines from the Studio, 1894-1926 (Various Artists) (Archeophone) Scott B. Bomar – The Bakersfield Sound: Country Music Capital of the West, 1940-1974 (Various Artists) (Bear Family) Colin Hancock – The Missing Link: How Gus Haenschen Got Us from Joplin to Jazz and Shaped the Music Business (Various Artists) (Archeophone) David Sager – Out of a Clear Blue Sky (Nat Brusiloff) (Rivermont)
2022	Ricky Riccardi	The Complete Louis Armstrong Columbia and RCA Victor Studio Sessions, 1946-1966  · Mosaic	Louis Armstrong	Ann-Katrin Zimmermann – Beethoven: The Last Three Sonatas (Sunwook Kim) (Accentus) Kevin Howes – Creation Never Sleeps, Creation Never Dies: The Willie Dunn Anthology (Willie Dunn) (Light In The Attic) David Giovannoni, Richard Martin & Stephan Puille – Etching The Voice: Emile Berliner and the First Commercial Gramophone Discs, 1889-1895 (Various Artists) (Archeophone) Robert Marovich – The King of Gospel Music: The Life and Music of Reverend James Cleveland (Various Artists) (Malaco)
2023	Bob Mehr	Yankee Hotel Foxtrot (20th Anniversary Super Deluxe Edition)  · Rhino	Wilco	Fernando González - The American Clavé Recordings Astor Piazolla) (American Clavé/Nonesuch) Gareth Murphy - Andy Irvine/Paul Brady (Special Edition) (Andy Irvine & Paul Brady) (Compass) John Schneider - Harry Partch, 1942 (Harry Partch) (MicroFest) Ted Olson - Life's Work: A Retrospective (Doc Watson) (Craft)
2024	Robert Gordon & Deanie Parker	Written In Their Soul: The Stax Songwriter Demos	Various Artists	Ashley Kahn - Evenings at the Village Gate: John Coltrane with Eric Dolphy (Live) (John Coltrane & Eric Dolphy) (Impulse!/UMe) Scott B. Bomar - I Can Almost See Houston: The Complete Howdy Glenn (Howdy Glenn) (Omnivore) Vik Sohonie - Mogadishu's Finest: The Al Uruba Sessions (Iftin Band) (Ostinato) Jeff Place & John Troutman - Playing For the Man at the Door: Field Recordings From the Collection of Mack McCormick, 1958-1971 (Various Arists) (Smithsonian Folkways)
2025	Winner TBA on 2 February 2025			Tim Brooks - After Midnight (Ford Dabney's Syncopated Orchestras) (Archeophone) Lauren de Graf - The Carnegie Hall Concert (Alice Coltrane) (Alice Coltrane 1971 Carnegie) Ricky Riccardi - Centennial (King Oliver's Creole Jazz Band & Various Artists) (Archeophone) Dominic Fyfe - John Culshaw - The Art of the Producer - The Early Years 1948-55 (John Culshaw) (Decca) Josh Kun - SONtrack Original de la Pelicula "Al Son de Beno" (Various Artists) (Al Son de Beno)