The late orchestra director Georg Solti is the most awarded artist in Grammy Awards history with 31 golden gramophones to his name, but he is hardly well-known. However, a lot of well-known pop stars, including Stevie Wonder, Kanye West, and Beyoncé, have amassed their fair share of accolades. In fact, Queen Bey made history by tying a living icon for most wins at Grammys 2021. Here are the remaining top ten non-classical winners from the biggest night in music.
1. Beyoncé: 28
Yes, she did create history at the Grammys in 2021. She is now the most decorated female in Grammys history after receiving nine nominations and three victories at this year’s ceremony. Beyoncé, 40, won two Grammys for Destiny’s Child’s No. 1 song “Say My Name” in 2001, which was her first Grammy recognition. Since then, she has received 26 additional Grammy nominations, including five for her and her husband Jay-blockbuster Z’s singles “Crazy in Love” and “Drunk in Love” as well as their collaborative album “Everything Is Love.” Beyoncé is the most nominated woman in history with 79 nominations, yet she has never won Album of the Year in her career. She wasn’t eligible for the award in 2021 since she didn’t release a project within the year of eligibility.
2. Quincy Jones: 28
With her victory in 2021, Beyoncé matched one of the most recognizable and revered figures in the music business. Jones, 89, not only worked on Michael Jackson’s iconic “Thriller” album as its producer in 1984, but he also won Album of the Year in 1991 for his own song, “Back on the Block.” Q initially won for Best Instrumental Arrangement (of the Count Basie Orchestra’s “I Can’t Stop Loving You”) in 1964, placing right behind Solti on the list of all-time winners.
3. Alison Krauss: 27
The 50-year-old bluegrass queen has experienced success both alone and with Union Station. Her biggest triumphs, however, came in 2009 when she shared the Album and Record of the Year awards with Robert Plant for “Please Read the Letter” and “Raising Sand,” respectively.]
4. Stevie Wonder: 25
This 71-year-old R&B legend shares the distinction with Frank Sinatra and Paul Simon of having won Album of the Year three times. He was successful for three albums in a row: “Innervisions” from 1973, “Fulfillingness’ First Finale” from 1974, and “Songs in the Key of Life” from 1976.
5. John Williams: 25
With his 52nd Oscar nomination (for Best Original Score for “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker”), the iconic film composer, 90, has shattered his own record. But despite only winning five Oscars, he has nearly 5 times as many Grammy Awards, including the most recent one in 2017.
6. Chick Corea: 23
Beginning in 1976 (Best Jazz Performance by a Group for “No Mystery,” with Return to Forever) and most recently in 2015 (Best Jazz Instrumental Album for “Trilogy”), this late jazz pianist has received Grammy Awards every decade since the 1970s. It’s understandable why Corea, who passed away in February 2021 at the age of 79, was honored with a Grammy in 1999.
7. Jay-Z: 23
The majority of Beyoncé’s husband’s Grammy awards, including his first for Best Rap Album (“Vol. 2… Hard Knock Life”) in 1999, have come in the rap categories. But the 52-year-old has never received a prize in one of the Big Four categories (Album, Record and Song of the Year, plus Best New Artist).
8. U2: 22
The prestigious Album of the Year award has twice been awarded by Bono, 61, and his band, for their albums “The Joshua Tree” from 1987 and “How To Dismantle an Atomic Bomb” from 2004. They have, however, also won in both of the remaining Big Four categories of Record of the Year and Song of the Year twice (for “Beautiful Day” and “Sometimes You Can’t Make It on Your Own,” respectively).
9. Kanye West: 22
Yeezy, 44, has never won the prestigious Album of the Year award despite receiving three nominations in a row (for “The College Dropout” in 2004, “Late Registration” in 2005, and “Graduation” in 2007). Nevertheless, he has indeed been allowed to console himself by winning three Grammys with Jay-Z in 2013, one of 22 other gramophones.
10. Vince Gill: 21
Since winning Best Country Vocal Performance, Male in 1990 (for “When I Call Your Name”), the 64-year-old singer-guitarist has consistently placed highly in country categories. However, his most recent victory was for Best American Roots Song (“Kid Sister”) in 2017.
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