1971 Grammy Awards (13th) – Complete List of Winners and Nominees

The 13th Annual Grammy Awards, held on March 16, 1971, honored recordings from October 1, 1969, to September 30, 1970. Simon & Garfunkel's masterpiece Bridge over Troubled Water proved to be an overwhelming success, dominating the major categories by winning both Album of the Year and Record of the Year for its poignant title track.
The Carpenters, with their silky smooth harmonies and easy-listening sound, were deservedly named Best New Artist. Other notable winners included George Harrison for his work with The Beatles and Bill Evans for his jazz artistry.
This ceremony solidified the Grammys' embrace of the burgeoning soft rock and folk-rock movements, genres that resonated deeply with a wide audience and achieved immense commercial success, signaling a period of strong artistic and popular appeal for singer-songwriters and vocal duos.

Record Of The Year

Result	Artist	Work
Winner	Simon And Garfunkel	Bridge Over Troubled Water
Nominee	The Beatles	Let It Be
Nominee	James Taylor	Fire And Rain
Nominee	Ray Stevens	Everything Is Beautiful
Nominee	Carpenters	Close To You

Album Of The Year

Result	Artist	Work
Winner	Simon And Garfunkel	Bridge Over Troubled Water
Nominee	James Taylor	Sweet Baby James
Nominee	Elton John	Elton John
Nominee	Crosby, Stills, Nash And Young	Deja Vu
Nominee	Carpenters	Close To You
Nominee	Chicago	Chicago

Song Of The Year

Result	Artist	Work
Winner	Simon And Garfunkel	Bridge Over Troubled Water
Nominee	Carpenters	We've Only Just Begun
Nominee	The Beatles	Let It Be
Nominee	James Taylor	Fire And Rain
Nominee	Ray Stevens	Everything Is Beautiful

Best New Artist Of The Year

Result	Artist	Work
Winner	Carpenters	-
Nominee	Elton John	-
Nominee	The Partridge Family	-
Nominee	Anne Murray	-
Nominee	Melba Moore	-

Best Instrumental Arrangement

Result	Artist	Work
Winner	Henry Mancini, arranger (Henry Mancini)	Theme From /Z/
Nominee	Lalo Schifrin, arranger (Various Artists)	Theme From Medical Center
Nominee	Fred Selden, arranger (Don Ellis)	The Magic Bus Ate My Donut
Nominee	Tom Sellers, arranger (Assembled Multitude)	Overture From Tommy
Nominee	Quincy Jones, arranger (Quincy Jones)	Gula Matari
Nominee	Miles Davis, arranger (Miles Davis)	Bitches Brew

Best Arrangement Accompanying Vocalist(s)

Result	Artist	Work
Winner	Ernie Freeman, Art Garfunkel, Jimmie Haskell, Larry Knechtel & Paul Simon, arrangers (Simon And Garfunkel)	Bridge Over Troubled Water
Nominee	Dick Halligan, arranger (Blood, Sweat And Tears)	Lucretia Mac Evil
Nominee	Ray Stevens, arranger (Ray Stevens)	Everything Is Beautiful
Nominee	Richard Carpenter, arranger (Carpenters)	Close To You

Best Engineered Recording - Non-Classical

Result	Artist	Work
Winner	Roy Halee, engineer (Simon And Garfunkel)	Bridge Over Troubled Water
Nominee	Adrian Martins, Robin Thompson & Derek Varnals, engineers (The Moody Blues)	To Our Children's Children's Children
Nominee	Peter Klemt, engineer (Bert Kaempfert And His Orchestra)	The Kaempfert Touch
Nominee	Armin Steiner, engineer (Neil Diamond)	Tap Root Manuscript
Nominee	Richard Bogert & Ray Gerhardt, engineers (Carpenters)	Close To You

