The 26th Grammy Awards were held in 1984, and were broadcast live on American television. They recognized accomplishments by musicians from the year 1983.

Award winners:

• Record of the Year
  • Quincy Jones (producer) & Michael Jackson (producer & artist) for "Beat It"

• Album of the Year
  • Quincy Jones (producer) & Michael Jackson (producer & artist) for Thriller

• Song of the Year
  • Sting (songwriter) for "Every Breath You Take" performed by The Police

• Best New Artist
  • Culture Club

Blues

• Best Traditional Blues Recording
  • B. B. King for Blues 'n Jazz

Children's

• Best Recording for Children
  • Quincy Jones (producer) & Michael Jackson for E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial

Classical

• Best Orchestral Recording
  • James Mallinson (producer), Georg Solti (conductor) & the Chicago Symphony Orchestra for Mahler: Symphony No. 9 in D
• Best Classical Vocal Soloist Performance
  • James Levine (conductor), Marilyn Horne, Leontyne Price & the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra for Leontyne Price & Marilyn Horne in Concert at the Met
• Best Opera Recording
  • Christopher Raeburn (producer), Georg Solti (conductor), Thomas Allen, Kiri Te Kanawa, Kurt Moll, Lucia Popp , Samuel Ramey, Frederica von Stade & the London Philharmonic for Mozart: Le Nozzi di Figaro
  • Jay David Saks , Max Wilcox (producers), James Levine (conductor), Plácido Domingo, Cornell MacNeil , Teresa Stratas, & the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra for Verdi: La Traviata
• Best Choral Performance (other than opera)
  • Georg Solti (conductor), Margaret Hillis (choir director) & the Chicago Symphony Orchestra & Chorus for Haydn: The Creation
• Best Classical Performance - Instrumental Soloist or Soloists (with orchestra)
  • Raymond Leppard (conductor), Wynton Marsalis & the National Philharmonic Orchestra for Haydn: Trumpet Concerto in E Flat/L. Mozart: Trumpet Concerto In D/Hummel: Trumpet Concerto in E Flat
• Best Classical Performance - Instrumental Soloist or Soloists (without orchestra)
  • Glenn Gould for Beethoven: Piano Sonatas Nos. 12 & 13
• Best Chamber Music Performance
  • Mstislav Rostropovich & Rudolf Serkin for Brahms: Sonata for Cello and Piano in E Minor, Op. 38 and Sonata in F, Op. 99
• Best Classical Album
  • James Mallinson (producer), Georg Solti (conducytor) & the Chicago Symphony Orchestra for Mahler: Symphony No. 9 in D

Comedy

• Best Comedy Recording
  • Eddie Murphy for Eddie Murphy: Comedian

Composing and arranging

• Best Instrumental Composition
  • Giorgio Moroder (composer) for "Love Theme From Flashdance" performed by various artists
• Best Album of Original Score Written for a Motion Picture or A Television Special
  • Michael Boddicker , Irene Cara, Kim Carnes, Douglas Cotler , Keith Forsey , Richard Gilbert , Jerry Hey , Duane Hitchings , Craig Krampf , Ronald Magness , Dennis Matkosky , Giorgio Moroder, Phil Ramone, Michael Sembello, Shandi Sinnamon (composers) for Flashdance performed by various artists
• Best Arrangement on an Instrumental
  • Dave Grusin (arranger) for "Summer Sketches '82"
• Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocal(s)
  • Nelson Riddle (arranger) for "What's New" performed by Linda Ronstadt
• Best Vocal Arrangement for Two or More Voices
  • Arif Mardin & Chaka Khan (arrangers) for "Be Bop Medley" performed by Chaka Khan

Country

• Best Country Vocal Performance, Female
  • Anne Murray for "A Little Good News"
• Best Country Vocal Performance, Male
  • Lee Greenwood for "I.O.U."
• Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal
  • Alabama for The Closer You Get...
• Best Country Instrumental Performance
  • New South for "Fireball"
• Best Country Song
  • Mike Reid (songwriter) for "Stranger in My House" performed by Ronnie Milsap

Folk

• Best Ethnic or Traditional Folk Recording
  • Clifton Chenier for I'm Here performed by Clifton Chenier & His Red Hot Louisiana Band

