The Grammy Award for Album Cover is an award presented by the Recording Academy to honor quality album covers in any given year. The award was presented for the first time at the 1st Annual Grammy Awards in 1959. It was retired in the 1970s, but returned in 2026. It is a complement to the Best Recording Package category, and sits in the Package, Notes & Historical field.
The academy announced the new category in June 2025, stating that the award "recognizes excellence in cover art for albums or recordings of any genre of music released for the first time during the eligibility year. The elements judged in this category include the creativity, design, illustration, photography, and/or graphic art of the album cover." The eligibility criteria stipulates that the cover must be "predominantly new", and that reissued recordings with minor artwork changes are not eligible. Submissions for this category are also able to be submitted to the Best Recording Package category.
The award goes to the art director(s) of the album.
Background The category for Best Album Cover was given at the inaugural Grammy Awards in 1959 and was won by Frank Sinatra Sings for Only the Lonely. The category was split into Classical and Non-Classical divisions from 1962 to 1965, and then into Graphic Arts and Photography divisions from 1966 to 1968. It returned back to Best Album Cover in 1969 until 1973. From 1974 onwards, the category was known as Best Album Package (1974-1993) and then its current name Best Recording Package (1994-present).
In 2026, the reestablishment of a Best Album Cover category was announced. Regarding the need for a specific category honoring album covers, Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr. stated: "In today's digital world, album covers are arguably more impactful than ever. Chances are, there's an iconic cover that's instantly recognizable to you, even if you never owned the physical album. Their cultural significance is undeniable. That's one of the reasons members of the art director community and our Awards & Nominations members felt this Category was necessary. The Packaging Field has always thrived, but we expect this to be one of our most inclusive Categories to date."
Winners and nominees 1950s Year Work Art Director(s) Performing artist(s) 1959 Frank Sinatra Sings for Only the Lonely Frank Sinatra Frank Sinatra Come Fly with Me Marvin Schwartz Frank Sinatra For Whom the Bell Tolls Ray Rennahan Ray Heindorf Ira Ironstrings Plays Music for People with $3.98 David Rose Ira Ironstrings Julie Charles Ward Julie London
1960s Year Work Art Director(s) Performing artist(s) 1960 Shostakovich: Symphony No. 5 Robert M. Jones Howard Mitchell Anatomy of a Murder Saul Bass Duke Ellington For LP Fans Only Tom Parker Elvis Presley Porgy and Bess Acy Lehman Lena Horne and Harry Belafonte The South Shall Rise Again Acy Lehman and Robert L. Yorke Phil Harris 1961 Latin ala Lee! Marvin Schwartz Peggy Lee Bean Bags Marvin Israel Milt Jackson Carlos Montoya Robert M. Jones Carlos Montoya Ella Fitzgerald Sings the George and Ira Gershwin Song Book Sheldon Marks Ella Fitzgerald Now! Fred Astaire Irving Werbin Fred Astaire Prokofiev: Alexander Nevsky Robert M. Jones Fritz Reiner Stravinsky: Petrouchka Pierre Monteux Tchaikovsky: Nutcracker Suite Excerpts Fritz Reiner Wild Percussion and Horns A'Plenty Dick Schory 1962 Best Album Cover — Other Than Classical Judy at Carnegie Hall Jim Silke Judy Garland Breakfast at Tiffany's Robert M. Jones Henry Mancini Jackie's Bag Reid Miles Jackie McLean New Orleans: The Living Legend Ken Deardoff Peter Bocage A Touch of Elegance Bob Cato André Previn Best Album Cover — Classical Puccini: Madame Butterfly Marvin Schwartz Gabriele Santini Albéniz: Iberia/Ravel: Rapsodie Espagnole Robert M. Jones Jean Paul Morel Beethoven: 9 Symphonies Marvin Schwartz Otto Klemperer Golden Age of English Lute Music Meyer Miller Julian Bream Gould Ballet Music: Fall River Legend, Interplay, Latin American Symphonette Reid Miles Morton Gould 1963 Best Album Cover — Other Than Classical Lena...Lovely and Alive Robert M. Jones Lena Horne The Comedy Loring Eutemey Modern Jazz Quartet The First Family Bill Longcore Vaughn Meader and Other Artists The Great Years Jim Silke Frank Sinatra Jazz Samba John Murello Stan Getz and Charlie Byrd Lonely Woman Loring Eutemey Modern Jazz Quartet My Son, the Folk Singer Ken Kim Allan Sherman Potpourri Par Piaf Ed Thrasher Édith Piaf Best Album Cover — Classical The Intimate Bach Marvin Schwartz Laurindo Almeida, Virginia Majewski and Vincent DeRosa Bartók: The Miraculous Mandarin/Shostakovich: The Age of Gold Jim Silke Robert Irving Beethoven: Fidelio Marvin Schwartz Otto Klemperer Fauré: Requiem Roger Wagner Otto Klemperer Conducts (Weill: Three Penny Opera Suite and Others) Otto Klemperer Wagner: Prelude and Love Death/R. Strauss: Death and Transfiguration Erich Leinsdorf 1964 Best Album Cover — Other Than Classical The Barbra Streisand Album John Berg Barbra Streisand Aloha from Norman Luboff Robert M. Jones The Norman Luboff Choir Bach's Greatest Hits Jim Ladwig The Swingle Singers Carl Reiner and Mel Brooks at the Cannes Film Festival Edward L. Thrasher Carl Reiner and Mel Brooks Hollywood My Way Jim Silke Nancy Wilson Honey in the Horn Robert M. Jones Al Hirt Night Train John Murello Oscar Peterson Best Album Cover — Classical Puccini: Madama Butterfly Robert M. Jones Erich Leinsdorf Beethoven: Symphony No. 5 in C Minor, Op. 67 John Berg Leonard Bernstein Beethoven: Symphony No. 6 in F Major, Op. 68 ("Pastorale") Robert M. Jones Fritz Reiner Evening of Elizabethian Music Dorle Soria Julian Bream Consort Granada (Albéniz: Granada/Granados: Spanish Dance in E Minor/Ponce, Tansman, Aguado: Eight Lessons for Guitar/Sor: Four Studies) Vladmir Bobri Andres Segovia Puccini: Tosca Dorle Soria Herbert von Karajan Strauss: Don Quixote Bob Cato Eugene Ormandy 1965 Best Album Cover — Other Than Classical People Bob Cato and Don Bronstein Barbra Streisand Getz/Gilberto Acy Lehman Stan Getz and João Gilberto Guitar from Ipanema George Osak and George Jerman Laurindo Almeida Oscar Peterson Plays My Fair Lady Acy Lehman Oscar Peterson Poitier Meets Plato Ed Thrasher Sidney Poitier The Sound of Harlem: Jazz Odyssey, Vol. 3 Bob Cato and Milton Glaser Various Artists Best Album Cover — Classical Saint-Saëns: Carnival of the Animals/Britten: Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra Robert M. Jones Arthur Fiedler Court and Ceremonial Music of the 16th Century William S. Harvey Roger Blanchard Ensemble with the Poulteau Consort Mahler: Symphony No. 5 in C Sharp Minor Robert M. Jones and David Hect Erich Leinsdorf Mexico (Legacy Collection) Bob Cato Carlos Chávez Strauss: Also Sprach Zarathurstra John Berg Eugene Ormandy Verdi: Requiem Mass Marvin Schwartz Carlo Maria Giulini 1966 Best Album Cover — Graphic Arts Bartók: Concerto No. 2 for Violin/Stravinsky: Concerto for Violin George EstesErich Leinsdorf and Joseph Silverstein Concert in the Virgin Islands Ed Thrasher Duke Ellington Gould: Spirituals for Orchestra/Copland: Dance Symphony Georges Estes Morton Gould Horowitz at Carnegie Hall — An Historic Return John Berg Vladimir Horowitz Solo Monk Jerry Smokler Thelonious Monk William Tell and Other Favorite Overtures John Berg Leonard Bernstein Best Album Cover — Photography Jazz Suite on the Mass Texts Robert M. Jones and Ken Whitmore Paul Horn The Aznavour Story Ed Thrasher and Sherman Weisburd Charles Aznavour Bringing It All Back Home John Berg and Dan Kramer Bob Dylan Guitar Forms Acy Lehman and Rudolph Regname Kenny Burrell and the Gil Evans Orchestra Monk Jerry Smokler and W. Eugene Smith Thelonious Monk My Name Is Barbra Bob Cato and Sheldon Streisand Barbra Streisand Whipped Cream & Other Delights Peter Whorf Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass 1967 Best Album Cover — Graphic