Grammy Award for Best Alternative Music Album

The Grammy Award for Best Alternative Music Album is an award given to recording artists for quality albums in the alternative rock genre at the Grammy Awards. The Grammy Awards were established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards. Honors in several categories are presented at the ceremony each year by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to "honor artistic achievement, technical proficiency and overall excellence in the recording industry, without regard to album sales or chart position".

The definition of "alternative" has been debated. The award was first presented in 1991 to recognize non-mainstream rock albums "heavily played on college radio stations". According to the academy, the award is presented to "vocal or instrumental alternative music albums containing at least 51% playing time of newly recorded music". The academy defines "alternative" as a "non-traditional" genre that exists "outside of the mainstream music consciousness". In 1991, and from 1994 to 1999, the award was known as Best Alternative Music Performance. Beginning in 2001, award recipients included the producers, engineers, and/or mixers associated with the nominated work in addition to the recording artists. Note: User must select the "Alternative" category as the genre under the search feature.

As of 2011, Radiohead and The White Stripes share the record for the most wins in this category, having won three times each. Radiohead's lead singer, Thom Yorke, was also nominated for the 2007 award for his solo album. Beck and Coldplay have each received the award twice, the latter being the only group to win two years in a row. American artists have been presented with the award more than any other nationality, though it has been presented to musicians or groups from the United Kingdom five times, from Ireland twice, and from France once. Female musicians Tori Amos and Björk hold the record for the most nominations without a win, with five each.

 Recipients 
YearPerforming artist(s)NationalityWorkNomineesRef.1991  Ireland   Laurie Anderson – Strange Angels
  Kate Bush – The Sensual World
  The Replacements – All Shook Down
  World Party – Goodbye Jumbo1992 R.E.M. United States   Elvis Costello – Mighty Like a Rose
  Jesus Jones – Doubt
  Nirvana – Nevermind
  Richard Thompson – Rumor and Sigh1993  United States   The B-52s – Good Stuff
  The Cure – Wish
  Morrissey – Your Arsenal
  XTC – Nonsuch1994 U2 Ireland   Belly – Star
  Nirvana – In Utero
  R.E.M. – Automatic for the People
  The Smashing Pumpkins – Siamese Dream1995 Green Day United States   Tori Amos – Under the Pink
  Crash Test Dummies – God Shuffled His Feet
  Sarah McLachlan – Fumbling Towards Ecstasy
  Nine Inch Nails – The Downward Spiral1996 Nirvana United States   Björk – Post
  Foo Fighters – Foo Fighters
  PJ Harvey – To Bring You My Love
  The Presidents of the United States of America – The Presidents of the United States of America1997 Beck United States   Tori Amos – Boys for Pele
  Tracy Bonham – The Burdens of Being Upright
  R.E.M. – New Adventures in Hi-Fi
  The Smashing Pumpkins – Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness1998 Radiohead United Kingdom   Björk – Homogenic
  David Bowie – Earthling
  The Chemical Brothers – Dig Your Own Hole
  The Prodigy – The Fat of the Land1999 Beastie Boys United States   Tori Amos – From the Choirgirl Hotel
  PJ Harvey – Is This Desire?
  Radiohead – Airbag / How Am I Driving?
  The Smashing Pumpkins – Adore2000 Beck United States   Tori Amos – To Venus and Back
  Fatboy Slim – You've Come a Long Way, Baby
  Moby – Play
  Nine Inch Nails – The Fragile2001 Radiohead United Kingdom   Fiona Apple – When the Pawn…
  Beck – Midnite Vultures
  The Cure – Bloodflowers
  Paul McCartney – Liverpool Sound Collage2002 Coldplay United Kingdom   Tori Amos – Strange Little Girls
  Björk – Vespertine
  Fatboy Slim – Halfway Between the Gutter and the Stars
  Radiohead – Amnesiac2003 Coldplay United Kingdom   Beck – Sea Change
  Clinic – Walking with Thee
  Elvis Costello and the Imposters – Cruel Smile
  The Soundtrack of Our Lives – Behind the Music2004 The White Stripes United States   The Flaming Lips – Fight Test
  Radiohead – Hail to the Thief
  Sigur Rós – ( )
  Yeah Yeah Yeahs – Fever to Tell2005 Wilco United States  Björk – Medúlla
  Franz Ferdinand – Franz Ferdinand
  PJ Harvey – Uh Huh Her
  Modest Mouse – Good News for People Who Love Bad News2006 The White Stripes United States   Arcade Fire – Funeral
  Beck – Guero
  Death Cab for Cutie – Plans
  Franz Ferdinand – You Could Have It So Much Better2007 Gnarls Barkley United States   Arctic Monkeys – Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not
  The Flaming Lips – At War with the Mystics
  Yeah Yeah Yeahs – Show Your Bones
  Thom Yorke – The Eraser2008 The White Stripes United States   Lily Allen – Alright, Still
  Arcade Fire – Neon Bible
  Björk – Volta
  The Shins – Wincing the Night Away2009 Radiohead United Kingdom   Beck – Modern Guilt
  Death Cab for Cutie – Narrow Stairs
  Gnarls Barkley – The Odd Couple
  My Morning Jacket – Evil Urges2010 Phoenix France   David Byrne and Brian Eno – Everything That Happens Will Happen Today
  Death Cab for Cutie – The Open Door EP
  Depeche Mode – Sounds of the Universe
  Yeah Yeah Yeahs – It's Blitz!2011 The Black Keys United States   Arcade Fire – The Suburbs
  Band of Horses – Infinite Arms
  Broken Bells – Broken Bells
  Vampire Weekend – Contra2012 Bon Iver United States Bon Iver 2013 Gotye Australia Making Mirrors 2014 Vampire Weekend United States Modern Vampires of the City 2015 St. Vincent United States St. Vincent 2016 Alabama Shakes United States Sound & Color 2017 David Bowie United Kingdom Blackstar 2018 The National United States Sleep Well Beast 2019 Beck United States Colors 2020 Vampire Weekend United States Father of the Bride 2021 Fiona Apple United States Fetch the Bolt Cutters 2022 St. Vincent United States Daddy's Home 2023 Wet Leg United Kingdom Wet Leg 2024 Boygenius United States The Record 2025 St. Vincent United States All Born Screaming  2026     

 Each year is linked to the article about the Grammy Awards held that year.

References

General
  Note: User must select the "Alternative" category as the genre under the search feature.


Specific

Other websites
 Official site of the Grammy Awards

Alternative Music Album
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