The Grammys Have Never Won a Top Program Emmy: Could This Be the Year?

The 19th annual Grammy Awards was nominated for outstanding achievement in coverage of special events — programs. The nod went to the show’s producer, Marty Pasetta. This was the first nomination (in any category) for a Grammy telecast.

About the show: This was the seventh and final show hosted by Andy Williams, whose TV star power in the 1960s and early ’70s helped get the Grammys on the air in 1971. Natalie Cole was the show’s opening performer for the second year in a row, this time with “Mr. Melody.” (She had opened the show the previous year with her breakthrough smash “This Will Be.”) Stevie Wonder won album of the year for Songs in the Key of Life and performed “Sir Duke” live via satellite from Lagos, Nigeria. (Unfortunately, the satellite transmission was very glitchy.) This was Wonder’s third album of the year win, a feat previously achieved only by Frank Sinatra. Barry Manilow performed his signature hit “I Write the Songs,” but lost record of the year to George Benson’s “This Masquerade.” (“I Write the Songs” won song of the year for songwriter Bruce Johnston.) Starland Vocal Band won best new artist on the back of their hit “Afternoon Delight,” which they performed on the show.

And the Emmy went to: This was a “juried award.” None of the five contenders received 50% of the vote, so no award was presented – a good way to disappoint everybody. The other nominees were the Oscars, the Emmys, the Tonys and a PBS program, The Good Old Days of Radio.

The 30th annual Grammy Awards was nominated for outstanding variety-music events programming. The nod went to producers Pierre Cossette and Ken Ehrlich.

About the show: This was the second of three Grammy telecasts hosted by Billy Crystal, who was nominated for outstanding individual achievement – special events. Whitney Houston opened the show with her zesty smash “I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me).” Michael Jackson stole the show with one of the most riveting performances in Grammy history – a double header of “The Way You Make Me Feel” and “Man in the Mirror.” But he went home empty-handed that night. U2 won album of the year for the first time for The Joshua Tree. Paul Simon won record of the year for “Graceland,” becoming the first three-time winner in that category. The movie theme “Somewhere Out There” won song of the year. Jody Watley won best new artist, even though she had received a previous Grammy nod as a member of Shalamar. (That couldn’t happen today.) In a Grammy rarity, the telecast didn’t feature performances from any of the winners of the so-called Big Four awards.

And the Emmy went to: The Oscars

The 53rd annual Grammy Awards was nominated for outstanding special class programs. The nomination went to executive producers Ken Ehrlich and John Cossette, son of the telecast’s original producer, Pierre Cossette. John Cossette died in April 2011, less than three months after this telecast aired (and less than two years after his father died). He was just 54.

About the show: Lady A’s “Need You Now” took record and song of the year. The trio, then still known as Lady Antebellum, performed that smash on the show, along with “American Honey” and a cover of the soul classic “If You Don’t Know Me by Now.”  Lady A’s wins were expected, but few correctly predicted two other big winners. Arcade Fire’s The Suburbs upset Eminem’s Recovery to win album of the year. The Canadian indie rock band closed the show by performing two tracks from the album, “Month of May” and “Ready to Start.” In a Grammy shocker for the ages, jazz artist Esperanza Spalding beat Justin Bieber, Drake, Florence + the Machine and Mumford & Sons for best new artist. Other performance highlights included Lady Gaga’s “Born This Way” and Katy Perry’s “Teenage Dream.”

And the Emmy went to: The Tonys

The 54th annual Grammy Awards was nominated for outstanding special class programs. The nomination went to executive producer Ken Ehrlich and first-time host LL Cool J. The show received a total of six Emmy nods, more than any other Grammy telecast before or since.

About the show: This show aired the night after Houston’s shocking death, which boosted the ratings as viewers tuned in to see how the Grammys would respond to something they couldn’t possibly have foreseen. From LL’s heartfelt prayer to Jennifer Hudson’s subdued version of “I Will Always Love You,” the treatment of Houston’s death hit all the right notes. Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band opened the show with the rousing “We Take Care of Our Own.” Adele won six awards, including album of the year for 21 and record and song of the year for “Rolling in the Deep” (which she performed on the telecast). Bon Iver took best new artist, beating Nicki Minaj and J. Cole, among others.

And the Emmy went to: The Tonys

The 60th annual Grammy Awards was nominated for outstanding variety special (live). The nomination went to executive producer Ken Ehrlich, Eric Cook (supervising producer), Ben Winston (producer) and host James Corden, who was fronting the show for the second year.

About the show: Bruno Mars swept three of the Big Four awards. “24K Magic” took record of the year. His album of the same name won album of the year. “That’s What I Like” took song of the year. Mars teamed with Cardi B to perform “Finesse” on the telecast (having performed “That’s What I Like” on the show the previous year when it was a brand-new release). Alessia Cara won best new artist and teamed with Logic and Khalid to close the show with their smash, “1-800-273-8255” (the phone number of the suicide prevention hotline). The unlikely team-up of Kendrick Lamar, U2 and Dave Chappelle opened the show.

And the Emmy went to: Jesus Christ Superstar, Live in Concert

The 61st annual Grammy Awards was nominated for outstanding variety special (live). The nomination was shared by Ken Ehrlich and Ben Winston, executive producers; Eric Cook, supervising producer; Jesse Collins, Raj Kapoor, Chantel Saucedo and David Wild, producers; and first-time host Alicia Keys.