Best Album Cover

Result	Artist	Work
Winner	Ivan Nagy, photographer (B.B. King)	Indianola Mississippi Seeds
Nominee	William E. McEuen, photographer; Woody Woodward, art director (Nitty Gritty Dirt Band)	Uncle Charlie And His Dog Teddy
Nominee	John Berg, art director (Bessie Smith)	The World's Greatest Blues Singer
Nominee	Desmond Strobel, art director (Various Artists)	The Naked Carmen
Nominee	Fred Poore, photographer; Peter Whorf, art director (Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra Of London)	Schubert: /Unfinished/ Symphony - Beethoven: Fifth Symphony
Nominee	Peter Whorf, photographer; Christopher Whorf, art director (Mason Proffit)	Mason Proffit
Nominee	Ed Thrasher, art director (Mason Williams)	Hand Made
Nominee	(Chicago)	Chicago

Best Album Notes

Result	Artist	Work
Winner	Chris Albertson, album notes writer (Bessie Smith)	The World's Greatest Blues Singer
Nominee	Arthur Knight, album notes writer (John Green Orchestra)	They Shoot Horses, Don't They?
Nominee	James Goodfriend, album notes writer (Bill Monroe And His Blue Grass Friends)	Sixteen All Time Greatest Hits
Nominee	Rex Reed, album notes writer (Judy Garland)	Judy. London. 1969.
Nominee	Anthony D'Oberoff, album notes writer (Mississippi Fred McDowell)	I Do Not Play No Rock 'n Roll
Nominee	Rod McKuen, album notes writer (Alexander's Greyhound Brass)	Hold Back The World
Nominee	Ralph J. Gleason, album notes writer (Miles Davis)	Bitches Brew
Nominee	Billy Edd Wheeler, album notes writer (Jack Moran)	As I See It

Best Contemporary Vocal Performance, Female

Result	Artist	Work
Winner	Dionne Warwick	I'll Never Fall In Love Again
Nominee	Anne Murray	Snowbird
Nominee	Linda Ronstadt	Long Long Time
Nominee	Bobbie Gentry	Fancy
Nominee	Diana Ross	Ain't No Mountain High Enough

Best Contemporary Vocal Performance, Male

Result	Artist	Work
Winner	Ray Stevens	Everything Is Beautiful
Nominee	James Taylor	Sweet Baby James
Nominee	Brook Benton	Rainy Night In Georgia
Nominee	Joe Cocker	Mad Dogs And Englishmen
Nominee	Elton John	Elton John

Best Contemporary Vocal Performance By A Duo, Group Or Chorus

Result	Artist	Work
Winner	Carpenters	Close To You
Nominee	The Beatles	Let It Be
Nominee	Chicago	Chicago
Nominee	Simon And Garfunkel	Bridge Over Troubled Water
Nominee	Jackson 5	ABC

Best Contemporary Instrumental Performance

Result	Artist	Work
Winner	Henry Mancini	Theme From /Z/ And Other Film Music
Nominee	Jimi Hendrix	Star Spangled Banner
Nominee	Quincy Jones	Soul Flower
Nominee	Assembled Multitude	Overture From Tommy
Nominee	Vincent Bell	Airport Love Theme

Best Contemporary Song

Result	Artist	Work
Winner	(Simon And Garfunkel)	Bridge Over Troubled Water
Nominee	The Carpenters	We've Only Just Begun
Nominee	The Beatles	Let It Be
Nominee	James Taylor	Fire And Rain
Nominee	Ray Stevens	Everything Is Beautiful

Best R&B Vocal Performance, Female

Result	Artist	Work
Winner	Aretha Franklin	Don't Play That Song
Nominee	Candi Staton	Stand By Your Man
Nominee	Dee Dee Warwick	She Didn't Know
Nominee	Esther Phillips	Set Me Free
Nominee	Nina Simone	Black Gold

Best R&B Vocal Performance, Male

Result	Artist	Work
Winner	B.B. King	The Thrill Is Gone
Nominee	Edwin Starr	War
Nominee	Stevie Wonder	Signed, Sealed, Delivered
Nominee	Clarence Carter	Patches
Nominee	Wilson Pickett	Engine #9

