TheGrammy Award for Best Alternative Music Album is an award presented to recording artists for quality albums in the alternative genre at theGrammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards.[1] Honors in several categories are presented at the ceremony annually by theNational Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to "honor artistic achievement, technical proficiency and overall excellence in the recording industry, without regard to album sales or chart position".[2] In 2023, it was joined by a companion category,Best Alternative Music Performance.[3]
While the definition of "alternative" has been debated,[4] the award was first presented in 1991 to recognize non-mainstream rock albums "heavily played on college radio stations".[5][6] After several updates of the category description, the Grammy organisation issued the following statement for the2019 Grammy season:
Alternative is defined as a genre of music that embraces attributes of progression and innovation in both the music and attitudes associated with it. It is often a less intense version of rock or a more intense version of pop and is typically regarded as more original, eclectic, or musically challenging. It may embrace a variety of subgenres or any hybrids thereof and may include recordings that don't fit into other genre categories.
In 1991, and from 1994 to 1999, the award was known asBest Alternative Music Performance.[4] The award goes to the artist, producer and engineer/mixer, provided they are credited with more than 50% of playing time on the album. The lead performing artist is the only one who receives an official nomination. A producer or engineer withless than 50% of playing time, as well as the mastering engineer, can apply for a Winners Certificate.[7] Before 2001, only the performing artist received a nomination and an award.
As of 2025,Radiohead,The White Stripes,Beck, andSt. Vincent share the record for the most wins in this category, having won three times each, with St. Vincent being the first solo female to win the award thrice. Three female solo artists have won the award,Sinéad O'Connor andFiona Apple; two bands with female members, The White Stripes andAlabama Shakes, have also won the award, as well as two all-female bands,Wet Leg andBoygenius. With nine nominations to date,Björk holds the record for the most nominations in this category; Radiohead singerThom Yorke was nominated for the 2007 and 2020 awards for his solo albums, making him the most nominated person in this category with 10 total nominations. Björk holds the record for the most nominations for a solo artist, as well as the record for the most nominations without a win.Vampire Weekend andColdplay have each received the award twice, and Coldplay are the only group to win two years consecutively. American artists have been presented with the award more than any other nationality, though it has been presented to musicians or groups from the United Kingdom five times, from Ireland twice, and from France and Australia once each. Artists from Canada, Iceland, and Sweden have been nominated for the award, but none have won.
^"The Recording Academy"(PDF). National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. p. 3.Archived(PDF) from the original on February 15, 2017. RetrievedFebruary 14, 2017.
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