Grammy Award for Best Opera Recording
The Grammy Award for Best Opera Recording has been awarded since 1961. The award was originally titled Best Classical Opera Production. The current title has been used since 1962.
Prior to 1961 the awards for operatic and choral performances were combined in a single award for Best Classical Performance, Operatic or Choral.
The award goes to the conductor, the album producer and the principal soloists.
Years reflect the year in which the Grammy Awards were presented, for works released in the previous year.
Note: Performers who did not receive a nomination and/or an award are listed between brackets.
2020s
2020- Gil Rose ; John Brancy, Andrew Craig Brown, Gabriel Preisser, Krista River & Edwin Vega - Picker: Fantastic Mr. Fox
- George Benjamin ; Stéphane Degout, Barbara Hannigan, Peter Hoare & Gyula Orendt ; James Whitbourn - Benjamin: Lessons in Love & Violence
- Marc Albrecht ; Christopher Maltman & Eva-Maria Westbroek ; Francois Roussillion - Berg: Wozzeck
- Paul O'Dette & Stephen Stubbs ; Jesse Blumberg, Teresa Wakim & Virginia Warnken ; Renate Wolter-Seevers - Charpentier: Les Arts Florissants; Les Plaisirs de Versailles
- Christian Thielemann ; Piotr Beczała, Anja Harteros, Tomasz Konieczny, Waltraud Meier & Georg Zeppenfeld ; Eckhardt Glauche - Wagner: Lohengrin
2010s
- 2019
- Michael Christie ; Sasha Cooke, Jessica E. Jones, Edward Parks, Garrett Sorenson & Wei Wu ; Elizabeth Ostrow for Bates: The evolution of Steve Jobs
- *Nominees:
- *John Adams ; Aubrey Allicock, Julia Bullock, Gerald Finley & Brindley Sherratt ; Friedeman Engelbracht for Adams: Doctor Atomic
- *Christophe Rousset ; Edwin Crossley-Mercer, Emiliano Gonzalez Toro & ; Maximilien Ciup for Lully: Alceste
- *Sebastian Weigle ; Renée Fleming, Elīna Garanča, Günther Groissböck & Erin Morley ; David Frost for R. Strauss: Der Rosenkavalier
- *Constantine Orbelian ; Francesco Demuro, Dmitri Hvorostovsky & Nadine Sierra ; Vilius Keras & Aleksandra Keriene for Verdi: Rigoletto
- 2018
- Hans Graf ; Anne Schwanewilms & Roman Trekel ; Hans Graf & Brad Sayles, producers, for Berg: Wozzeck
- *Nominees
- *Lothar Koenigs ; Daniel Brenna, Marlis Petersen & Johan Reuter ; Jay David Saks, producer for Berg: Lulu
- *Gianandrea Noseda ; Diana Damrau, Mariusz Kwiecień, Matthew Polenzani & Nicolas Testé ; Jay David Saks, producer, for Bizet: Les pêcheurs de perles
- *George Petrou ; Max Emanuel Cenčić & Lauren Snouffer ; Jacob Händel, producer, for Handel: Ottone
- *Valery Gergiev ; Vladimir Feliauer, Aida Garifullina & Kira Loginova ; Ilya Petrov, producer, for Rimsky-Korsakov: The Golden Cockerel
- 2017
- *James Conlon ; Joshua Guerrero, Christopher Maltman, Lucas Meachem, Patricia Racette, Lucy Schaufer, Guanqun Yu & Patti LuPone ; Blanton Alspaugh ; for Corigliano: The Ghosts of Versailles
- *Nominees
- *Giovanni Antonini ; Cecilia Bartoli, Philippe Jaroussky, Andreas Scholl & Anne Sofie von Otter ; Samuel Theis for Handel: Giulio Cesare
- *Miguel Harth-Bedoya ; Emily Fons, Nathan Gunn, Isabel Leonard & Jay Hunter Morris ; Elizabeth Ostrow for Higdon: Cold Mountain
