39th Annual Grammy Awards
The 39th Annual Grammy Awards were held on February 26, 1997, at Madison Square Garden, New York City. They recognized accomplishments by musicians from the previous year. Babyface was the night's biggest winner, with 4 awards. Celine Dion and Toni Braxton won two awards. Celine Dion for "Best Pop Album" and "Album of the Year" and Toni Braxton for "Best Female R&B Vocal Performance" and "Best Female Pop Vocal Performance". The show was hosted by Ellen Degeneres who also performed the opening with Shawn Colvin, Bonnie Rait, and Chaka Khan.
Award winners
General
;Record of the Year- "Change the World" – Eric Clapton
- * Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds, producer
- "Give Me One Reason" – Tracy Chapman
- * Tracy Chapman & Don Gehman, producers
- "Because You Loved Me" – Celine Dion
- * David Foster, producer
- "Ironic" – Alanis Morissette
- * Glen Ballard, producer
- "1979" – The Smashing Pumpkins
- * Billy Corgan, Flood and Alan Moulder, producers
- Falling Into You – Celine Dion
- * Roy Bittan, Jeff Bova, David Foster, Humberto Gatica, Jean-Jacques Goldman, Rick Hahn, Dan Hill, John Jones, Aldo Nova, Rick Nowels, Steven Rinkoff, Billy Steinberg, Jim Steinman and Ric Wake, producers
- Odelay – Beck
- * Beck Hansen and The Dust Brothers, producers
- The Score – Fugees
- * Diamond D, Jerry "Te Bass" Duplessis, John Forté, Lauryn Hill, Shawn King, Prakazrel "Pras", Salaam Remi, Handel Tucker and Wyclef, producers
- Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness – The Smashing Pumpkins
- * Billy Corgan, Flood and Alan Moulder, producers
- Waiting to Exhale Soundtrack – various artists
- * Babyface, producer
- "Change the World"
- * Gordon Kennedy, Wayne Kirkpatrick & Tommy Sims, songwriters
- "Because You Loved Me"
- * Diane Warren, songwriter
- "Blue"
- * Bill Mack, songwriter
- "Exhale "
- * Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds, songwriter
- "Give Me One Reason"
- * Tracy Chapman, songwriter
;Best Female Pop Vocal Performance
- "Un-Break My Heart" – Toni Braxton
- "Get Out of This House" – Shawn Colvin
- "Because You Loved Me" – Celine Dion
- "Reach" – Gloria Estefan
- "Who Will Save Your Soul" - Jewel
- "Change the World" – Eric Clapton
- "Let's Make a Night to Remember" – Bryan Adams
- "Key West Intermezzo " – John Mellencamp
- "Nobody Knows" – The Tony Rich Project
- "Let Your Soul Be Your Pilot" – Sting
- "Free as a Bird" – The Beatles
- "As Long as It Matters" – Gin Blossoms
- "When You Love a Woman" – Journey
- "Fire on the Mountain" – The Neville Brothers
- "Peaches" – The Presidents of the United States of America
- "When You Wish Upon a Star" – Take 6
- "When I Fall in Love" – Natalie Cole with Nat King Cole
- "God Give Me Strength" – Burt Bacharach and Elvis Costello
- "Missing You" – Brandy, Tamia, Gladys Knight and Chaka Khan
- "Count on Me" – Whitney Houston and CeCe Winans
- "My Way" – Frank Sinatra and Luciano Pavarotti
- "The Wind Cries Mary" – Sting, John McLaughlin, Dominic Miller and Vinnie Colaiuta
- "The Sinister Minister" – Béla Fleck and the Flecktones
- "" – Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen Jr.