About the show: For the first time in the show’s history, the opening performance was a medley of Latin hits – Camila Cabello featuring Young Thug’s “Havana,” Ricky Martin’s “Pégate” and J Balvin’s “Mi Gente.” They were joined by legendary Cuban-American jazz trumpeter Arturo Sandoval. Childish Gambino’s “This Is America” won record and song of the year, becoming the first hip-hop hit to win in either category. (Better late than never.) Kacey Musgraves’ Golden Hour became the first country album to win album of the year since Taylor Swift’s Fearless in 2010. Musgraves performed “Rainbow” on the telecast. Dua Lipa took best new artist. She performed “One Kiss.”

And the Emmy went to: Live in Front of a Studio Audience: Norman’s Lear’s All in the Family and The Jeffersons

The 63rd annual Grammy Awards was nominated for outstanding variety special (live). The nomination was shared by Ben Winston, executive producer; Jesse Collins and Raj Kapoor, co-executive producers; Eric Cook, supervising producer; Josie Cliff, Fatima Robinson, David Wild, Patrick Menton and Hamish Hamilton, producers; and Trevor Noah, first-time host.

About the show: This was the first Grammy telecast held during a pandemic. Taylor Swift won album of the year for folklore, becoming the first woman to win three times in that category. She also performed a medley of “Cardigan,” “August” and “Willow,” joined by collaborators Jack Antonoff and Aaron Dessner. Beyoncé surpassed Alison Krauss as the woman with the most Grammys in history (28). Billie Eilish won record of the year for “Everything I Wanted,” making her just the third artist in Grammy history to win back-to-back awards in this category. She also performed the song on the show. H.E.R. won song of the year for the Black Lives Matter anthem “I Can’t Breathe.” Megan Thee Stallion took best new artist and performed in a segment that also featured Cardi B, her collaborator on the risque smash “WAP.” Harry Styles opened the show with a performance of “Watermelon Sugar.” BTS performed “Dynamite.”

And the Emmy went to: Stephen Colbert’s Election Night 2020: Democracy’s Last Stand Building Back America Great Again Better

The 64th annual Grammy Awards was nominated for outstanding variety special (live). The nomination was shared by Raj Kapoor, Ben Winston and Jesse Collins, executive producers; Jeannae Rouzan-Clay, co-executive producer; Eric Cook, supervising producer; Hamish Hamilton, Tabitha D’umo, Fatima Robinson, David Wild, and Patrick Menton, producers; and host Trevor Noah.

About the show: This was the second Grammy telecast held during a pandemic, which was then mercifully nearing its end. Silk Sonic opened the show with “777” and “Hot Music” and later won record and song of the year for “Leave the Door Open” (which they had performed on the 2021 telecast when it was a brand-new release). Jon Batiste performed “Freedom” and was a surprise album of the year winner for We Are. Olivia Rodrigo performed “Drivers License” and won best new artist (to no one’s surprise). The show also featured tributes to Ukraine, which had been invaded by Russia five weeks before the telecast, and legendary Broadway composer Stephen Sondheim, who had died in November 2021.

And the Emmy went to: The Pepsi Super Bowl LVI Halftime Show Starring Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Mary J. Blige, Eminem, Kendrick Lamar, 50 Cent

The 66th annual Grammy Awards was nominated for outstanding variety special (live). The nomination was shared by Ben Winston, Raj Kapoor and Jesse Collins, executive producers; Eric Cook, Patrick Menton and Jeannae Rouzan-Clay, co-executive producers; Trevor Noah, producer/host; Hamish Hamilton, David Wild, Tabitha Dumo, Alexandra Papa and Rita Maye Bland, producers; and Hilary Gladstein, line producer.

About the show: Taylor Swift became the first artist in Grammy history to win album of the year four times, but she didn’t perform on the show. Miley Cyrus performed “Flowers” and won record of the year for the Hot 100-topping smash. Billie Eilish and Finneas performed “What Was I Made For?” and won song of the year for co-writing the Barbie ballad. Best new artist winner Victoria Monét did not perform. Dua Lipa opened the show with a medley of “Training Season” and “Houdini.” The extended In Memoriam segment included Tony Bennett, Sinéad O’Connor, Tina Turner and music executive Clarence Avant.

And the Emmy went to: The Oscars, on which Eilish and Finneas again performed “What Was I Made For?”

The 68th annual Grammy Awards is nominated for outstanding variety special (live). The nomination is shared by Ben Winston, Raj Kapoor and Jesse Collins, executive producers; Trevor Noah, executive producer/host; Eric Cook, Patrick Menton, Jeannae Rouzan-Clay and Tabitha D’umo, co-executive producers; Hilary Gladstein, supervising producer; Hamish Hamilton, David Wild, Rita Maye Bland, Dave Piendak and Eboni Nichols, producers.

About the show: Lots of history was made. Bad Bunny’s Debí Tirar Más Fotosbecame the first Spanish-language album to win album of the year. Kendrick Lamar and SZA’s “Luther” won record of the year, making Lamar the first male solo artist to win back-to-back awards in that category. Billie Eilish and Finneas became the first songwriters to win song of the year three times (this time for “Wildflower”). None of these acts performed on the telecast. The only performance on the show by the winner in a Big Four category was Olivia Dean performing an abbreviated version of “Man I Need” in the best new artist medley. Rosé and Bruno Mars opened the show by performing their smash “APT.” The show also featured extended tributes to three giants who died in 2025: Ozzy Osbourne, D’Angelo and Roberta Flack.

And the Emmy went to: TBD