33rd Annual Grammy Awards

The 33rd Annual Grammy Awards were held on February 20, 1991. They recognized accomplishments by musicians from the previous year. Quincy Jones was the night's biggest winner winning a total of six awards including Album of the Year.

Presenters

 * Sting & Gloria Estefan – Best Pop Vocal Performance Male
 * Young MC & Bobby Brown – Best Rap Solo Performance
 * Regina Belle & Michael Bolton – Best R&B Vocal Performance Male
 * En Vogue & Take 6 – Best New Artist
 * Richard Gere – Presents Lifetime Achievement Award to John Lennon. Yoko Ono accepts the award on his behalf.
 * Bonnie Raitt & Don Henley – Album of the Year
 * James Ingram & Natalie Cole – Song of the Year
 * The Judds – Best Country Vocal Performance Male
 * Randy Travis & Vince Gill – Best Country Performance by Duo or Group
 * The Kentucky Headhunters & Lisa Stansfield – Best Rock Vocal Performance Male
 * Maria Conchita Alonso & Edward James Olmos – Best Tropical Latin Performance
 * Bernadette Peters & Tommy Tune – Best Musical Cast Show Album
 * Vanilla Ice & Debbie Gibson – Best Pop Vocal Performance Female
 * Jack Nicholson – Presents Lifetime Achievement Award to Bob Dylan
 * Stanley Jordan & Quincy Jones – Best Jazz Vocal Performance Male
 * Cyndi Lauper & The B-52s – Best Hard Rock Performance and Best Rock Performance by Duo or Group
 * Quincy Jones – Presents the President of the Recording Academy
 * Graham Nash & Johnny Gill – Best Pop Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group
 * Diana Ross & Jon Bon Jovi – Record of the Year

General

 * Record of the Year
 * "Another Day in Paradise" – Phil Collins
 * Hugh Padgham & Phil Collins, producers
 * "Vision of Love" – Mariah Carey
 * Rhett Lawrence & Narada Michael Walden, producers
 * "U Can't Touch This" – MC Hammer
 * MC Hammer, producer
 * "From a Distance" – Bette Midler
 * Arif Mardin, producer
 * "Nothing Compares 2 U" – Sinéad O'Connor
 * Sinéad O'Connor & Nellee Hooper, producers


 * Album of the Year
 * Quincy Jones (producer & artist) for Back on the Block
 * Song of the Year
 * Julie Gold (songwriter) for "From a Distance" performed by Bette Midler


 * Best New Artist
 * Mariah Carey
 * Lisa Stansfield
 * The Black Crowes
 * The Kentucky Headhunters
 * Wilson Phillips

Alternative

 * Best Alternative Music Album
 * Sinéad O'Connor for I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got

Blues

 * Best Traditional Blues Recording
 * B.B. King for Live at San Quentin
 * Best Contemporary Blues Recording
 * Jimmie Vaughan & Stevie Ray Vaughan for Family Style

Children's

 * Best Recording for Children
 * Alan Menken (composer) & Howard Ashman (lyricist) for The Little Mermaid performed by various artists

Classical

 * Best Orchestral Performance
 * Leonard Bernstein (conductor) & the Chicago Symphony Orchestra for Shostakovich: Symphonies Nos. 1 & 7
 * Best Classical Vocal Performance
 * Zubin Mehta (conductor), José Carreras, Plácido Domingo, Luciano Pavarotti, & the Orchestra Del Maggio Musicale for Carreras, Domingo, Pavarotti in Concert 
 * Best Opera Recording
 * Cord Garben (producer), James Levine (conductor), Siegfried Jerusalem, Christa Ludwig, Kurt Moll, James Morris, Jan Hendrik Rootering, Ekkehard Wlaschiha, Heinz Zednik & the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra for Wagner: Das Rheingold
 * Best Choral Performance (other than opera)
 * Robert Shaw (conductor) & the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra & Chorus for Walton: Belshazzar's Feast/Bernstein: Chichester Psalms; Missa Brevis
 * Best Classical Performance, Instrumental Soloist (with orchestra)
 * Zubin Mehta (conductor), Itzhak Perlman & the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra for Shostakovich: Violin Concerto No. 1 in A Minor/ Glazunov: Violin Concerto in A Minor
 * Best Classical Performance, Instrumental Soloist (without orchestra)
 * Vladimir Horowitz for The Last Recording
 * Best Chamber Music or Other Small Ensemble Performance
 * Daniel Barenboim & Itzhak Perlman for Brahms: The Three Violin Sonatas
 * Best Contemporary Composition
 * Leonard Bernstein (composer), Judy Kaye & William Sharp for Bernstein: Arias & Barcarolles
 * Best Classical Album
 * Hans Weber (producer), Leonard Bernstein (conductor) & the New York Philharmonic for Ives: Sym. No. 2; Gong on the Hook and Ladder; Central Park in the Dark; The Unanswered Question

