Grammy Award for Best Bluegrass Album

Honor presented to recording artists for quality bluegrass albums From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Grammy Award for Best Bluegrass Album is an award presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards,[1] to recording artists for quality works (songs or albums) in the bluegrass music genre. Honors in several categories are presented at the ceremony annually by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to "honor artistic achievement, technical proficiency and overall excellence in the recording industry, without regard to album sales or chart position".[2]

Awarded forQuality works in the bluegrass music genre
CountryUnited States
First award1989
Quick facts Awarded for, Country ...
Grammy Award for Best Bluegrass Album
Awarded forQuality works in the bluegrass music genre
CountryUnited States
Presented byNational Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences
First award1989
Currently held byBilly StringsHighway Prayers (2026)
Websitegrammy.com
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Originally called the Grammy Award for Best Bluegrass Recording (Vocal or Instrumental),[3] the award was first presented in 1989. In 1990 and 1991, the category was renamed Best Bluegrass Recording, and in 1990, the award was reserved for singles rather than albums. In 1992 the category was renamed Best Bluegrass Album.

In 1995 and 1997, producers of compilation albums were the only award recipients.

The inaugural recipient of the award was Bill Monroe, widely considered to be the founder of the genre. Alison Krauss has the most wins in the category, with six, including five with her band Union Station who are tied with Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder for second most wins. Jim Lauderdale, Nashville Bluegrass Band, and Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway are the only other acts to have won more than once, with two awards each. Del McCoury holds the record for most nominations, with ten, while Doyle Lawson, Noam Pickelny, Peter Rowan, and The Seldom Scene have the most nominations without a win, with four. In 2018, the first tie in the history of the category occurred, with the award being presented to both Rhonda Vincent and The Infamous Stringdusters. The current recipient of the award is Billy Strings, who won at the 67th Annual Grammy Awards.

Recipients

A woman wearing a pink dress and playing a fiddle.
Six-time award winner Alison Krauss, performing in 2007
A man wearing a black shirt and playing a stringed instrument with his fingers. His eyes are closed, and he is standing behind microphone stands.
Five-time award winner Ricky Skaggs (along with Kentucky Thunder), performing in 2007
A woman with blond hair wearing large hoop earrings and red lipstick.
2001 award winner Dolly Parton
A man wearing a blue dress shirt, standing behind a microphone stand and holding a guitar.
Two-time award winner Jim Lauderdale
An older man wearing a white cowboy hat and a black dress shirt, standing behind a microphone stand and holding a banjo.
2003 award winner Ralph Stanley
A man in a purple suit and a hat playing the dobro.
Four-time recipient Jerry Douglas has won as a member of both Union Station and The Earls of Leicester
A man wearing a blue dress shirt, standing behind a microphone stand and holding a guitar backed by his band.
Two-time winners The Del McCoury Band
A man wearing a suit and playing a banjo.
2010 award winner Steve Martin
A blonde woman in a green dress singing and playing the mandolin.
Rhonda Vincent received the award in 2018 following five previous nominations
A man playing guitar.
2021, 2025, and 2026 recipient Billy Strings.
A man sat down playing banjo.
Béla Fleck won in 2022 following two prior nominations.
A bluegrass band.
Two-time winners Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway.


