Which artist swept the four General Field Grammy awards in 1981?

Christopher Cross swept the four General Field Grammy awards in 1981.

At the 23rd Annual Grammy Awards, held on February 25, 1981, Cross won Record of the Year and Song of the Year for “Sailing,” Album of the Year for his self-titled debut, and Best New Artist. He became the first artist in Grammy history to win all four General Field awards at one ceremony.

The achievement was especially striking because Cross was a newcomer competing against major established names. His soft-rock sound and carefully produced debut made him one of the defining Grammy success stories of the early 1980s. He received five awards that night, including Best Arrangement, Instruments and Vocals, shared with Michael Omartian.

The four awards are sometimes called the “Big Four.” They recognize a recording, an album, a song’s writers, and a breakthrough artist, so winning all four requires both broad industry recognition and an unusually strong debut year.