Comedy

 * Best Comedy Recording
 * Peter Schickele for P. D. Q. Bach: Oedipus Tex and Other Choral Calamities

Composing and arranging

 * Best Instrumental Composition
 * Pat Metheny (composer) for "Change of Heart" performed by Roy Haynes, Dave Holland & Pat Metheny
 * Best Song Written Specifically for a Motion Picture or Television
 * Alan Menken (composer) & Howard Ashman (lyricist) for "Under the Sea" performed by various artists
 * Best Instrumental Composition Written for a Motion Picture or for Television
 * James Horner (composer) for Glory performed by James Horner & the Boys Choir of Harlem
 * Best Arrangement on an Instrumental
 * Jerry Hey, Quincy Jones, Ian Prince & Rod Temperton (arrangers) for "Birdland" performed by Quincy Jones
 * Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocal(s)
 * Glen Ballard, Jerry Hey, Quincy Jones & Clif Magness (arrangers) for "The Places You Find Love" performed by Siedah Garrett & Chaka Khan

Country

 * Best Country Vocal Performance, Female
 * Kathy Mattea for "Where've You Been"
 * Best Country Vocal Performance, Male
 * Vince Gill for "When I Call Your Name"
 * Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal
 * The Kentucky Headhunters for Pickin' on Nashville
 * Best Country Vocal Collaboration
 * Chet Atkins & Mark Knopfler for "Poor Boy Blues"
 * Best Country Instrumental Performance
 * Chet Atkins & Mark Knopfler for "So Soft, Your Goodbye"
 * Best Country Song
 * Don Henry & Jon Vezner (songwriters) for "Where've You Been" performed by Kathy Mattea
 * Best Bluegrass Recording
 * Alison Krauss for I've Got That Old Feeling 

Folk

 * Best Traditional Folk Recording
 * Doc Watson for On Praying Ground
 * Best Contemporary Folk Recording
 * Shawn Colvin for Steady On

Gospel

 * Best Pop Gospel Album
 * Sandi Patti for Another Time... Another Place
 * Best Rock/Contemporary Gospel Album
 * Petra for Beyond Belief
 * Best Traditional Soul Gospel Album
 * Tramaine Hawkins for Tramaine Hawkins Live
 * Best Contemporary Soul Gospel Album
 * Take 6 for So Much 2 Say
 * Best Southern Gospel Album
 * Bruce Carroll for The Great Exchange
 * Best Gospel Album by a Choir or Chorus
 * James Cleveland (choir director) for Having Church performed by the Southern California Community Choir

Historical

 * Best Historical Album
 * Lawrence Cohn & Stephen Lavere (producers) for Robert Johnson - The Complete Recordings

Jazz

 * Best Jazz Vocal Performance, Female
 * Ella Fitzgerald for All That Jazz
 * Best Jazz Vocal Performance, Male
 * Harry Connick Jr. for We Are in Love
 * Best Jazz Instrumental Performance, Soloist
 * Oscar Peterson for The Legendary Oscar Peterson Trio Live at the Blue Note
 * Best Jazz Instrumental Performance, Group
 * The Oscar Peterson Trio for The Legendary Oscar Peterson Trio Live at the Blue Note
 * Best Jazz Instrumental Performance, Big Band
 * Frank Foster for "Basie's Bag"
 * Best Jazz Fusion Performance
 * Quincy Jones for "Birdland"

Latin

 * Best Latin Pop Performance
 * Jose Feliciano for "¿Por Qué Te Tengo Que Olvidar?"
 * Best Tropical Latin Performance
 * Tito Puente for "Lambada Timbales"
 * Best Mexican-American Performance
 * The Texas Tornados for "Soy de San Luis"