Best R&B Performance By A Duo Or Group, Vocal Or Instrumental

Result	Artist	Work
Winner	The Delfonics	Didn't I (Blow Your Mind This Time)
Nominee	100 Proof	Somebody's Been Sleeping In My Bed
Nominee	Four Tops	It's All In The Game
Nominee	Charles Wright And The Watts 103rd St. Rhythm Band	Express Yourself
Nominee	The Presidents	5-10-15-20 (25-30 Years Of Love)

Best Rhythm & Blues Song

Result	Artist	Work
Winner	Clarence Carter	Patches
Nominee	100 Proof	Somebody's Been Sleeping In My Bed
Nominee	Stevie Wonder	Signed, Sealed, Delivered
Nominee	Gene Chandler	Groovy Situation
Nominee	Delfonics	Didn't I (Blow Your Mind This Time)

Best Soul Gospel Performance

Result	Artist	Work
Winner	Edwin Hawkins Singers	Every Man Wants To Be Free
Nominee	Jessy Dixon And Chicago Community Choir	Hello Sunshine
Nominee	Myrna Summers And The Interdenominational Choir	God Gave Me A Song
Nominee	Andrae Crouch And The Disciples	Christian People
Nominee	James Cleveland And Southern California Choir	Amazing Grace

Best Country Vocal Performance, Female

Result	Artist	Work
Winner	Lynn Anderson	Rose Garden
Nominee	Jean Shepard	Then He Touched Me
Nominee	Tammy Wynette	Run Woman, Run
Nominee	Dolly Parton	Mule Skinner Blues
Nominee	Wanda Jackson	A Woman Lives For Love

Best Country Vocal Performance, Male

Result	Artist	Work
Winner	Ray Price	For The Good Times
Nominee	Johnny Cash	Sunday Morning Coming Down
Nominee	Merle Haggard	Okie From Muskogee
Nominee	Charley Pride	Charley Pride's 10th Album
Nominee	Jerry Reed	Amos Moses

Best Country Vocal Performance By A Duo Or Group

Result	Artist	Work
Winner	Johnny Cash And June Carter	If I Were A Carpenter
Nominee	Jack Blanchard And Misty Morgan	Tennessee Birdwalk
Nominee	Waylong Jennings And Jessi Colter	Suspicious Minds
Nominee	Porter Wagoner And Dolly Parton	Daddy Was An Old-Time Preacher Man
Nominee	The Statler Brothers	Bed Of Rose's

Best Country Instrumental Performance

Result	Artist	Work
Winner	Jerry Reed & Chet Atkins	Me And Jerry
Nominee	Nashville Brass With Danny Davis	You Ain't Heard Nothin' Yet
Nominee	Chet Atkins	Yestergroovin'
Nominee	Merle Haggard	Street Singer
Nominee	Jerry Smith	Drivin' Home

Best Country Song

Result	Artist	Work
Winner	Marty Robbins	My Woman, My Woman, My Wife
Nominee	Charley Pride	Wonder Could I Live There Anymore
Nominee	Merle Haggard	The Fightin' Side Of Me
Nominee	Charley Pride	Is Anybody Goin' To San Antone
Nominee	Conway Twitty	Hello Darlin'

Best Sacred Performance (Musical)

Result	Artist	Work
Winner	Jake Hess	Everything Is Beautiful
Nominee	George Beverly Shea	There Is More To Life
Nominee	Ralph Carmichael Orchestra And Chorus	The Centurion
Nominee	Pat Boone	Rapture
Nominee	Richard Condie Conducting Mormon Tabernacle Choir	God Of Our Fathers

Best Gospel Performance (Other Than Soul Gospel)

Result	Artist	Work
Winner	The Oak Ridge Boys	Talk About The Good Times
Nominee	Wendy Bagwell & The Sunliters	Talk about The Good Times
Nominee	The Florida Boys	The Many Moods Of The Florida Boys
Nominee	The LeFevres	The LeFevres/Moving Up
Nominee	Thrasher Brothers	Fantastic Thrashers At Fantastic Caverns