- "Mission: Impossible" – Lalo Schifrin with London Philharmonic Orchestra
- "Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness" – The Smashing Pumpkins
- "Kiss Lonely Goodbye " – Stevie Wonder
- Falling into You – Celine Dion
- Secrets – Toni Braxton
- * Babyface, producer
- New Beginning – Tracy Chapman
- * Tracy Chapman and Don Gehman, producers
- A Few Small Repairs – Shawn Colvin
- * John Leventhal, producer
- Mercury Falling – Sting
- * Hugh Padgham and Sting, producers
Traditional Pop
- Here's to the Ladies – Tony Bennett
- Dedicated to Nelson – Rosemary Clooney
- Stardust – Natalie Cole
- Gently – Liza Minnelli
- I'll Be Your Baby Tonight – Bernadette Peters
Rock
- "If It Makes You Happy" – Sheryl Crow
- "Mother Mother" – Tracy Bonham
- "Give Me One Reason" – Tracy Chapman
- "Spider Web" – Joan Osborne
- "Burning Down the House" – Bonnie Raitt
- "Where It's At" – Beck
- "The Only Thing That Looks Good on Me Is You" – Bryan Adams
- "Ain't Gone 'n' Give Up on Love" – Eric Clapton
- "Cry Love" – John Hiatt
- "Dead Man Walkin'" – Bruce Springsteen
- "So Much to Say" – Dave Matthews Band
- "Stupid Girl" – Garbage
- "Wonderwall" – Oasis
- "1979" – The Smashing Pumpkins
- "6th Avenue Heartache" – The Wallflowers
- "Bullet with Butterfly Wings" – The Smashing Pumpkins
- "Again" – Alice in Chains
- "Bulls on Parade" – Rage Against the Machine
- "Pretty Noose" – Soundgarden
- "Trippin' on a Hole in a Paper Heart" – Stone Temple Pilots
- "Tire Me" – Rage Against the Machine
- "Shoots and Ladders" – Korn
- "Suicide Note Pt. 1" – Pantera
- "I'm Your Boogie Man" – White Zombie
- "Hands of Death " – Rob Zombie and Alice Cooper
- "SRV Shuffle" – Eric Clapton, Robert Cray, Buddy Guy, Dr. John, B.B. King, Art Neville, Bonnie Raitt and Jimmie Vaughan
- "Green Onions" – Booker T. & the M.G.'s
- "Pavilion" – Eric Johnson
- " My World" – Joe Satriani
- "Respect the Wind" – Edward and Alex Van Halen
- "Give Me One Reason"
- * Tracy Chapman, songwriter
- "Cry Love"
- * John Hiatt, songwriter
- "6th Avenue Heartache"
- * Jakob Dylan, songwriter
- "Stupid Girl"
- * Garbage, songwriters
- "Too Much"
- * Dave Matthews Band, songwriters
- "Wonderwall"
- * Noel Gallagher, songwriter
- Sheryl Crow – Sheryl Crow
- * Sheryl Crow, producer
- Crash – Dave Matthews Band
- * Steve Lillywhite, producer
- Tragic Kingdom – No Doubt
- * Matthew Wilder, producer
- Road Tested – Bonnie Raitt
- * Bonnie Raitt and Don Was, producers
- Broken Arrow – Neil Young with Crazy Horse
- * Neil Young, producer
Alternative
- Odelay – Beck
- Boys for Pele – Tori Amos
- The Burdens of Being Upright – Tracy Bonham
- New Adventures in Hi-Fi – R.E.M.
- Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness'' – The Smashing Pumpkins
R&B
- "You're Makin' Me High" – Toni Braxton
- "Not Gon' Cry" – Mary J. Blige
- "Sittin' Up in My Room" – Brandy
- "Exhale " – Whitney Houston
- "You Put a Move on My Heart" – Tamia
- "Your Secret Love" – Luther Vandross
- "Lady" – D'Angelo
- "A Change Is Gonna Come" – Al Green
- "New World Order" – Curtis Mayfield
- "Like a Woman" – The Tony Rich Project
- "Killing Me Softly" – Fugees
- "Slow Jams" – Babyface and Tamia with Portrait and Barry White
- "Stomp" – Luke Cresswell, Fiona Wilkes, Carl Smith, Fraser Morrison, Everett Bradley, Mr. X, Melle Mel, Coolio, Yo-Yo, Chaka Khan, Charlie Wilson, Shaquille O'Neal and Luniz
- "Don't Let Go " – En Vogue
- "Never Miss the Water" – Chaka Khan featuring Meshell Ndegeocello
- "Exhale "
- * Babyface, songwriter
- "Sittin' Up in My Room"
- * Babyface, songwriter
- "You Put a Move on My Heart"
- * Rod Temperton, songwriter
- "Your Secret Love"
- * Luther Vandross and Reed Vertelney
- "You're Makin' Me High"
- * Babyface and Bryce Wilson, songwriters
- Words – The Tony Rich Project
- * Tony Rich, producer
- Moving On – Oleta Adams
- * Michael J. Powell, producer
- Maxwell's Urban Hang Suite – Maxwell
- * Musze, producer
- New World Order – Curtis Mayfield
- Peace Beyond Passion – Meshell Ndegeocello
- * David Gamson, producer
Blues
- James Cotton for Deep in the Blues
- Keb' Mo' for Just Like You
Children's
- George Massenburg & Linda Ronstadt for Dedicated to the One I Love
- Virginia Callaway, Steven Heller & David Holt for Stellaluna
Comedy
- From 1994 through 2003, see "Best Spoken Comedy Album" under the "Spoken" field, below.
Classical
- Best Orchestral Performance
- *Michael Tilson Thomas & the San Francisco Symphony for Prokofiev: Romeo and Juliet
- Best Classical Vocal Performance
- *James Levine, Bryn Terfel & the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra for Opera Arias - Works of Mozart, Wagner, Borodin
- Best Opera Recording
- *Brian Couzens, Richard Hickox, Philip Langridge, Alan Opie, Janice Watson, the London Symphony Chorus & the City of London Sinfonia for Britten: Peter Grimes
- Best Choral Performance
- *Andrew Litton, Neville Creed, David Hill & the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra & Chorus for Walton: Belshazzar's Feast
- Best Instrumental Soloist Performance
- *Esa-Pekka Salonen, Yefim Bronfman & the Los Angeles Philharmonic for Bartók: The Three Piano Concertos
- Best Instrumental Soloist Performance
- *Earl Wild for The Romantic Master - Works of Saint-Saëns, Handel
- Best Small Ensemble Performance
- *Pierre Boulez & the Ensemble Inter-Contemporain for Boulez:...Explosante-Fixe...
- Best Chamber Music Performance
- *The Cleveland Quartet for Corigliano: String Quartet
- Best Classical Contemporary Composition
- *John Corigliano & the Cleveland Quartet for Corigliano: String Quartet
- Best Classical Album
- *Joanna Nickrenz, Leonard Slatkin, Michelle De Young, various artists, the Washington Choral Arts Society Male Chorus, the Washington Oratorio Society Male Chorus & the National Symphony Orchestra for Corigliano: Of Rage and Remembrance
Composing and arranging
- Best Instrumental Composition
- *Herbie Hancock & Jean Hancock for "Manhattan " performed by Herbie Hancock
- Best Song Written Specifically for a Motion Picture or for Television
- *Diane Warren for "Because You Loved Me" performed by Céline Dion
- Best Instrumental Composition Written for a Motion Picture or for Television
- *David Arnold for Independence Day
- Best Instrumental Arrangement
- *Michael Kamen for "An American Symphony "
- Best Instrumental Arrangement with Accompanying Vocal
- *Alan Broadbent & David Foster for "When I Fall in Love" performed by Natalie Cole with Nat King Cole
Country
- Best Female Country Vocal Performance
- *LeAnn Rimes for "Blue"
- Best Male Country Vocal Performance