Musical show

 * Best Musical Cast Show Album
 * David Caddick (producer) & cast members with Gary Morris for Les Misérables - The Complete Symphonic Recording

Music video

 * Best Music Video, Short Form
 * Sharon Oreck (video producer), Candice Reckinger, Michael Patterson (video directors) & Paula Abdul for "Opposites Attract"
 * Best Music Video, Long Form
 * John Oetjen (video producer), Rupert Wainwright (video director) & M.C. Hammer for Please Hammer, Don't Hurt 'Em: The Movie

New Age

 * Best New Age Performance
 * Mark Isham for Mark Isham

Packaging and notes

 * Best Album Package
 * Jeffrey Gold, Len Peltier & Suzanne Vega (art directors) for Days of Open Hand performed by Suzanne Vega
 * Best Album Notes
 * Dan Morgenstern (notes writer) for Brownie - The Complete Emarcy Recordings of Clifford Brown performed by Clifford Brown

Polka

 * Best Polka Recording
 * Jimmy Sturr for When It's Polka Time at Your House

Pop

 * Best Pop Vocal Performance, Female
 * Mariah Carey for "Vision of Love"
 * Best Pop Vocal Performance, Male
 * Roy Orbison for "Oh Pretty Woman"
 * Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal
 * Aaron Neville & Linda Ronstadt for "All My Life"
 * Best Pop Instrumental Performance
 * Angelo Badalamenti for "Twin Peaks Theme"

Production and engineering

 * Best Engineered Recording, Non-Classical
 * Bruce Swedien (engineer) for Back On the Block performed by Quincy Jones
 * Best Engineered Recording, Classical
 * Jack Renner (engineer), Robert Shaw (conductor) & the Robert Shaw Festival Singers for Sergei Rachmaninoff: Vespers
 * Producer of the Year, (Non-Classical)
 * Quincy Jones
 * Classical Producer of the Year
 * Adam Stern

R&B

 * Best R&B Vocal Performance, Female
 * Anita Baker for Compositions
 * Best R&B Vocal Performance, Male
 * Luther Vandross for "Here and Now"
 * Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal
 * Ray Charles & Chaka Khan for "I'll Be Good to You"
 * Best Rhythm & Blues Song
 * M.C. Hammer, Rick James & Alonzo Miller (songwriters) for "U Can't Touch This" performed by M.C. Hammer

Rap

 * Best Rap Solo Performance
 * M.C. Hammer for "U Can't Touch This"
 * Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group
 * Big Daddy Kane, Ice-T, Kool Moe Dee, Melle Mel, Quincy D. III & Quincy Jones for "Back on the Block"

Reggae

 * Best Reggae Recording
 * Bunny Wailer for Time Will Tell: A Tribute to Bob Marley

Rock

 * Best Rock Vocal Performance, Female
 * Alannah Myles for "Black Velvet"
 * Best Rock Vocal Performance, Male
 * Eric Clapton for "Bad Love"
 * Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal
 * Aerosmith for "Janie's Got a Gun"
 * Best Rock Instrumental Performance
 * Vaughan Brothers for "D/FW"
 * Best Hard Rock Performance
 * Living Colour for Time's Up
 * Best Metal Performance
 * Metallica for "Stone Cold Crazy"

Spoken

 * Best Spoken Word or Non-musical Recording
 * George Burns for Gracie - A Love Story

Special merit awards

 * Bob Dylan was given a lifetime award presented by Jack Nicholson and sang "Masters of War" on the night of the first US invasion of Iraq.
 * John Lennon was granted a posthumous lifetime achievement award, one year after his partner, Paul McCartney.
 * The Chairman's Merit Award to Harry Everett Smith for the Anthology of American Folk Music

MusiCares Person of the Year

 * David Crosby

Reception
In a contemporary review, Variety described the telecast was "one of the most unmemorable in memory" and that "This year's telecast was doomed from the moment Sinead O'Connor, the artist behind the year's most compelling record, announced that she would boycott the show because the awards celebrate commercialism." The review critiqued the performers stating that Garth Brooks stage set up resembled a "Noël Coward play", Billy Idol changed a lyric of "Cradle of Love" to state "This song is so cheesy" and that MC Hammer appeared to be wrapped in aluminium foil.

The review spoke positively about performance of En Vogue and Take 6 and the a cappella performance by Tracy Chapman.