Best Ethnic Or Traditional Recording (Including Traditional Blues)

Result	Artist	Work
Winner	T-Bone Walker	Good Feelin'
Nominee	Ali Akbar Khan	Shree Rag
Nominee	Muddy Waters	Sail On
Nominee	Mississippi Fred McDowell	I Do Not Play No Rock N' Roll
Nominee	Bjorn Stabi And Ole Hjorth	Folk Fiddling From Sweden
Nominee	(Various Artists)	Black Music Of South America

Best Instrumental Composition

Result	Artist	Work
Winner	Alfred Newman, composer (Alfred Newman)	Airport Love Theme
Nominee	Lalo Schifrin, composer (Lalo Schifrin)	Theme From Medical Center
Nominee	Henry Mancini, composer (Henry Mancini)	Love Theme From Sunflower
Nominee	Quincy Jones, composer (Quincy Jones)	Gula Matari
Nominee	Miles Davis, composer (Miles Davis)	Bitches Brew

Best Original Score Written For A Motion Picture Or A Television Special

Result	Artist	Work
Winner	George Harrison, John Lennon, Paul McCartney & Ringo Starr, composers (The Beatles)	Let It Be
Nominee	Fred Karlin, composer (Various Artists)	The Sterile Cuckoo
Nominee	Johnny Mandel, composer (Various)	M*A*S*H*
Nominee	Henry Mancini & Johnny Mercer, composers (Julie Andrews)	Darling Lili
Nominee	Alfred Newman, composer (Alfred Newman)	Airport

Best Score From An Original Cast Show Album

Result	Artist	Work
Winner	Stephen Sondheim, composer; Thomas Z. Shepard, producer (Dean Jones, Barbara Barrie, George Coe, Teri Rolston, John Cunningham, Beth Howland)	Company
Nominee	Gary Geld & Peter Udell, composers; Andy Wiswell, producer (Various Artists)	Purlie
Nominee	Oscar Brown Jr., Jean Pace & Sivuca, composers; Ernie Altschuler, producer (Various Artists)	Joy
Nominee	Alan J. Lerner & Andre Previn, composers; Andy Wiswell, producer (Various Artists)	Coco
Nominee	Lee Adams & Charles Strouse, composers; Robert Arnold, producer (Various Artists)	Applause

Best Recording For Children

Result	Artist	Work
Winner	(The Muppets)	Sesame Street
Nominee	Loretta Long	Susan Sings Songs From Sesame Street
Nominee	Jim Henson	Rubber Duckie
Nominee	(Various Artists)	Aristocats
Nominee	John Scott Trotter	A Boy Named Charlie Brown

Best Comedy Recording

Result	Artist	Work
Winner	Flip Wilson	The Devil Made Me Buy This Dress
Nominee	Orson Welles	The Begatting Of The President
Nominee	Bill Cosby	Live At Madison Square Garden
Nominee	David Frye	I Am The President
Nominee	Homer And Jethro	Daddy Played First Base

Best Spoken Word Recording

Result	Artist	Work
Winner	Martin Luther King Jr.	Why I Oppose The War In Vietnam
Nominee	Jesse Pearson	The Soft Sea
Nominee	Amanda Ambrose, Bob Dryden, Paul Hecht, Paul Malloy, Pete Seeger	Poems And Ballads From 100-Plus American Poets
Nominee	Robert Cotterell	In The Beginning
Nominee	Bill Cosby	Grover Henson Feels Forgotten
Nominee	Everett M. Dirksen	Everett Dirksen's America

Best Jazz Performance - Small Group Or Soloist With Small Group

Result	Artist	Work
Winner	Bill Evans	Alone
Nominee	Milt Jackson Quintet With Ray Brown	That's The Way It Is
Nominee	Les McCann And Eddie Harris	Swiss Movement
Nominee	Gary Burton	Good-Vibes
Nominee	Erroll Garner	Feeling Is Believing
Nominee	Herbie Hancock	Fat Albert Rotunda
Nominee	John Coltrane	Coltrane Legacy

