Which artist won all four major Grammy categories in one night at the 1981 ceremony?

Christopher Cross won all four major Grammy categories in one night at the 1981 ceremony.

Cross won Album of the Year for Christopher Cross, Record of the Year and Song of the Year for “Sailing,” and Best New Artist. He remains the first artist to win the four awards at a single ceremony.

His self-titled debut album produced several successful singles, including “Ride Like the Wind” and “Arthur’s Theme (Best That You Can Do).” Cross co-wrote “Sailing,” a soft-rock song that became closely associated with his relaxed vocal style and acoustic-based arrangements.

The four awards are commonly called the Big Four. Cross’s achievement came before the later sweeps by artists such as Norah Jones, Adele, and Billie Eilish. Although the record is often discussed alongside Eilish’s 2020 sweep, Cross was the original one-night winner.