41st Annual Grammy Awards


The 41st Annual Grammy Awards were held on February 24, 1999, at Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, recognizing musical achievements from the year 1998. Lauryn Hill led the ceremony with a record-breaking 10 nominations, becoming the first woman to achieve this milestone in a single night. During the event, she made history as the first woman to win five Grammy Awards in one night, the first artist to sweep the R&B field, and the first female rapper to win Best New Artist. Her critically acclaimed album The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill became the first hip-hop album to win Album of the Year. Hill's then unprecedented sweep of the Grammys is widely regarded as one of the most significant moments in hip hop history.
The ceremony was widely dubbed as the "Grammy Year of Women", because all of the nominees for Album of the Year were female artists including Madonna, Shania Twain, Sheryl Crow and Garbage. Songwriters James Horner and Will Jennings won Song of the Year for Celine Dion's "My Heart Will Go On", while Dion herself took home Record of the Year for the same song.
Madonna who opened the show with a performance of "Nothing Really Matters", won three awards, while the Dixie Chicks, Vince Gill, Alanis Morissette, Stevie Wonder and Shania Twain each took home two awards.
Ricky Martin's performance of "La Copa De La Vida" was considered a highlight of the night, symbolizing the rapid rise of Latin pop on the global stage.

Performers

Presenters

Award winners

General

;Record of the Year"My Heart Will Go On" – Celine Dion
;Album of the YearThe Miseducation of Lauryn Hill – Lauryn Hill
;Song of the Year"My Heart Will Go On"
;Best New Artist

Alternative

;Best Alternative Music PerformanceHello Nasty – Beastie BoysFrom the Choirgirl Hotel – Tori AmosIs This Desire? – PJ HarveyAirbag / How Am I Driving? – RadioheadAdore – The Smashing Pumpkins

Blues

Children's

Comedy

  • From 1994 through 2003, see "Best Spoken Comedy Album" under the "Spoken" field, below.

Classical

Composing and arranging

Country

Folk

Gospel

Historical

Jazz

Latin

Musical show

Music video

New Age

Packaging and notes

Polka

Pop

Production and engineering

R&B

;Best Female R&B Vocal Performance"Doo Wop (That Thing)" – Lauryn Hill
;Best Male R&B Vocal Performance"St. Louis Blues" – Stevie Wonder in Herbie Hancock's Gershwin's World
;Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal"The Boy Is Mine" – Brandy & Monica
;Best R&B Song"Doo Wop (That Thing)"
;Best R&B AlbumThe Miseducation of Lauryn Hill – Lauryn Hill; Lauryn Hill, producer; Commissioner Gordon & Tony Prendatt, engineers/mixersLive – Erykah Badu; Erykah Badu & Norman "Keys" Hurt, producers; Norman "Keys" Hurt, Gordon Mack & Kenny Ortiz, engineers/mixersNever Say Never – Brandy; Rodney Jerkins, producer; Brad Gilderman & Rodney Jerkins, engineers/mixersA Rose Is Still a Rose – Aretha FranklinEmbrya – Maxwell; Musze, producer; Musze & Mike Pela, engineers/mixers
;Best Traditional R&B Vocal AlbumLive! One Night Only – Patti LaBelleBelieve in Me – Regina BelleTo Make Me Who I Am – Aaron NevillePhoenix Rising – The TemptationsI Know – Luther Vandross

Rap

;Best Rap Solo Performance"Gettin' Jiggy Wit It" – Will Smith
;Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group"Intergalactic" – Beastie Boys
;Best Rap AlbumVol. 2... Hard Knock Life – Jay-ZCapital Punishment – Big PunisherLife In 1472 - The Original Soundtrack – Jermaine DupriHarlem World – MaseThe Love Movement – A Tribe Called Quest

Reggae

Rock

Spoken

Traditional pop

World

Special merit awards

[MusiCares Person of the Year]

[Grammy Legend Award]