The Grammy Award for Best Historical Album has been presented since 1979 and recognizes achievements in audio restoration. Since this category's creation, the award had several minor name changes:
In 1979 the award was known as Best Historical Repackage Album In 1980 it was awarded as Best Historical Reissue In 1981 it was awarded as Best Historical Reissue Album From 1982 to the present it has been awarded as Best Historical Album
Years reflect the year in which the Grammy Awards were presented, for works released in the previous year. The award is presented to individuals responsible for compiling and engineering the winning album. The roles of these individuals have changed over time:
From 1979 to 1993 the award was given to the Producer(s) From 1994 to 1995 it was awarded to the Compilation Producer(s) In 1996 it was awarded to the Art Director, Compilation Producer, Mastering Engineers, and/or Album Notes Writers From 1997 to 2018 it was awarded to the Compilation Producer(s) and/or Mastering Engineer(s) Since 2019 it has been awarded to the Compilation Producer(s), Mastering Engineer(s) and/or Restoration Engineer(s).
The award does not go to the artists, unless an artist is also a compilation producer and/or mastering engineer.
Winners and nominees Year Recipients(s) Work Performing artist(s)NomineesPerformers are in parenthesesRef.1979 Michael Brooks (producer) The Lester Young Story, Vol. 3Columbia Lester Young1980 Jerry Korn & Michael Brooks (producers) Billie Holiday (Giants of Jazz) Time/Life Billie Holiday1981 Keith Hardwick (producer) Segovia – The EMI Recordings 1927–39 Angel Andrés Segovia1982Michael Brooks & George Spitzer (producers) Hoagy Carmichael – From Stardust to Ole Buttermilk Sky Book of the MonthHoagy Carmichael1983 Alan Dell, Ethel Gabriel & Don Wardell (album producers) The Tommy Dorsey/Frank Sinatra Sessions Vols. 1, 2, 3 RCATommy Dorsey and Frank Sinatra1984Stanley Walker & Allan Steckler (album producers) The Greatest Recordings of Arturo Toscanini – Symphonies, Vol. I Franklin Mint Record Society Arturo Toscanini1985 J. R. Taylor (album producer) Big Band Jazz SmithsonianVarious Artists1986John Pfeiffer (album producer) RCA/Met—100 Singers—100 Years RCA Red SealVarious Artists1987Bob Porter & Aziz Goksel (album producers) Atlantic Rhythm and Blues 1947–1974, Vols. 1–7 AtlanticVarious Artists1988Orrin Keepnews (album producer) Thelonious Monk: The Complete Riverside Recordings RiversideThelonious Monk 1989Bill Levenson (album producer) Crossroads PolyGramEric Clapton 1990Andy McKaie (album producer)The Chess Box Chess/MCAChuck Berry 1991 Lawrence Cohn & Stephen Lavere (album producers)Robert Johnson: The Complete Recordings Columbia/CBSRobert Johnson 1992Steven Lasker & Andy McKaie (album producers)Billie Holiday, The Complete Decca Recordings GRPBillie Holiday 1993 Michael Cuscuna (album producer)The Complete Capitol Recordings of The Nat "King" Cole Trio MosaicNat King Cole Trio 1994 Michael Lang & Phil Schaap (compilation producers)The Complete Billie Holiday on Verve 1945–1959 VerveBillie Holiday 1995 Michael Lang (compilation producer)The Complete Ella Fitzgerald Song Books on Verve VerveElla Fitzgerald 1996J.J. Stelmach (art director)John Pfeiffer (compilation producers)Ray Hall, Thomas MacCluskey, James P. Nichols, Anthony Salvatore, Jon M. Samuels & David Satz (mastering engineers) Various (album notes writers)The Heifetz Collection RCA Victor Gold SealJascha Heifetz & Various Artists 1997 Bob Belden & Phil Schaap (compilation producers)Phil Schaap & Mark Wilder (mastering engineers)The Complete Columbia Studio Recordings ColumbiaMiles Davis & Gil Evans 1998Amy Horowitz, Jeff Place & Pete Reiniger (compilation producers) David Glasser & Charlie Pilzer(mastering engineers)Anthology of American Folk Music (1997 Edition Expanded) Smithsonian FolkwaysVarious Artists 1999Colin Escott, Kira Florita & Kyle Young (compilation