- *Yannick Nézet-Séguin ; Thomas Hampson, Christiane Karg, Luca Pisaroni & Sonya Yoncheva ; Daniel Zalay for Mozart: Le nozze di Figaro
- *Antonio Pappano ; Georgia Jarman, Mariusz Kwiecień & Saimir Pirgu ; Jonathan Allen for Szymanowski: Król Roger
- 2016
- *Seiji Ozawa, Isabel Leonard, Dominic Fyfe for Ravel: L'enfant et les sortilèges; Shéhérazade
- *Nominees
- *Donald Runnicles, Will Hartmann, Michaela Kaune & Jennifer Larmore, Magdalena Herbst for Janácek: Jenufa
- *Martin Pearlman, Fernando Guimarães & Jennifer Riviera, Thomas C. Moore for Monteverdi: Il ritorno d'Ulisse in patria
- *Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Diana Damrau, Paul Schweinester & Rolando Villazón, Sid McLauchlan for Mozart: Die Entführung aus dem Serail
- *Paul O'Dette & Stephen Stubbs, Karina Gauvin & Philippe Jaroussky, Renate Wolter-Seevers for Steffani: Niobe, regina di Tebe
- 2015
- *Paul O'Dette and Stephen Stubbs ; Aaron Sheehan ; Renate Wolter-Seevers for Charpentier: La descente d'Orphée aux enfers
- *Nominees
- *Kenneth Kiesler ; Dan Kempson, Jennifer Lane, Tamara Mumford, Julianna Di Giacomo, and Brenda Rae ; Tim Handley for Milhaud: L'Orestie d'Eschyle
- *William Christie ; Sarah Connolly, Stéphane Degout, Christiane Karg, Ed Lyon and Katherine Watson ; Sébastien Chonion for Rameau: Hippolyte et Aricie
- *Sylvain Cambreling ; Andreas Conrad and Franz Grundheber ; Reinhard Oechsler for Schoenberg: Moses und Aron
- *Christian Thielemann ; Evelyn Herlitzius, Waltraud Meier, René Pape and Anne Schwanewilms ; Magdalene Herbst for Strauss: Elektra
- 2014
- *Thomas Adès ; Simon Keenlyside, Isabel Leonard, Audrey Luna, William Burden, Alan Oke ; Jay David Saks for Adès: The Tempest
- *Nominees
- *Oliver Knussen ; Ian Bostridge, Peter Coleman-Wright, Susan Gritton, Angelika Kirchschlager ; John Fraser for Britten: The Rape of Lucretia
- *Tönu Kaljuste ; Anna Eimarsson and Johannes Weisser ; Morten Lindberg for Kleiberg: David and Bathsheba
- *Diego Fasolis ; Valer Barna-Sabadus, Daniel Behle, Max Emanuel Cenčić, Franco Fagioli, Philippe Jaroussky ; Ulrich Russcher for Vinci: Artaserse
- *Christian Thielemann ; Katarina Dalayman, Albert Dohmen, Stephen Gould, Eric Halfvarson, Linda Watson ; Ohmar Eichinger for Wagner: Der Ring des Nibelungen
- 2013
- *James Levine and Fabio Luisi, Hans Peter König, Jay Hunter Morris, Bryn Terfel, Deborah Voigt, Jay David Saks for Wagner: Der Ring des Nibelungen
- *Nominees
- *Michael Boder, Paul Groves, Ashley Holland, Julia Juon, Patricia Petibon, Johannes Müller for Berg: Lulu
- *René Jacobs, Marcos Fink, Sunhae In, Bejun Mehta, Alexandrina Pendatchanska, Jennifer Rivera ' for Händel: Agrippina
- *Vladimir Jurowski, Topi Lehtipuu, Miah Persson, Matthew Rose, Jean Chatauret for Stravinsky: The Rake's Progress
- *Jordi Savall, Delphine Galou, Paolo Lopez, Roberta Mameli, Raffaela Milanesi, Furio Zanasi, ' for Vivaldi: Teuzzone
- 2012
- *Alan Gilbert, Jay David Saks, various solo performers for Doctor Atomic
- 2011
- *Kent Nagano ; Daniel Belcher, Ekaterina Lekhina, Marie-Ange Todorovitch; Martin Sauer, producer Harmonia Mundi for Kaija Saariaho: L'amour de loin
- 2010
