8 Christmas Albums That Won A GRAMMY: The Muppets, B.B. King, Stephen Colbert & More

Editor's Note: This article was previously published on Dec. 25, 2017, and was updated on Dec. 23, 2024 with updated winners and nominees through the 2024 GRAMMYs.

From Bing Crosby to Mariah Carey, countless artists have delivered timeless Christmas classics to soundtrack the holiday season. And since the very first GRAMMYs ceremony in 1958 — when Stan Freberg's Green Christmas earned nods for Best Comedy Performance and Best Performance, Documentary Or Spoken Word — several of those festive works have received GRAMMY recognition.

More than 80 holiday releases have been nominated for GRAMMYs, including Charles Schulz's classic, A Charlie Brown Christmas; the star-studded video for Band Aid's charity single "Do They Know It's Christmas"; India.Arie and Stevie Wonder's jazzy duet of "Christmas Song"; Michael Bublé's beloved Christmas; and Dolly Parton's third holiday LP, A Holly Dolly Christmas. Spanning genres from children's music to jazz and bluegrass to gospel, the GRAMMY-nominated holiday works have showcased the enduring appeal of festive recordings across generations and sounds.

As of the 2024 GRAMMYs, eight of those projects have taken home a golden gramophone. Take a look at all of the GRAMMY-winning Christmas albums below.

Boris Karloff, Dr. Seuss: How The Grinch Stole Christmas

Best Recording For Children (1968)

First airing in 1966, Dr. Seuss' "How The Grinch Stole Christmas" ranks as one of TV's iconic holiday specials of all time. Known for his acting roles in horror films such as Frankenstein (1931) and The Mummy (1932), Boris Karloff provided the festive voice-over work for not only the TV special but the album audio companion that ultimately took Best Recording For Children honors for 1967.

With his rich, distinguished baritone, the Englishman voiced many children's stories, including Three Little Pigs, Mother Goose Nursery Rhymes and The Hunting Of The Snark. But it was his Grinch-like work on the Dr. Seuss Christmas classic that hatched his lone career GRAMMY win.

Larnelle Harris, Christmas

Best Gospel Performance, Male (1989)

Perhaps best known for his GRAMMY-winning hit with Sandi Patti, "More Than Wonderful," gospel artist Larnelle Harris has Christmas to thank for his fifth career GRAMMY. The Kentucky-born singer/songwriter took home Best Gospel Performance, Male for his 1988 holiday album, Christmas, at the 31st GRAMMY Awards.

The album features covers of classics such as "Silent Night," "O Holy Night" and "Go Tell It On The Mountain" sung in Harris' signature smooth tenor voice. "You know there are just some things that make Christmas very special," Harris said to introduce a performance of "The Christmas Song/Silver Bells." "One of the things is the music." He sure delivered on the music.

Take 6, He Is Christmas

Best Jazz Vocal Performance (1992)

Their combination of a cappella jazz with soul gospel has taken Take 6 to eight GRAMMY wins out of 19 nominations, including their win for Best Jazz Vocal Performance for their first holiday album, He Is Christmas, at the 34th GRAMMY Awards. Christmas caroling about singing angels establishes the desirable festive connection to season's blessings, made more credible by the group's excellent delivery. All it takes is one listen and Take 6 will encourage even the biggest Christmas cynic to believe.

Shirley Caesar, Christmas With Shirley Caesar

Best Traditional Soul Gospel Album (2000)

Newly minted Recording Academy Lifetime Achievement Award honoree Shirley Caesar's career as the "First Lady of Gospel Music" has seen her take home Best Traditional Soul Gospel Album five times. One of those five trips to the podium was for her celebratory 1998 holiday album, Christmas With Shirley Caesar.

Featuring a balanced mix of traditional Christmas favorites such as "It Came Upon A Midnight Clear," "Do You Hear What I Hear" and "We Three Kings Of Orient Are" alongside original holiday gospel songs such as "The Gift" and "What Are You Going To Name Your Baby," the album made for a triumphant follow-up to the 11-time GRAMMY winner's highly acclaimed previous holiday album, 1986's Christmasing.

B.B. King, A Christmas Celebration Of Hope

Best Traditional Blues Album (2003)

B.B. King's ability to squeeze more emotion and feeling out of a single note than most guitar players can achieve in a lifetime is on full display on this, his 39th album of his career and sole Christmas album. The collection features King's blues-based takes on holiday classics such as "Back Door Santa," "Please Come Home For Christmas" and "Blue Decorations." The album won Best Traditional Blues Album at the 45th GRAMMY Awards, and its closing song, "Auld Lang Syne," nabbed another golden gramophone for Best Pop Instrumental Performance.

The Muppets, A Green And Red Christmas

Best Musical Album For Children (2008)

Expanding Jim Henson's legacy, the Muppets' A Green And Red Christmas presents the iconic star's cast of furry friends in high holiday form. Cute voices and spirited spins on well-known Christmas songs and themes helped the LP capture Best Musical Album For Children at the 50th GRAMMY Awards. Fun for any family Christmas get-together, Miss Piggy singing "Santa Baby," Pepe the King Prawn leading "Merry Christmas Baby" and Kermit the Frog crooning "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas" especially put the A in adorable.

Stephen Colbert, A Colbert Christmas: The Greatest Gift Of All

Best Comedy Album (2010)

Add a dash of irreverence to your holiday listening lineup with "Late Show" host Stephen Colbert. On A Colbert Christmas: The Greatest Gift Of All, which won Best Comedy Album at the 52nd GRAMMY Awards, Colbert celebrates the season with satirical holiday anthems such as "Another Christmas Song," "Nutmeg," and "Can I Interest You In Hannukah?"

The deadpan demeanor his fans have come to expect from his dry-humored monologues and tongue-in-cheek interviews is in full effect on this album. Best of all, he enlists a star-studded lineup of guest artists, including fellow GRAMMY winners Elvis Costello, John Legend, Jon Stewart, and Willie Nelson, plus GRAMMY nominees Feist and Toby Keith.

Chanticleer, Chanticleer Sings Christmas

Best Engineered Album, Classical (2022)

Renowned for their pristine harmonies and breathtaking interpretations, San Francisco ensemble Chanticleer brought their unique artistry to the holiday season with Chanticleer Sings Christmas. The album showcases a masterful blend of traditional carols and contemporary arrangements, elevated by impeccable sound engineering that earned it the GRAMMY for Best Engineered Album, Classical at the 2022 GRAMMYs. Featuring tracks like "Ave Maria" and "O Magnum Mysterium," the ensemble delivers a moving and immersive listening experience that captures the beauty and wonder of the season.

This article features contributions from Tim McPhate, Renée Fabian, Philip Merrill, Brian Haack, Nate Hertweck, Nina Frazier and Taylor Weatherby.