producers)Joseph M. Palmaccio & Tom Ruff (mastering engineers)The Complete Hank Williams Mercury NashvilleHank Williams 2000Orrin Keepnews & Steven Lasker (compilation producers)Paul Brizzi, Dennis Ferrante & Steven Lasker (mastering engineers)The Duke Ellington Centennial Edition: The Complete RCA Victor Recordings (1927–1973) RCA Victor/BMG Classics Duke Ellington 2001Steve Berkowitz, Seth Rothstein & Phil Schaap (compilation producers)Michael Brooks, Seth Foster, Ken Robertson, Tom "Curly" Ruff, Phil Schaap & Mark Wilder (mastering engineers)The Complete Hot Five and Hot Seven Recordings Columbia/LegacyLouis Armstrong 2002Michael Brooks & Michael Cuscuna (compilation producers)Matt Cavaluzzo, Harry Coster, Seth Foster, Darcy Proper, Ken Robertson & Mark Wilder (mastering engineers)Lady Day: The Complete Billie Holiday on Columbia 1933–1944 Columbia/LegacyBillie Holiday 2003Dean Blackwood (compilation producer) David Glasser & Christopher King (mastering engineers)Screamin' and Hollerin' the Blues: The Worlds of Charley Patton RevenantCharley Patton 2004Steve Berkowitz, Alex Gibney, Andy McKaie & Jerry Rappaport (compilation producers) Gavin Lurssen & Joseph M. Palmaccio (mastering engineers)Martin Scorsese Presents the Blues: A Musical Journey Hip-OVarious Artists 2005Daniel Cooper, Michael Gray (compilation producers)Joseph M. Palmaccio, Alan Stoker (mastering engineers)Night Train to Nashville: Music City Rhythm & Blues, 1945–1970 CMF/Lost HighwayVarious Artists 2006Jeffrey Greenberg, Anna Lomax Wood (compilation producers)Adam Ayan, Steve Rosenthal (mastering engineers)The Complete Library of Congress Recordings RounderJelly Roll Morton 2007Meagan Hennessey & Richard Martin (compilation producers)Tim Brooks, David Giovannoni & Richard Martin (mastering engineers)Lost Sounds: Blacks and the Birth of the Recording Industry, 1891–1922 ArcheophoneVarious Artists 2008Nora Guthrie & Jorge Arévalo Mateus (compilation producers)Jamie Howarth, Steve Rosenthal, Warren Russell-Smith & Dr. Kevin Short (mastering engineers)The Live Wire: Woody Guthrie in Performance 1949 Woody Guthrie Publications Woody Guthrie 2009Steven Lance Ledbetter & Art Rosenbaum (compilation producers)Michael Graves (mastering engineer)Art of Field Recording Volume I: Fifty Years of Traditional American Music Documented by Art Rosenbaum Dust-to-DigitalVarious Artists 2010Andy McKaie (compilation producer)Erick Labson (mastering engineer)The Complete Chess Masters (1950–1967) Hip-O Select/GeffenLittle Walter 2011Jeff Jones & Allan Rouse (compilation producers)Paul Hicks, Sean Magee, Guy Massey, Sam Okell & Steve Rooke (mastering engineers)The Beatles: The Original Studio Recordings Apple/Parlophone/CapitolThe Beatles 2012 Paul McCartney (compilation producer)Sam Okell & Steve Rooke (mastering engineers)Band on the Run (Paul McCartney Archive Collection – Deluxe Edition) Hear MusicPaul McCartney and Wings 2013Alan Boyd, Mark Linett, Brian Wilson & Dennis Wolfe (compilation producers) Mark Linett (mastering engineer)The Smile Sessions (Deluxe Box Set) CapitolThe Beach Boys 2014Teri Landi, Andrew Loog Oldham & Steve Rosenthal (compilation producers) Bob Ludwig (mastering engineer)Charlie Is My Darling – Ireland 1965 ABKCOThe Rolling Stones Leo Sacks (compilation producer)Joseph M. Palmaccio, Tom Ruff & Mark Wilder (mastering engineers) The Complete Sussex and Columbia Albums Columbia/Legacy Bill Withers 2015Colin Escott & Cheryl Pawelski (compilation producers)Michael Graves (mastering engineer)The Garden Spot Programs, 1950 OmnivoreHank Williams 2016Steve Berkowitz, Jan Haust & Jeff Rosen (compilation producers)Peter J. Moore & Mark Wilder (mastering engineers)The Bootleg Series Vol. 11: The Basement Tapes Complete Columbia/LegacyBob Dylan & The Band 2017Steve Berkowitz & Jeff Rosen (compilation producers)Mark Wilder (mastering engineer)The Bootleg Series Vol. 12: The Cutting Edge 1965–1966 (Collector's