- *Daniel Harding ; Ian Bostridge, Neal Davies, Nathan Gunn, Jonathan Lemalu, Matthew Rose, Gidon Saks, Andrew Kennedy, Daniel Teadt, Andrew Tortise, Rodrick Williams, John Fraser ; for Britten: Billy Budd
2000s
- 2009
- *James Conlon ; Anthony Dean Griffey, Patti LuPone, Audra McDonald; Fred Vogler ; Donnie Ray Albert, John Easterlin, Steven Humes, Mel Ulrich, Robert Wörle; Los Angeles Opera Orchestra; Los Angeles Opera Chorus for Kurt Weill: Rise And Fall Of The City Of Mahagonny
- 2008
- *Sir Charles Mackerras ; Brian Couzens ; Jane Henschel, Jennifer Larmore, Rebecca Evans ; Ralph Couzens, engineer, for Engelbert Humperdinck: Hansel and Gretel
- 2007
- *Robert Spano ; Kelley O'Connor, Jessica Rivera, Dawn Upshaw; Valérie Gross and Sid McLauchlan for Golijov: Ainadamar: Fountain Of Tears
- 2006
- * Sir Colin Davis ; Carlos Alvarez, Bülent Bezdüz, Marina Domashenko, Jane Henschel, Ana Ibarra, Maria Josè Moreno, Michele Pertusi; James Mallinson for Verdi: Falstaff
- 2005
- *Martin Sauer, René Jacobs, Patrizia Ciofi, Véronique Gens, Simon Keenlyside, Angelika Kirchschlager, Lorenzo Regazzo for Mozart: Le nozze di Figaro
- 2004
- *Wolfram Graul, Bernard Haitink, Jerry Hadley, Karita Mattila, Eva Randová, Anja Silja, Jorma Silvasti for Janáček: Jenůfa performed by the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House and Chorus, various artists
- 2003
- *Christoph Classen, Eberhard Sengpiel, Tobias Lehmann, Daniel Barenboim, Jane Eaglen, Thomas Hampson, Waltraud Meier, René Pape, Peter Seiffert, the Chor der Deutschen Staatsoper Berlin and the Staatskapelle Berlin for Wagner: Tannhäuser
- 2002
- *James Mallinson, Simon Rhodes, Colin Davis, Michelle DeYoung, Ben Heppner, Petra Lang, Peter Mattei, Stephen Milling, Sara Mingardo, Kenneth Tarver and the London Symphony Orchestra for Berlioz: Les Troyens
- 2001
- *Martin Sauer, Jean Chatauret, Kent Nagano, Kim Begley, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, Dietrich Henschel, Markus Hollop, Eva Jenis, Torsten Kerl and the Orchestre de l'Opera Nationale de Lyon for Busoni: Doktor Faust
- 2000
- *Nicholas Parker, John Eliot Gardiner, Ian Bostridge, Anne Sofie von Otter, Bryn Terfel, Deborah York, the Monteverdi Choir and the London Symphony Orchestra for Stravinsky: The Rake's Progress
1990s
- 1999
- *Pierre Boulez, Jessye Norman, László Polgár and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra for Bartók: Bluebeard's Castle
- 1998
- *Michael Woolcock, Georg Solti, José van Dam, Ben Heppner, Herbert Lippert, Karita Mattila, Alan Opie, René Pape, Iris Vermillion and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra for Wagner: Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg
- 1997
- *Brian Couzens, Richard Hickox, Philip Langridge, Alan Opie, Janice Watson, the London Symphony Chorus and the City of London Sinfonia for Britten: Peter Grimes
- 1996
- *Raymond Minshull, Charles Dutoit, Gary Lakes, Françoise Pollet, Gino Quilico, Deborah Voigt, L'Orchestra Symphonie Montreal and Chorus for Berlioz: Les Troyens
- 1995
- *Martin Sauer, Kent Nagano, Kenn Chester, Jerry Hadley, Samuel Ramey, Cheryl Studer, the Orchestre of Opéra de Lyon and Chorus for Floyd: Susannah
- 1994
