Grammy Award for Best Immersive Audio Album
The Grammy Award for Best Immersive Audio Album was first awarded in 2005, as the first category in a new "Surround Sound" field. It is currently part of the Production, Engineering, Composition & Arrangement field.
It is one of a few categories which are open to both classical and non-classical recordings, new or re-issued. To qualify for this category, the recording must be in surround quality. The recordings must be commercially available on either DVD-Audio, DVD-Video, Blu-ray, SACD, surround download or a streaming-only version. The award goes to the engineer, mastering engineer and producer. These used to be called Surround Engineer, Surround Mastering Engineer and Surround Sound Producer, respectively, but as of 2023 the descriptions are Immersive Mix Engineer, Immersive Mastering Engineer and Immersive Producer, respectively. Performing artists do not receive the award, except if they are also credited with one or more of the three roles mentioned above.
The category was renamed Best Immersive Audio Album for the 2019 Grammy season. According to NARAS, "driven by the technological side of music evolution, the Best Surround Sound Album category renamed Best Immersive Audio Album. The same goes for the Field to which it belongs. The change reflects evolving technology, new formats, and current industry trends, practices, and language."
On November 24, 2020, during the announcement of the nominations for the 63rd Grammy Awards, to be presented on January 31, 2021, the Recording Academy said there would be no winner or nominees in this category that year. "Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Best Immersive Audio Album Craft Committee was unable to meet. The judging of the entries in this category has been postponed until such time that we are able to meet in a way that is appropriate to judge the many formats and configurations of the entries and is safe for the committee members. The nominations for the 63rd Grammy's will be announced next year in addition to the 64th Grammy nominations in the category", the Academy stated. On November 23, 2021, at the presentation of the nominations for the 64th Grammy Awards, the nominations for the previous year were finally announced. The winning recording was announced on the 64th Annual Grammy Awards ceremony.
Winners and nominees
Legend:† = Surround Mastering Engineer
‡ = Surround Producer
| Year | Recipients | Work | Performing artist | Nominees Performers are in parentheses | Ref. |
| 2005 | Al Schmitt*, Robert Hadley & Doug Sax†, John Burk, Phil Ramone & Herbert Waltl‡ | Genius Loves Company | Ray Charles & Various Artists | ||
| 2006 | Chuck Ainlay*, Bob Ludwig†, Chuck Ainlay & Mark Knopfler‡ | Brothers In Arms - 20th Anniversary Edition | Dire Straits | ||
| 2007 | Elliot Scheiner*, Darcy Proper†, Donald Fagen‡ | Morph the Cat | Donald Fagen | ||
| 2008 | Paul Hicks*, Tim Young†, George Martin & Giles Martin‡ | Love | The Beatles | ||
| 2009 | Michael Bishop*†, Robert Woods‡ | Mussorgsky: Pictures At An Exhibition; Night On Bald Mountain; Prelude To Khovanshchina | Paavo Järvi & Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra | ||
| 2010 | Michael Bishop*†, Elaine Martone‡ | Transmigration | Robert Spano & The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra & Choruses | ||
| 2011 | Keith O. Johnson*†, David Frost‡ | Britten's Orchestra | Michael Stern & Kansas City Symphony | ||
| 2012 | Elliot Scheiner*, Bob Ludwig†, Bill Levenson & Elliot Scheiner‡ | Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs | Derek & The Dominos | ||
| 2013 | Jim Anderson*, Darcy Proper†, Michael Friedman‡ | Modern Cool | Patricia Barber | ||
| 2014 | Al Schmitt* & Tommy LiPuma‡ | Live Kisses | Paul McCartney | ||
| 2015 | Elliot Scheiner, Tom Coyne, Beyoncé Knowles | Beyoncé | Beyoncé | ||
| 2016 | James Guthrie & Joel Plante | Amused To Death | Roger Waters | ||
| 2017 | Alexander Lipay*, Dmitriy Lipay*†‡ | Dutilleux: Sur le Même Accord; Les Citations; Mystères de l'Instant & Timbres, Espace, Mouvement | Ludovic Morlot & the Seattle Symphony | ||
| 2018 | Jim Anderson*Darcy Proper†/Jim Anderson & Jane Ira Bloom‡ | Early Americans | Jane Ira Bloom | ||
| 2019 | Alan Parsons*†‡, Dave Donnelly†, P.J. Olsson† | Eye in the Sky - 35th Anniversary Edition | Alan Parsons Project | ||
| 2020 | Morten Lindberg*†‡ | Lux | Anita Brevik, the Trondheimsolistene & the Nidarosdomens Jentekor | ||
| 2021 | Leslie Ann Jones*, Michael Romanowski†, Dan Merceruio‡ | Soundtrack of the American Soldier | Jim R. Keene & the United States Army Field Band | ||
| 2022 | George Massenburg & Eric Schilling*, Michael Romanowski†, Ann Mincieli‡ | Alicia | Alicia Keys | ||
| 2023 | Eric Schilling*; Stewart Copeland, Ricky Kej & Herbert Waltl‡ | Divine Tides | Stewart Copeland & Ricky Kej | ||
| 2024 | George Massenburg & Eric Schilling*; Michael Romanowski†; Alicia Keys & Ann Mincieli‡ | The Diary of Alicia Keys | Alicia Keys | ||
| 2025 | Hans-Martin Buff* & Peter Gabriel‡ | i/o | Peter Gabriel | ||
| 2026 | Winners TBA on 1 February 2026 |
Legend:
† = Surround Mastering Engineer
‡ = Surround Producer