Edition) Columbia/LegacyBob Dylan 2018Robert Russ (compilation producer) Martin Kistner & Andreas K. Meyer (mastering engineers)Leonard Bernstein – The Composer Sony ClassicalLeonard Bernstein & Various Artists 2019William Ferris, April Ledbetter & Steven Lance Ledbetter (compilation producers)Michael Graves (mastering engineer)Voices of Mississippi: Artists and Musicians Documented by William Ferris Dust-to-DigitalVarious Artists 2020Jeff Place & Robert Santelli (compilation producers)Pete Reiniger (mastering engineer)Pete Seeger: The Smithsonian Folkways Collection Smithsonian FolkwaysPete Seeger 2021Lee Lodyga & Cheryl Pawelski (compilation producers)Michael Graves (mastering engineer)It's Such A Good Feeling: The Best of Mister Rogers OmnivoreMister Rogers 2022 Patrick Milligan & Joni Mitchell (compilation producers) Bernie Grundman (mastering engineer)Joni Mitchell Archives Vol. 1: The Early Years (1963-1967) RhinoJoni Mitchell 2023 Cheryl Pawelski & Jeff Tweedy (compilation producers) Bob Ludwig (mastering engineer) Yankee Hotel Foxtrot (20th Anniversary Super Deluxe Edition) Nonesuch Wilco Against the Odds: 1974–1982 - Tommy Manzi, Steve Rosenthal & Ken Shipley, compilation producers; Michael Graves, mastering engineer; Tom Camuso, restoration engineer (Blondie) (Capitol) The Goldberg Variations - The Complete Unreleased 1981 Studio Sessions - Robert Russ, compilation producer; Martin Kistner, mastering engineer (Glenn Gould) (Sony Classical) Life's Work - A Retrospective - Scott Billington, Ted Olson & Mason Williams, compilation producers; Paul Blakemore, mastering engineer (Doc Watson) (Craft) To Whom It May Concern - Jonathan Sklute, compilation producer; Kevin Marques Moo, mastering engineer; Lucas MacFadden, restoration engineer (Freestyle Fellowship) (Key Chain)2024Robert Gordon, Deanie Parker, Cheryl Pawelski, Michele Smith & Mason Williams (compilation producers) Michael Graves (mastering engineer/restoration engineer) Written In Their Soul: The Stax Songwriter Demos Stax/CraftVarious Artists Fragments - Time Out of Mind Sessions (1996-1997): The Bootleg Series, Vol. 17 - Steve Berkowitz & Jeff Rosen, compilation producers; Steve Addabbo, Greg Calbi, Steve Fallone, Chris Shaw & Mark Wilder, mastering engineers (Bob Dylan) (Columbia/Legacy) The Moaninest Moan of Them All: The Jazz Saxophone of Loren McMurray, 1920-1922 - Colin Hancock, Meagan Heannesey & Richard Martin, compilation producers; Richard Martin, mastering engineer/restoration engineer (Various Artists) (Archeophone) Playing For the Man at the Door: Field Recordings From the Collection of Mack McCormick, 1958-1971 - Jeff Place & John Troutman, compilation producers; Randy LeRoy & Charlie Pilzer, mastering engineers; Mike Petillo & Charlie Pilzer, restoration engineers (Various Artists) (Smithsonian Folkways) Words & Music, May 1965 (Deluxe Edition) - Laurie Anderson, Don Fleming, Jason Stern, Matt Sullivan & Hall Wilner, compilation producers; John Baldwin, mastering engineer; John Baldwin & Steve Rosenthal, restoration engineers (Lou Reed) (Light in the Attic)2025Meagan Hennessey & Richard Martin (compilation producers) Richard Martin (mastering engineer/restoration engineer) Centennial ArcheophoneKing Oliver's Creole Jazz Band & Various Artists Diamonds and Pearls: Super Deluxe Edition - L. Londell McMillan, Charles F. Spicer Jr. & Duane Tudahl, compilation producers; Brad Blackwood & Bernie Grundman, mastering engineers; Chris James, restoration engineer (Prince & New Power Generation) (NPG Records) Paul Robeson - Voice of Freedom: His Complete Columbia, RCA, HMV and Victor Recordings - Tom Laskey, Shana L. Redmond, Susan Robeson & Robert Russ, compilation producers; Nancy Conforti & Andreas K. Meyer, mastering engineers (Paul Robeson) (Sony Masterworks) Pepito y Paquito - Pepe De Lucía & Javier Doria, compilation producers; Jesús Bola, mastering engineer (Pepe De Lucía & Paco De Lucía) (BMG)