Which Grammy category did Johnny Cash's album 'American Recordings' win in 1995?

Johnny Cash’s album American Recordings won the Grammy for Best Contemporary Folk Album in 1995. The award recognized the record’s unusual blend of traditional folk, country, gospel, and stark contemporary songwriting.

Released in 1994, American Recordings marked a major career resurgence for Cash after years of declining record sales and an unsuccessful period with Mercury Records. Producer Rick Rubin approached him after seeing him perform and encouraged him to record with unusually little accompaniment. Much of the album was made in Rubin’s living room or at Cash’s Tennessee cabin, often with Cash singing and playing guitar alone.

The category can cause confusion because Cash is strongly identified with country music, and the album later helped establish the broader American roots style associated with his final career. However, the 1995 Grammy category was Contemporary Folk Album, not Best Country Album or Traditional Folk Album. The win began a new run of critical recognition that continued through Cash’s American series.