Gospel

• Best Gospel Performance, Female
  • Amy Grant for "Ageless Medley"
• Best Gospel Performance, Male
  • Russ Taff for Walls of Glass
• Best Gospel Performance by a Duo or Group
  • Larnelle Harris & Sandi Patti for "More Than Wonderful"
• Best Soul Gospel Performance, Female
  • Sandra Crouch for We Sing Praises
• Best Soul Gospel Performance, Male
  • Al Green for I'll Rise Again
• Best Soul Gospel Performance by a Duo or Group
  • Barbara Mandrell & Bobby Jones for "I'm So Glad I'm Standing Here Today"
• Best Inspirational Performance
  • Donna Summer for "He's a Rebel"

Historical

• Best Historical Album
  • Allan Steckler & Stanley Walker (producers) for The Greatest Recordings of Arturo Toscanini - Symphonies, Vol. I

Jazz

• Best Jazz Vocal Performance, Female
  • Ella Fitzgerald for The Best Is Yet to Come
• Best Jazz Vocal Performance, Male
  • Mel Tormé for Top Drawer
• Best Jazz Vocal Performance, Duo or Group
  • The Manhattan Transfer for "Why Not!"
• Best Jazz Instrumental Performance, Soloist
  • Wynton Marsalis for Think of One
• Best Instrumental Jazz Performance, Group
  • Phil Woods for At the Vanguard performed by the Phil Woods Quartet
• Best Instrumental Jazz Performance, Big Band
  • Rob McConnell for All in Good Time performed by Rob McConnell & the Boss Brass
• Best Jazz Fusion Performance, Vocal or Instrumental
  • Pat Metheny Group for Travels

Latin

• Best Latin Pop Performance
  • Jose Feliciano for Me Enamore
• Best Tropical Latin Performance
  • Tito Puente for On Broadway performed by Tito Puente & His Latin Ensemble
• Best Mexican-American Performance
  • Los Lobos for "Anselma"

Musical Show

• Best Cast Show Album
  • Andrew Lloyd Webber (producer) & the original Broadway cast for Cats (Complete Original Broadway Cast Recording)

Music Video

• Best Video, Short Form
  • Duran Duran for "Girls on Film/Hungry Like the Wolf"
• Best Video Album
  • Duran Duran for Duran Duran

Packaging and Notes

• Best Album Package
  • Robert Rauschenberg (art director) for Speaking in Tongues performed by Talking Heads
• Best Album Notes
  • Orrin Keepnews (notes writer) for The Interplay Sessions performed by Bill Evans

Pop

• Best Vocal Performance, Female
  • Irene Cara for "Flashdance - What a Feeling"
• Best Pop Vocal Performance, Male
  • Michael Jackson for Thriller
• Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal
  • The Police for "Every Breath You Take"
• Best Pop Instrumental Performance
  • George Benson for "Being With You"

Production and engineering

• Best Engineered Recording, Non-Classical
  • Bruce Swedien (engineer) for Thriller performed by Michael Jackson
• Best Engineered Recording, Classical
  • James Lock (engineer), Georg Solti (conductor) & the Chicago Symphony Orchestra for Mahler: Symphony No. 9 in D
• Producer of the Year (Non-Classical)
  • Michael Jackson & Quincy Jones
• Classical Producer of the Year
  • Marc Aubort & Joanna Nickrenz

R&B

• Best R&B Vocal Performance, Female
  • Chaka Khan for Chaka Khan
• Best R&B Vocal Performance, Male
  • Michael Jackson for "Billie Jean"
• Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal
  • Chaka Khan & Rufus for "Ain't Nobody"
• Best R&B Instrumental Performance
  • Herbie Hancock for "Rockit"
• Best Rhythm & Blues Song
  • Michael Jackson (songwriter) for "Billie Jean"

Rock

• Best Rock Vocal Performance, Female
  • Pat Benatar for "Love Is a Battlefield"
• Best Rock Vocal Performance, Male
  • Michael Jackson for "Beat It"
• Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal
  • The Police for Synchronicity
• Best Rock Instrumental Performance
  • Sting for "Brimstone and Treacle"

Spoken

• Best Spoken Word or Non-musical Recording
  • William Warfield for Copland: A Lincoln Portrait