A 3.ª cerimônia anual do Grammy Awards foi realizada em 13 de abril de 1961, em Los Angeles e Nova Iorque. O evento contemplou trabalho de melhores gravações, composições e artistas do ano dentro do período de 1960. Ray Charles ganhou quatro prêmios, Bob Newhart e Henry Mancini ganharam três prêmios.
Vencedores Geral "Theme from A Summer Place" – Percy Faith The Button-Down Mind of Bob Newhart – Bob Newhart "Theme of Exodus" – Ernest Gold Bob Newhart
Infantil Let's All Sing With the Chipmunks – Ross Bagdasarian Sr
Clássica Bartók: Music for Strings, Percussion and Celesta – Fritz Reiner & Chicago Symphony Orchestra | valign="top" width="50%"|
A Program of Song: Leontyne Price Recital – Leontyne Price|- | valign="top" width="50%"|
Puccini: Turandot – Erich Leinsdorf, Birgit Nilsson, Giorgio Tozzi, Jussi Björling, Renata Tebaldi & Rome Opera Orchestra| valign="top" width="50%"|
Handel: Messiah – Thomas Beecham & Royal Philharmonic Orchestra & Chorus|- | valign="top" width="50%"|
Brahms: Piano Concerto No. 2 in B Flat – Erich Leinsdorf, Sviatoslav Richter & Chicago Symphony Orchestra| valign="top" width="50%"|
The Spanish Guitars of Laurindo Almeida – Laurindo Almeida|- | valign="top" width="50%"|
Conversations With the Guitar – Laurindo Almeida| valign="top" width="50%"|
Orchestral Suite from The Tender Land Suite – Aaron Copland & Boston Symphony Orchestra'''
Comédia Jonathan and Darlene Edwards in Paris – Jo Stafford & Paul Weston ''The Button-Down Mind Strikes Back!'' – Bob Newhart
Composição e arranjos Exodus – Ernest Gold Mr. Lucky – Henry Mancini
Country "El Paso" – Marty Robbins
Folk "Swing Dat Hammer" – Harry Belafonte
Jazz West Side Story (Original Broadway Cast) – André Previn ''Blues and the Beat – Henry Mancini|- | colspan="2" valign="top" width="50%"|
Sketches of Spain'' – Gil Evans & Miles Davis
Teatro musical The Sound of Music – Oscar Hammerstein II, Richard Rodgers & Mary Martin ''Can Can'' – Cole Porter & Frank Sinatra
Capa e encarte Latin a la Lee – Marvin Schwartz
Pop Ella Fitzgerald Álbum: Ella in Berlin: Mack the Knife Canção: "Mack the Knife" Ray Charles Álbum: The Genius of Ray Charles Canção: "Georgia on My Mind" "We Got Us" – Eydie Gormé & Steve Lawrence Songs of the Cowboy – Norman Luboff ''Dance Along with Basie – Count Basie| valign="top" width="50%"|
Mr. Lucky'' – Henry Mancini "Georgia on My Mind" – Ray Charles
Produção e engenharia Ella Fitzgerald Sings the George and Ira Gershwin Songbook – Luis P. Valentin ''The Spanish Guitars of Laurindo Almeida'' – Hugh Davies & Laurindo Almeida "The Old Payola Roll Blues" – John Kraus
R&B "What a Diff'rence a Day Makes" – Dinah Washington
Falado FDR Speaks – Robert Bialek
Notas
1961 Categoria:1961 na música Categoria:Prémios de música em 1961