Best Jazz Performance - Large Group Or Soloist With Large Group

Result	Artist	Work
Winner	Miles Davis	Bitches Brew
Nominee	Johnny Hodges	Three Shades Of Blue
Nominee	World's Greatest Jazzband	Live At The Roosevelt Grill
Nominee	Quincy Jones	Gula Matari
Nominee	Duke Ellington	Duke Ellington - 70th Birthday Concert
Nominee	Don Ellis Big Band	Don Ellis At Fillmore
Nominee	Thad Jones And Mel Lewis	Consumation
Nominee	Paul Desmond	Bridge Over Troubled Water

Album Of The Year, Classical

Result	Artist	Work
Winner	Colin Davis, artist; Erik Smith, producer	Berlioz: Les Troyens
Nominee	Pierre Boulez, artist; Thomas Z. Shepard, producer	Stravinsky: Le Sacre Du Printemps
Nominee	Eugene Ormandy, artist; Peter Dellheim, producer	Shostakovich: Symphony No. 13
Nominee	Michael Tilson Thomas, artist; Tom Mowrey, producer	Ives: Three Places In New England/Ruggles:Sun Treader
Nominee	David Oistrakh & Mstislav Rostropovich, artists; Peter Andry, producer	Brahms: Double Concerto (Concerto In A Minor For Violin And Cello)
Nominee	Wilfried Daenicke, producer	Beethoven Edition 1970

Best Classical Performance, Orchestra

Result	Artist	Work
Winner	(Cleveland Orchestra)	Stravinsky: Le Sacre Du Printemps
Nominee	(Chicago Symphony Orchestra)	Mahler: Symphony No. 6 In A Minor
Nominee	(Philadelphia Orchestra)	Mahler: Symphony No. 2 In C Minor (/Resurrection/)
Nominee	(Boston Symphony Orchestra)	Ives: Three Places In New England/Ruggles: Sun Treader
Nominee	(Cleveland Orchestra)	Dvorák: Symphony No. 8 In G Major
Nominee	(Cleveland Orchestra)	Bruckner: Symphony No. 8 In C Minor
Nominee	(Chicago Symphony Orchestra)	Berlioz: Romeo And Juliet
Nominee	(Chicago Symphony Orchestra)	Bartók: Concerto For Orchestra

Best Classical Performance - Instrumental Soloist Or Soloists (With Or Without Orchestra)

Result	Artist	Work
Winner	(Cleveland Orchestra)	Brahms: Double Concerto (Concerto In A Minor For Violin And Cello)
Nominee	Vladimir Horowitz	Well-Tempered Synthesizer
Nominee	Van Cliburn	Schumann: Kreisleriana
Nominee	(Philadelphia Symphony Orchestra)	Chopin: Concerto No. 1 In E Minor For Piano
Nominee	David Oistrakh	Britten: Suites For Cello (2)
Nominee	(Cleveland Orchestra)	Brahms: Concerto In D Major For Violin
Nominee	Alexis Weissenberg	Beethoven: Sonatas No. 26, Op. 81a (/Les Adieux/) And No. 15, Op. 28 (/Pastoral/)
Nominee	(Philadelphia Symphony Orchestra)	Bartók: Piano Concerto No. 2
Nominee	-	Bach: Well Tempered Clavier Book 2, Nos. 9-16

Best Chamber Music Performance

Result	Artist	Work
Winner	Eugene Istomin, Leonard Rose & Isaac Stern, artists	Beethoven: The Complete Piano Trios
Nominee	Boston Symphony Chamber Players, artist	Schubert: Trio No. 1 In B Flat Major/ Milhaud: Pastorale For Oboe, Clarinet And Bassoon/ Hindemith: Kleine Kammermusik
Nominee	Benjamin Britten, artist	Salute To Percy Grainger
Nominee	Gunther Schuller, artist	Ives: Calcium Light Night
Nominee	David Oistrakh & Sviatoslav Richter, artists	Franck: Sonata In A Major For Violin And Piano/Brahms: Sonata No. 3 In D Minor
Nominee	Composers Quartet, artists	Carter: Quartets Nos. 1 And 2 For Strings
Nominee	Guarneri Quartet (John Dalley, David Soyer, Arnold Steinhardt & Michael Tree), artists	Beethoven: The Five Late Quartets