More information Year, Work ...
Year Work Artist
1989
[3]
Southern Flavor Bill Monroe
Drive Béla Fleck
15th Anniversary Celebration The Seldom Scene
Home Is Where the Heart Is David Grisman
New Moon Rising Peter Rowan and the Nashville Bluegrass Band
1990
[4]
The Valley Road Bruce Hornsby and the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
At the Old Schoolhouse Johnson Mountain Boys
Heartbreak Hotel Doug Dillard Band
Live at the Opry Bill Monroe and the Bluegrass Boys
Two Highways Alison Krauss & Union Station
1991
[5]
I've Got That Old Feeling Alison Krauss
The Boys Are Back in Town Nashville Bluegrass Band
Grassroots to Bluegrass Mac Wiseman
Take It Home Hot Rize
Darlin' Boys The Dillards
1992
[6]
Spring Training Carl Jackson and John Starling
Hillbilly Fever Osborne Brothers
Home of the Blues Nashville Bluegrass Band
Music Among Friends Jim & Jesse
Simple Pleasures Alison Brown
1993
[7]
Every Time You Say Goodbye Alison Krauss & Union Station
Bluegrass Reunion David Grisman, Herb Pedersen, Red Allen, Jim Buchanan, James Kerwin and Jerry Garcia
Larry Cordle, Glen Duncan & Lonesome Standard Time Larry Cordle, Glen Duncan and Lonesome Standard Time
Scene 20: 20th Anniversary Concert The Seldom Scene
Slide Rule Jerry Douglas
1994
[8]
Waitin' for the Hard Times to Go Nashville Bluegrass Band
Blue Diamond Johnson Mountain Boys
Stuart Duncan Stuart Duncan
Saturday Night & Sunday Morning Ralph Stanley
Tony Rice Plays and Sings Bluegrass Tony Rice
1995
[9]
The Great Dobro Sessions Various Artists[II]
A Deeper Shade of Blue Del McCoury
Flashback J. D. Crowe and the New South
Like We Used to Be The Seldom Scene
When the Roses Bloom in Dixieland Osborne Brothers
1996
[10]
Unleashed Nashville Bluegrass Band
Beyond the City The Cox Family
Fiddle and a Song Byron Berline
Moonlighter Claire Lynch
$35 and a Dream Rose Maddox
1997
[11]
True Life Blues: The Songs of Bill Monroe Various Artists[III]
Bluegrass Boy Peter Rowan
The Cold Hard Facts Del McCoury Band
Red on Blonde Tim O'Brien
The Stanley Tradition: Tribute to a Bluegrass Legacy Various Artists
1998
[12]
So Long So Wrong Alison Krauss & Union Station
Age of Innocence Kate MacKenzie
Sales Tax Toddle Richard Greene and The Grass Is Greener
Short Life of Trouble Ralph Stanley
Silver and Gold Claire Lynch
1999
Bluegrass Rules! Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder
American Beauty Nashville Bluegrass Band
Clinch Mountain Country Ralph Stanley and Friends
Home Sweet Home Doc Watson and Merle Watson
Songs from the Homeplace Jim & Jesse
2000
[13]
Ancient Tones Ancient Tones
Bluegrass Mandolin Extravaganza David Grisman, Ricky Skaggs, Sam Bush, Jesse McReynolds, and Frank Wakefield
The Bluegrass Sessions Béla Fleck
I Feel Like Singing Today Jim Lauderdale, Ralph Stanley and the Clinch Mountain Boys
The Mountain Steve Earle and the Del McCoury Band
2001
[14]
The Grass Is Blue Dolly Parton
Big Mon: The Songs of Bill Monroe Ricky Skaggs and Friends
Fair Weather Alison Brown
Murder on Music Row Larry Cordle and Lonesome Standard Time
Nickel Creek Nickel Creek
2002
[15]
New Favorite Alison Krauss & Union Station
Clinch Mountain Sweethearts Ralph Stanley and Friends
History of the Future Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder
Little Sparrow Dolly Parton
Mountain Soul Patty Loveless
2003
[16]
Lost in the Lonesome Pines Clinch Mountain Boys, Jim Lauderdale, and Ralph Stanley
The Hard Game of Love Doyle Lawson and Quicksilver
Jelly on My Tofu Roland White Band
Ralph Stanley Ralph Stanley
Stanley Blues Ralph Stanley II
2004
[17]
Live Alison Krauss & Union Station
Christmas on the Mountain: A Bluegrass Christmas Various Artists
It's Just the Night Del McCoury Band
Live at the Charleston Music Hall Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder
One Step Ahead Rhonda Vincent
2005
[18]
Brand New Strings Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder
The Bluegrass Sessions Lynn Anderson
Carrying On Ralph Stanley II
A Tribute to Jimmy Martin: "The King of Bluegrass" Various Artists
Twenty Year Blues Nashville Bluegrass Band
2006
[19]
The Company We Keep Del McCoury Band
Cherryholmes Cherryholmes
The Grascals The Grascals
