On what date was the first Grammy Awards ceremony held?

The first Grammy Awards ceremony was held on May 4, 1959. Called the 1st Annual Grammy Awards, it recognized musical achievements from 1958 and took place in two cities at the same time.

One ceremony was held at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, California, while the other took place at the Park Sheraton Hotel in New York City. The unusual two-location format reflected the awards’ early connection to both the Los Angeles and New York music industries. Comedian Mort Sahl hosted the ceremonies, which were broadcast on NBC.

The ceremony included categories that remain central to the Grammys, including Record of the Year, Album of the Year, and Song of the Year. Domenico Modugno won the first Record of the Year for “Nel Blu Dipinto di Blu,” widely known as “Volare.” Ella Fitzgerald, Count Basie, Domenico Modugno, Ross Bagdasarian, and Henry Mancini each won two awards.

The date can cause confusion because the inaugural Grammys honored work from 1958, not music released in 1959. The awards were also initially associated with the proposed name “Gramophone Awards.”