Best Opera Recording

Result	Artist	Work
Winner	Colin Davis; Erik Smith, producer (Royal Opera House Chorus - Covent Garden; Royal Opera House Orchestra - Covent Garden)	Berlioz: Les Troyens
Nominee	Herbert von Karajan; Otto Gerdes, producer (Deutsch Opera Chorus; Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra)	Wagner: Gotterdammerung
Nominee	Zubin Mehta; Richard Mohr, producer (Ambrosian Opera Chorus; New Philharmonia Orchestra)	Verdi: Il Trovatore
Nominee	Georg Solti; Christopher Raeburn, producer (Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra)	R. Strauss: Der Rosenkavalier
Nominee	Pierre Boulez; Paul Myers, producer (Royal Opera House Chorus; Royal Opera House Orchestra)	Debussy: Pelleas Et Melisande

Best Classical Vocal Soloist Performance

Result	Artist	Work
Winner	NOMINEES	Schubert: Lieder
Nominee	(London Symphony Orchestra)	Prima Donna Volume III
Nominee	(London Philharmonic Orchestra)	Mozart And Strauss Arias
Nominee	Walter Berry	Mahler: Kindertotenlieder/Wagner: Wesendonck Lieder
Nominee	(New York Philharmonic)	Mahler: Des Knaben Wunderhorn
Nominee	(London Symphony)	Berlioz: The Trojans - Final Scenes /Death Of Cleopatara/

Best Choral Performance (Other Than Opera)

Result	Artist	Work
Winner	(Gregg Smith Singers; Columbia Chamber Ensemble)	Ives: New Music Of Charles Ives
Nominee	(Bach Choir; New Philharmonic Orchestra)	Vaughan Williams: Five Tudor Portraits
Nominee	(Male Chorus Of Mendelssohn Club; Philadelphia Orchestra)	Shostakovich: Symphony No. 13
Nominee	(New England Conservatory Children's Chorus & New England Conservatory Chorus; Boston Symphony Orchestra)	Orff: Carmina Burana
Nominee	(London Symphony Orchestra Chorus; London Symphony Orchestra)	Mahler: Das Klagende Lied
Nominee	(Vienna Singverein Chorus; Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra)	Haydn: The Creation
Nominee	(Ithaca College Concert Choir; Columbia Symphony Orchestra)	(Stravinsky:) The New Stravinsky

Best Engineered Recording, Classical

Result	Artist	Work
Winner	Arthur Kendy, Ray Moore & Fred Plaut, engineers (Pierre Boulez, conductor; Cleveland Orchestra)	Stravinsky: Le Sacre Du Printemps
Nominee	Walter Carlos, engineer (Walter Carlos)	Well-Tempered Synthesizer
Nominee	Paul Goodman, engineer (Leopold Stokowsky, conductor)	Shostakovich: Symphony No. 6 And Age Of Gold
Nominee	Bernie(Bernard) Keville, engineer (Eugene Ormandy, conductor)	Shostakovich: Symphony No. 13
Nominee	James Lock & Gordon Parry, engineers (Georg Solti, conductor)	R. Strauss: Der Rosenkavalier
Nominee	Gunter Hermanns, engineer (Michael Tilson Thomas, conductor)	Ives: Three Places In New England/Ruggles: Sun Treader
Nominee	Carson C. Taylor, engineer (George Szell, conductor; David Oistrakh; Mstislav Rostropovich)	Brahms: Double Concerto (Concerto In A Minor For Violin And Cello)