Marbletown Blue Highway
Ragin' Live Rhonda Vincent and The Rage
2010
[20]
The Crow: New Songs for the 5-String Banjo Steve Martin
Almost Live Bryan Sutton and Friends
Buckaroo Blue Grass Michael Martin Murphey
Could We Get Any Closer? Jim Lauderdale
Destination Life Rhonda Vincent
2011
[21]
Mountain Soul II Patty Loveless
Circles Around Me Sam Bush
Family Circle Del McCoury Band
Legacy Peter Rowan Bluegrass Band
Reckless The SteelDrivers
2012 Paper Airplane Alison Krauss & Union Station
A Mother's Prayer Ralph Stanley
Old Memories: The Songs of Bill Monroe Del McCoury Band
Rare Bird Alert Steve Martin and the Steep Canyon Rangers
Reason and Rhyme: Bluegrass Songs by Robert Hunter and Jim Lauderdale Jim Lauderdale
Sleep with One Eye Open Chris Thile and Michael Daves
2013
[22]
Nobody Knows You Steep Canyon Rangers
Beat the Devil and Carry a Rail Noam Pikelny
The Gospel Side of... Dailey & Vincent
Life Finds a Way The Grascals
Scratch Gravel Road The Special Consensus
2014 The Streets of Baltimore Del McCoury Band
Brothers of the Highway Dailey & Vincent
It's Just a Road The Boxcars
This World Oft Can Be Della Mae
Three Chords and the Truth James King
2015
[23]
The Earls of Leicester The Earls of Leicester
Cold Spell Frank Solivan and Dirty Kitchen
Into My Own Bryan Sutton
Noam Pikelny Plays Kenny Baker Plays Bill Monroe Noam Pikelny
Only Me Rhonda Vincent
2016 The Muscle Shoals Recordings The SteelDrivers
Before the Sun Goes Down Rob Ickes and Trey Hensley
In Session Doyle Lawson and Quicksilver
Man of Constant Sorrow Ralph Stanley and Friends
Pocket Full of Keys Dale Ann Bradley
2017
[24]
Coming Home O'Connor Band with Mark O'Connor
Burden Bearer Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver
The Hazel and Alice Sessions Laurie Lewis & The Right Hands
North by South Claire Lynch
Original Traditional Blue Highway
2018
[25]
All the Rage Rhonda Vincent and the Rage
Fiddler's Dream Michael Cleveland
Laws of Gravity The Infamous Stringdusters
Original Bobby Osborne
Universal Favorite Noam Pikelny
2019
[26]
The Travelin' McCourys The Travelin' McCourys
II Sister Sadie
North of Despair Wood & Wire
Portraits in Fiddles Mike Barnett
Rivers and Roads The Special Consensus
2020 Tall Fiddler Michael Cleveland
If You Can't Stand the Heat Frank Solivan & Dirty Kitchen
Live in Prague, Czech Republic Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver
Royal Traveller Missy Raines
Toil, Tears & Trouble The Po'Ramblin' Boys
2021
[27]
Home Billy Strings
The John Hartford Fiddle Tune Project, Vol. 1 Various Artists
Man on Fire Danny Barnes
North Carolina Songbook Steep Canyon Rangers
To Live In Two Worlds, Vol. 1 Thomm Jutz
2022
[28]
My Bluegrass Heart Béla Fleck
Cuttin' Grass Vol. 1 (Butcher Shoppe Sessions) Sturgill Simpson
Music Is What I See Rhonda Vincent
Renewal Billy Strings
A Tribute To Bill Monroe The Infamous Stringdusters
2023
[29]
Crooked Tree Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway
Almost Proud Del McCoury Band
Calling You from My Mountain Peter Rowan
Get Yourself Outside Yonder Mountain String Band
Toward the Fray The Infamous Stringdusters
2024
[30]
City of Gold Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway
Bluegrass Willie Nelson
Lovin' of the Game Michael Cleveland
Me/And/Dad Billy Strings
Mighty Poplar Mighty Poplar
Radio John: Songs of John Hartford Sam Bush
2025
[31]
Live Vol. 1 Billy Strings
Earl Jam Tony Trischka
I Built a World Bronwyn Keith-Hynes
Live from the Ryman Dan Tyminski
No Fear Sister Sadie
Songs of Love and Life The Del McCoury Band
2026
[32]
Highway Prayers Billy Strings
Arcadia Alison Krauss & Union Station
Carter & Cleveland Michael Cleveland and Jason Carter
Outrun The SteelDrivers
A Tip Toe High Wire Sierra Hull
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^[I] Each year is linked to the article about the Grammy Awards held that year.
^[II] Awards were presented to Jerry Douglas and Tut Taylor as the producers of the album.
^[III] An award was presented to Todd Phillips as the producer of the album.

Artists with multiple wins

Artists with multiple nominations

See also

References

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