Arts Revolver Klaus Voormann The Beatles Baroque Fanfares and Sonatas for Brass William S. Harvey Joshua Rifkin Christmas Carols for Solo Guitar John Berg and Bob Cato Charlie Byrd Color Me Barbra Barbra Streisand Ives: Symphony No. 1 in D Minor Georges Estes Morton Gould Stan Kenton Conducts the Los Angeles Neophonic Orchestra George Osaki Stan Kenton Talk That Talk Woody Woodward The Jazz Crusaders Best Album Cover — Photography Confessions of a Broken Man Robert M. Jones and Les Leverette Porter Wagoner Blonde on Blonde John Berg, Bob Cato and Gerald Schatsberg Bob Dylan Guantanamera Peter Whorf The Sandpipers Sammy Davis Jr. Sings and Laurindo Almeida Plays Ed Thrasher and Tom Tucker Sammy Davis Jr. and Laurindo Almeida The Time Machine Robert M. Jones and Tom Zimmerman Gary Burton Turn! Turn! Turn! John Berg, Bob Cato and Guy Webster The Byrds What Now My Love Peter Whorf and George Jerman Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass 1968 Best Album Cover — Graphic Arts Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band Peter Blake and Jann Haworth The Beatles The Gold Standard Collection Ed Thrasher Hank Thompson Haydn: Symphony No. 84 in E Flat Major andSymphony No. 85 in B Flat Major ("La Reine") John Berg, Bob Cato and Henrietta Condak Leonard Bernstein conducting the New York Philharmonic Nashville Cats Robert M. Jones Homer and Jethro Straight, No Chaser John Berg and Bob Cato Thelonious Monk Up, Up and Away Woody Woodward The 5th Dimension Best Album Cover — Photography Bob Dylan's Greatest Hits John Berg, Bob Cato and Roland Scherman Bob Dylan Bravo, Bravo, Aznavour Ken Kim Charles Aznavour The Doors William S. Harvey, Joel Brodsky and Guy Webster The Doors Earthwords and Music Robert M. Jones and New World Photography John Hartford From Mexico with Laughs Robert M. Jones and Howard Cooper Don Bowman Suburban Attitudes in Country Verse Robert M. Jones and Jimmy Moore John Loudermilk That Man, Robert Mitchum, Sings Ken Kim Robert Mitchum 1969 Underground John Berg, Richard Mantel and Horn Grinner Studio Thelonious Monk Ives: Holiday Symphony John Berg, Bob Cato and Don Huntstein Leonard Bernstein Rhinoceros William S. Harvey Rhinoceros Road Song Sam Antupit and Pete Turner Wes Montgomery Wow Bob Cato Moby Grape
1970s Year Work Art Director(s) Performing artist(s) 1970 America the Beautiful Evelyn J. Kelbish and David Stahlberg Gary McFarland Blind Faith Bob Seidman Blind Faith Led Zeppelin II David Juniper Led Zeppelin Pidgeon Tom Lazarus and Gene Brownell Pidgeon Richard Pryor Gary Burden and Henry Diltz Richard Pryor 1971 Indianola Mississippi Seeds Ivan Nagy B. B. King Chicago John Berg and Nick Fasciano Chicago Hand Made Ed Thrasher Mason Williams Mason Proffit Peter Whorf and Christopher Whorf Mason Proffit The Naked Carmen Desmond Strobel Various Artists Schubert: "Unfinished" Symphony/Symphony No. 5 (Beethoven)/Beethoven: Fifth Symphony Peter Whorf and Fred Poore Artur Rodziński Uncle Charlie and His Dog Teddy Woody Woodward and William E. McEuen Nitty Gritty Dirt Band The World's Greatest Blues Singer John Berg Bessie Smith 1972 Pollution Gene Brownell and Dean O. Torrence Pollution B, S & T; 4 John Berg and Norman Seeff Blood, Sweat & Tears Bark Nick Sangiamo Jefferson Airplane Black Pearl Norman Seeff Jimmy McGriff Hot Platters Ed Thrasher Various Artists The Music of Erik Satie: Through a Looking Glass Vincent J. Biondi Camarata Contemporary Chamber Orchestra Sharepickers Ed Thrasher and Terry Paul Mason Williams Sticky Fingers Andy Warhol The Rolling Stones 1973 The Siegel-Schwall Band Acy Lehman Siegel-Schwall Band Chief Aaron Schumake Dewey Terry Five Dollar Shoes Ron Levine Five Dollar Shoes Flash Hipgnosis Flash Historical Figures and Ancient Heads Norman Seeff Canned Heat School's Out Robert Otter Alice Cooper Sunset Ride Ed Thrasher, Christopher Wolf and Dave Willardson Zephyr Virgin Bill Levy and Fred Marcellino The Mission
2020s