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Every Grammys Best Folk Album winner

14 ceremonies, 2012–2025. 13 different winners.

Best Folk Album was first awarded in 2012, so it does not run the full 2000–2025 window.

It took over from Best Traditional Folk Album and Best Contemporary Folk Album.

Gillian Welch and David Rawlings ×2
One band per year, because no winner has gone back-to-back in the years on record. Colored by label; scroll sideways for the full run.
The Civil Wars'12
Yo-Yo Ma, Stuart Duncan, Edgar Meyer and Chris Thile'13
Guy Clark'14
Old Crow Medicine Show'15
Béla Fleck and Abigail Washburn'16
Sarah Jarosz'17
Aimee Mann'18
Punch Brothers'19
Patty Griffin'20
Gillian Welch and David Rawlings'21
Rhiannon Giddens with Francesco Turrisi'22
Madison Cunningham'23
Joni Mitchell'24
Gillian Welch and David Rawlings'25
Wins by label
  1. Warner321%
  2. Acony214%
  3. Independent214%
  4. Dualtone17%
  5. PGM17%
  6. sensibility17%
  7. Other429%

Who kept losing

Counting nominations in this category only, 2012–2025.

Most nominated, never won

  • Aoife O'Donovan2 noms
  • Dom Flemons2 noms
  • Laura Marling2 noms
  • Rhiannon Giddens2 noms
  • The Milk Carton Kids2 noms
  • The Secret Sisters2 noms

Most losses

  • Aoife O'Donovan2L · 0W
  • Dom Flemons2L · 0W
  • Laura Marling2L · 0W
  • Rhiannon Giddens2L · 0W
  • Sarah Jarosz2L · 1W
  • The Milk Carton Kids2L · 0W

The full list

YearWinnerLabel
2025Gillian Welch and David Rawlings (Woodland)
beat 4 others
  • Aoife O'Donovan (All My Friends)
  • American Patchwork Quartet (American Patchwork Quartet)
  • Adrianne Lenker (Bright Future)
  • Madi Diaz (Weird Faith)
Acony
2024Joni Mitchell (At Newport (Live))unverified
beat 6 others
  • Nickel Creek (Celebrants)
  • Rufus Wainwright (Folkocracy)
  • The Milk Carton Kids (I Only See the Moon)
  • Old Crow Medicine Show (Jubilee)
  • Paul Simon (Seven Psalms)
  • Dom Flemons (Traveling Wildfire)
Rhino
2023Madison Cunningham (Revealer)
beat 4 others
  • Aoife O'Donovan (Age of Apathy)
  • Punch Brothers (Hell on Church Street)
  • Janis Ian (The Light at the End of the Line)
  • Judy Collins (Spellbound)
Verve Forecast
2022Rhiannon Giddens with Francesco Turrisi (They're Calling Me Home)
beat 4 others
  • Sarah Jarosz (Blue Heron Suite)
  • Tyler Childers (Long Violent History)
  • Mary Chapin Carpenter (One Night Lonely (Live))
  • Madison Cunningham (Wednesday (Extended Version))
Nonesuch
2021Gillian Welch and David Rawlings (All the Good Times (Are Past & Gone))
beat 4 others
  • Bonny Light Horseman (Bonny Light Horseman)
  • Laura Marling (Song for Our Daughter)
  • The Secret Sisters (Saturn Return)
  • Leonard Cohen (Thanks for the Dance)
Acony
2020Patty Griffin (Patty Griffin)
beat 4 others
  • Gregory Alan Isakov (Evening Machines)
  • Joy Williams (Front Porch)
  • Andrew Bird (My Finest Work Yet)
  • Che Apalache (Rearrange My Heart)
PGM/Thirty Tigers
2019Punch Brothers (All Ashore)
beat 4 others
  • Dom Flemons (Black Cowboys)
  • Mary Gauthier (Rifles & Rosary Beads)
  • Iron & Wine (Weed Garden)
  • Joan Baez (Whistle Down the Wind)
Nonesuch
2018Aimee Mann (Mental Illness)
beat 4 others
  • Yusuf / Cat Stevens (The Laughing Apple)
  • Offa Rex (The Queen of Hearts)
  • Laura Marling (Semper Femina)
  • The Secret Sisters (You Don't Own Me Anymore)
SuperEgo
2017Sarah Jarosz (Undercurrent)
beat 4 others
  • Rhiannon Giddens (Factory Girl)
  • Judy Collins and Ari Hest (Silver Skies Blue)
  • Robbie Fulks (Upland Stories)
  • Sierra Hull (Weighted Mind)
Sugar Hill
2016Béla Fleck and Abigail Washburn (Béla Fleck & Abigail Washburn)
beat 4 others
  • Glen Hansard (Didn't He Ramble)
  • Patty Griffin (Servant of Love)
  • Rhiannon Giddens (Tomorrow Is My Turn)
  • Norman Blake (Wood, Wire & Words)
Rounder
2015Old Crow Medicine Show (Remedy)
beat 4 others
  • Alice Gerrard (Follow the Music)
  • Eliza Gilkyson (The Nocturne Diaries)
  • Jesse Winchester (A Reasonable Amount of Trouble)
  • Mike Auldridge, Jerry Douglas and Rob Ickes (Three Bells)
ATO
2014Guy Clark (My Favorite Picture of You)
beat 4 others
  • The Milk Carton Kids (The Ash & Clay)
  • Sarah Jarosz (Build Me Up From Bones)
  • The Greencards (Sweetheart of the Sun)
  • Various Artists / Chris Strachwitz (They All Played for Us: Arhoolie Records 50th Anniversary Celebration)
Dualtone
2013Yo-Yo Ma, Stuart Duncan, Edgar Meyer and Chris Thile (The Goat Rodeo Sessions)
beat 4 others
  • Ry Cooder (Election Special)
  • Carolina Chocolate Drops (Leaving Eden)
  • Luther Dickinson (Hambone's Meditations)
  • Shawn Camp and Tamara Saviano (This One's to Him: A Tribute to Guy Clark)
Sony Masterworks
2012The Civil Wars (Barton Hollow)
beat 4 others
  • Gillian Welch (The Harrow & the Harvest)
  • Fleet Foxes (Helplessness Blues)
  • Steve Earle (I'll Never Get Out of This World Alive)
  • Eddie Vedder (Ukulele Songs)
sensibility

More Grammys categories

Rock AlbumCountry AlbumAlbumRecordMale R&B VocalR&B Duo or GroupRap PerformanceRap SongMelodic RapRap/Sung Collab.Rap SoloRap Duo or GroupFemale Rap SoloMale Rap SoloAlt AlbumWorld Music AlbumAll 152 categories

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