- *Vince Gill for "Worlds Apart"
- Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal
- *Brooks & Dunn for "My Maria"
- Best Country Collaboration with Vocals
- *Alison Krauss & Union Station & Vince Gill for "High Lonesome Sound"
- Best Country Instrumental Performance
- *Chet Atkins for "Jam Man"
- Best Country Song
- *Bill Mack for "Blue" performed by LeAnn Rimes
- Best Country Album
- *Billy Williams & Lyle Lovett for The Road to Ensenada
- Best Bluegrass Album
- *Todd Phillips for performed by various artists
Folk
- Best Traditional Folk Album
- *Pete Seeger for Pete
- Best Contemporary Folk Album
- *Bruce Springsteen for The Ghost of Tom Joad
Gospel
- Best Pop/Contemporary Gospel Album
- *Neal Joseph & Norman Miller for Tribute - The Songs of Andraé Crouch performed by various artists
- Best Rock Gospel Album
- *dc Talk for Jesus Freak
- Best Traditional Soul Gospel Album
- *Cissy Houston for Face to Face
- Best Contemporary Soul Gospel Album
- *Kirk Franklin for Whatcha Lookin' 4
- Best Southern Gospel, Country Gospel or Bluegrass Gospel Album
- *Andy Griffith for I Love to Tell the Story - 25 Timeless Hymns
- Best Gospel Album by a Choir or Chorus
- *Shirley Caesar for Just a Word performed by Shirley Caesar's Outreach Convention Choir
Historical
- Best Historical Album
- *Bob Belden, Phil Schaap, Mark Wilder for performed by Miles Davis & Gil Evans
Jazz
- Best Jazz Instrumental Solo
- *Michael Brecker for "Cabin Fever"
- Best Jazz Instrumental Performance, Individual or Group
- *Michael Brecker for Tales From the Hudson
- Best Large Jazz Ensemble Performance
- *Grover Mitchell for Live at Manchester Craftsmen's Guild
- Best Jazz Vocal Performance
- *Cassandra Wilson for New Moon Daughter
- Best Contemporary Jazz Performance
- *Wayne Shorter for High Life
- Best Latin Jazz Performance
- *Paquito D'Rivera for Portraits of Cuba
Latin
- Best Latin Pop Performance
- *Enrique Iglesias for Enrique Iglesias
- Best Tropical Latin Performance
- *Rubén Blades for La Rosa de los Vientos
- Best Mexican-American/Tejano Music Performance
- *La Mafia for Un Millón de Rosas
Musical Show
- Best Musical Show Album
- *Bill Whelan & various artists for Riverdance
Music video
- Best Music Video, Short Form
- *Vincent Joliet, Joe Pytka & The Beatles for "Free as a Bird"
- Best Music Video, Long Form
- *Chips Chipperfield, Neil Aspinall, Bob Smeaton, Geoff Wonfor & The Beatles for The Beatles Anthology
New Age
- Best New Age Album
- *Enya for The Memory of Trees
Polka
- Best Polka Album
- *Jimmy Sturr for Polka! All Night Long
Production and engineering
- Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical
- *Al Schmitt, Bruce Swedien, Francis Buckley & Tommy Vicari for Q's Jook Joint performed by Quincy Jones
- Best Engineered Album, Classical
- *Lawrence Rock, William Hoekstra, Leonard Slatkin & the Saint Louis Symphony for Copland: Dance Symphony; Short Symphony; Organ Symphony
- Producer of the Year
- *Babyface
- Classical Producer of the Year
- *Joanna Nickrenz
Rap
- "Hey Lover" – LL Cool J
- "1, 2, 3, 4 " – Coolio
- "If I Ruled the World " – Nas
- "Rock With You" – Heavy D
- "Woo Hah!! Got You All in Check" – Busta Rhymes
- "Tha Crossroads" – Bone Thugs-N-Harmony
- "California Love" – 2Pac featuring Dr. Dre and Roger Troutman
- "How Do U Want It" – 2Pac featuring K-Ci & JoJo
- "1nce Again" – A Tribe Called Quest
- "Champagne" – Salt-N-Pepa
- The Score – Fugees
- All Eyez On Me – 2Pac
- Beats, Rhymes and Life – A Tribe Called Quest
- Gangsta's Paradise – Coolio
- Mr. Smith – LL Cool J
Reggae
- Best Reggae Album
- *Bunny Wailer for
Spoken
- Best Spoken Word or Non-musical Album
- *Hillary Rodham Clinton for It Takes a Village
- Best Spoken Comedy Album
- *Al Franken for Rush Limbaugh Is a Big Fat Idiot
World
- Best World Music Album
- *The Chieftains for Santiago
Special Merit Awards
[MusiCares Person of the Year]
- Phil Collins