Which album became the first live album to win Grammy Album of the Year?

Judy at Carnegie Hall became the first live album to win the Grammy Award for Album of the Year, taking the prize at the 1962 ceremony. The double album documents Judy Garland’s celebrated concert at Carnegie Hall in New York on April 23, 1961.

Garland’s performance was a major career event. She returned to the stage after professional and personal difficulties, and the concert was received as a triumphant comeback. The recording captured her interpretations of standards including “The Man That Got Away,” “Over the Rainbow,” and “I Can’t Give You Anything but Love.”

The album’s Grammy success is sometimes reduced to Garland being the first woman to win Album of the Year, but the live-recording milestone is separate and equally important. The award recognized a complete concert document rather than a conventional studio album.

Judy at Carnegie Hall also won Best Solo Vocal Performance, Female. Its reputation has endured because it combines historical significance with a particularly acclaimed vocal performance.