- *Steven Paul, John Nelson, John Aler, Kathleen Battle, Michael Chance, Mark S. Doss, Marilyn Horne, Neil Mackie, Sylvia McNair, Samuel Ramey, the Ambrosian Opera Chorus and the English Chamber Orchestra for Handel: Semele
- 1993
- *Christopher Raeburn, Stephen Trainor, Morten Winding, Georg Solti, Hildegard Behrens, José van Dam, Plácido Domingo, Sumi Jo, Reinhild Runkel, Júlia Várady, the Vienna Philharmonic for R. Strauss: Die Frau ohne Schatten
- 1992
- *Cord Garben, James Levine, Hildegard Behrens, Reiner Goldberg, Matti Salminen, Hanna Schwarz, Cheryl Studer, Bernd Weikl, Ekkehard Wlaschiha, the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra for Wagner: Götterdämmerung
- 1991
- *Cord Garben, James Levine, Siegfried Jerusalem, Christa Ludwig, Kurt Moll, James Morris, Jan Hendrik Rootering, Ekkehard Wlaschiha, Heinz Zednik, the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra for Wagner: Das Rheingold
- 1990
- *Cord Garben, James Levine, Hildegard Behrens, Gary Lakes, Christa Ludwig, Kurt Moll, James Morris, Jessye Norman, Marilyn Mims the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra for Wagner: Die Walküre
1980s
- 1989
- *Christopher Raeburn, Georg Solti, Plácido Domingo, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, Siegmund Nimsgern, Jessye Norman, Eva Randova, Hans Sotin, the Vienna State Opera Orchestra for Wagner: Lohengrin
- 1988
- *Cord Garben, James Levine, Agnes Baltsa, Kathleen Battle, Gary Lakes, Hermann Prey, Anna Tomowa-Sintow, the Vienna Philharmonic for R. Strauss: Ariadne auf Naxos
- 1987
- *Elizabeth Ostrow, John Mauceri, James Billings, Joyce Castle, Maris Clement, David Eisler, Jack Harrold, John Lankston, Erie Mills, Scott Reeve, the New York City Opera Orchestra for Bernstein: Candide
- 1986
- *James Mallinson, Georg Solti, Philip Langridge, Franz Mazura, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Chorus for Schoenberg: Moses und Aron
- 1985
- *Michel Glotz, Lorin Maazel, Julia Migenes-Johnson, Plácido Domingo, Ruggero Raimondi, Faith Esham, the Choeur de Radio France and Maîtrise de Radio France and the Orchestre National de France for Bizet: Carmen
- 1984
- *Christopher Raeburn, Georg Solti, Thomas Allen, Kiri Te Kanawa, Kurt Moll, Lucia Popp, Samuel Ramey, Frederica von Stade, the London Philharmonic Orchestra for Mozart: Le nozze di Figaro
- *Jay David Saks, Max Wilcox, James Levine, Plácido Domingo, Cornell MacNeil, Teresa Stratas, the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra for Verdi: La traviata
- 1983
- *Andrew Kazdin, Pierre Boulez, Jeannine Altmeyer, Hermann Becht, Peter Hofmann, Siegfried Jerusalem, Gwyneth Jones, Manfred Jung, Donald McIntyre, Matti Salminen, Ortrun Wenkel, Heinz Zednik, the Bayreuth Festival Orchestra for Wagner: Der Ring des Nibelungen
- 1982
- *James Mallinson, Charles Mackerras, Jiri Zahradnicek, Ivo Žídek, Václav Zítek, the Vienna Philharmonic for Janáček: From the House of the Dead
- 1981
- *Gunther Breest, Michael Horwath, Pierre Boulez, Toni Blankenheim, Franz Mazura, Hanna Schwarz, Yvonne Minton, Teresa Stratas, the Orchestre de l'Opéra de Paris for Berg: Lulu
- 1980
- *Vittorio Negri, Colin Davis, Heather Harper, Jonathan Summers, Jon Vickers, the Royal Opera House Orchestra for Britten: Peter Grimes
