Who was the first person to win the Grammy for Record of the Year twice?

Henry Mancini was the first person to win the Grammy for Record of the Year twice.

Mancini won the inaugural Record of the Year award in 1959 for “Nel blu dipinto di blu,” performed by Domenico Modugno, because the award recognized the recording’s overall production and credited contributors. He won again in 1961 for “Theme from Exodus,” performed by himself and his orchestra.

These victories illustrate an important Grammy distinction: Record of the Year is not simply an award for the singer. It honors the artist and production team responsible for a specific recording. Song of the Year, by contrast, recognizes songwriting and goes to the song’s writers.

Mancini was a composer, arranger, conductor, and pianist whose film and television work included The Pink Panther and the television series Peter Gunn. His Grammy success extended across popular, jazz, and soundtrack-related music, making him one of the ceremony’s most influential early figures.