1970s
- 1979
- *George Sponhaltz, John Coveney, Julius Rudel, Beverly Sills, Alan Titus, the New York City Opera Orchestra for Lehár: The Merry Widow
- 1978
- *Thomas Z. Shepard, John DeMain, Donnie Ray Albert, Carol Brice, Clamma Dale, the Houston Grand Opera Orchestra for Gershwin: Porgy and Bess
- 1977
- *Michael Woolcock, Lorin Maazel, Leona Mitchell, Willard White, the Cleveland Orchestra for Gershwin: Porgy and Bess
- 1976
- *Erik Smith, Colin Davis, Richard Van Allan, Janet Baker, Montserrat Caballé, Ileana Cotrubaș, Wladimiro Ganzarolli, Nicolai Gedda, the Royal Opera House Orchestra for Mozart: Così fan tutte
- 1975
- *Richard Mohr, Georg Solti, Judith Blegen, Montserrat Caballé, Plácido Domingo, Sherrill Milnes, Ruggero Raimondi, the London Philharmonic Orchestra for Puccini: La bohème
- 1974
- *Tom Mowrey, Leonard Bernstein, Marilyn Horne, Tom Krause, Adriana Maliponte, James McCracken, the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra and Chorus for Bizet: Carmen
- 1973
- *Erik Smith, Colin Davis the BBC Symphony Orchestra and various artists for Berlioz: Benvenuto Cellini
- 1972
- *Richard Mohr, Erich Leinsdorf, Grace Bumbry, Plácido Domingo, Sherrill Milnes, Leontyne Price, Ruggero Raimondi, the John Alldis Choir and the London Symphony Orchestra for Verdi: Aida
- 1971
- *Erik Smith, Colin Davis, the Royal Opera House Orchestra and Chorus and various artists for Berlioz: Les Troyens
- 1970
- *Otto Gerdes, Herbert von Karajan, Helga Dernesch, Gerhard Stolze, Jess Thomas, the Berlin Philharmonic for Wagner: Siegfried
1960s
- 1969
- *Richard Mohr, Erich Leinsdorf, Ezio Flagello, Sherrill Milnes, Leontyne Price, Judith Raskin, George Shirley, Tatiana Troyanos, the New Philharmonia Orchestra for Mozart: Così fan tutte
- 1968
- *Thomas Z. Shepard, Pierre Boulez, Walter Berry, Ingeborg Lasser, Isabel Strauss, Fritz Uhl, the Paris National Opera Orchestra and Chorus for Berg: Wozzeck
- 1967
- *Georg Solti, Régine Crespin, Hans Hotter, James King, Christa Ludwig, Birgit Nilsson, the Vienna Philharmonic for Wagner: Die Walküre
- *George Bragg, Gregg Smith, the Gregg Smith Singers, the Ithaca College Concert Choir, the Texas Boys Choir and the Columbia Chamber Orchestra for Ives: Music for Chorus
- 1966
- *Karl Böhm, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, Evelyn Lear, Fritz Wunderlich, the German Opera Orchestra and Chorus for Berg: Wozzeck
- 1965
- *Herbert von Karajan Franco Corelli, Mirella Freni, Robert Merrill, Leontyne Price, the Vienna Philharmonic for Bizet: Carmen
- 1964
- *Erich Leinsdorf, Rosalind Elias, Leontyne Price, Richard Tucker, the RCA Italiana Opera Orchestra for Puccini: Madama Butterfly
- 1963
- *Georg Solti, Robert Merrill, Leontyne Price, Giorgio Tozzi, Jon Vickers, the Rome Opera House Orchestra for Verdi: Aida
- 1962
- *Gabriele Santini, Victoria de los Ángeles, Jussi Björling, Miriam Pirazzini, Mario Sereni, the Rome Opera Orchestra for Puccini: Madama Butterfly
- 1961
- *Erich Leinsdorf, Birgit Nilsson, Giorgio Tozzi, Jussi Björling, Renata Tebaldi, the Rome Opera Orchestra for Puccini: Turandot