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A visual history · Grammys

The winners who defined Children's Musical.

18 ceremonies, 1994–2011. 11 different winners. The longest run belongs to Various artists, with 2 straight wins.

Who won most recently?
Pete Seeger in 2011 for Tomorrow's Children.
Who has won the most?
Various artists, 7 wins (1994, 1995, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2005, 2006).
  1. Tomorrow's ChildrenPete Seeger
  2. Family TimeZiggy Marley
  3. Here Come the 123sThey Might Be Giants
  4. The Muppets: A Green and Red ChristmasThe Muppets
  5. Catch That Train!Dan Zanes and Friends
  6. Songs from the Neighborhood: The Music of Mister RogersVarious artists
Years explored
1994–2011
Different winners
11
Category leader
Various artists · 7
About this record

Best Musical Album for Children was first awarded in 1994, so it does not run the full 1959–2025 window.

It was awarded for the last time in 2011.

From 2012 the Grammys awarded Best Children's Music Album instead.

2000–2011

12 ceremonies

19942011

01 / The reigns

Various artists set the longest run.

The timeline turns the 2000–2011 record into a sequence of reigns. Longer bands reveal sustained runs; color shows the credited label.

  1. 01
    Various artists4 wins
  2. 02
    Riders in the Sky2 wins
Each band is one winner’s reign. Wider means a longer run. Colored by label; hover for details.
Various artists'00
Riders in the Sky'01
Various artists'02
Riders in the Sky'03
Cathy Fink & Marcy Marxer'04
Various artists'05–'06×2
Dan Zanes and Friends'07
The Muppets'08
They Might Be Giants'09
Ziggy Marley'10
Pete Seeger'11

02 / The power map

Who stood behind the winners?

Walt Disney leads the recorded label credits with 3 wins, 2000–2011. The full distribution shows whether power was concentrated or shared.

Walt Disney3 wins
Appleseed Recordings1 win
Disney Sound1 win
Festival Five Records1 win
Smithsonian Folkways1 win
Sony1 win
Wins by label
  1. Walt Disney333%
  2. Appleseed Recordings111%
  3. Disney Sound111%
  4. Festival Five Records111%
  5. Smithsonian Folkways111%
  6. Sony111%
  7. Other111%

3 further wins have no label on record and are not counted in the 9 above.

3 of these 12 wins have no label on record, so the chart covers the other 9.

03 / The near misses

The names that kept coming back without the ending they wanted.

Counting nominations in this category only, 2000–2011. Excludes 9 nominations credited to various artists, which names a compilation rather than an act.

Most nominated, never won this award

  1. 01
    Trout Fishing In America
    4 noms
  2. 02
    Beethoven's Wig
    3 noms
  3. 03
    Tom Chapin
    3 noms
  4. 04
    Ella Jenkins
    2 noms
  5. 05
    Sweet Honey in the Rock
    2 noms
  6. 06
    Tom Paxton
    2 noms

Most losses in this category

  1. 01
    Trout Fishing In America
    4L · 0W
  2. 02
    Beethoven's Wig
    3L · 0W
  3. 03
    Cathy Fink & Marcy Marxer
    3L · 1W
  4. 04
    Tom Chapin
    3L · 0W
  5. 05
    Ella Jenkins
    2L · 0W
  6. 06
    Sweet Honey in the Rock
    2L · 0W

04 / The archive

Every year.
Every winner.

The complete reference behind the story, showing 2000–2011. Open any year to see the rest of the field when nominee records are available.

YearWinnerLabel
2011Pete Seeger (Tomorrow's Children)
beat 4 others
  • They Might Be Giants (Here Comes Science)
  • Justin Roberts (Jungle Gym)
  • Battersby Duo (Sunny Days)
  • Judy Pancoast (Weird Things Are Everywhere!)
Appleseed Recordings
2010Ziggy Marley (Family Time)
beat 5 others
  • Jonathan Sprout (American Heroes #3)
  • Cathy Fink & Marcy Marxer with Christylez Bacon (Banjo To Beatbox)
  • Milkshake (Great Day)
  • Greg & Steve (Jumpin' & Jammin)
  • Buck Howdy (Pete Seeger Tribute: Ageless Kids' Songs)
Tuff Gong
2009They Might Be Giants (Here Come the 123s)
beat 4 others
  • Beethoven's Wig (Beethoven's Wig 4: Dance Along Symphonies)
  • Trout Fishing In America (Big Round World)
  • Brady Rymer And The Little Band That Could (Here Comes Brady Rymer And The Little Band That Could)
  • Gerard Schwarz conducting the Seattle Symphony (The Shoe Bird)
Disney Sound/Idlewild
2008The Muppets (The Muppets: A Green and Red Christmas)
beat 5 others
  • Buck Howdy with BB (Chickens)
  • Sweet Honey in the Rock (Experience...101)
  • Bill Harley (I Wanna Play)
  • Peter Himmelman (My Green Kite)
  • various artists (The Velveteen Rabbit - Love Can Make You Real)
Walt Disney
2007Dan Zanes and Friends (Catch That Train!)
beat 4 others
  • Various Artists (Baby Einstein Meet The Orchestra)
  • Beethoven's Wig (Beethoven's Wig 3: Many More Sing Along Symphonies)
  • Trout Fishing In America (My Best Day)
  • John Lithgow (The Sunny Side of the Street)
Festival Five Records
2006Various artists (Songs from the Neighborhood: The Music of Mister Rogers)repeat
beat 4 others
  • Red Grammer (Be Bop Your Best!)
  • Ralph's World (Green Gorilla, Monster & Me)
  • Cathy Fink & Marcy Marxer (Scat Like That: A Musical Word Odyssey)
  • Tom Chapin (Some Assembly Required)
Not listed
2005Various artists (cELLAbration! A Tribute to Ella Jenkins)unverified
beat 4 others
  • Beethoven's Wig (Beethoven's Wig 2 - More Sing Along Symphonies)
  • Dan Zanes and Friends (House Party)
  • Trout Fishing In America (Merry Fishes To All)
  • Ella Jenkins (Sharing Cultures With Ella Jenkins)
Smithsonian Folkways
2004Cathy Fink & Marcy Marxer (Bon Appétit!)
beat 4 others
  • Ilene Graff (Baby's Broadway Lullabies)
  • Tom Chapin (Making Good Noise)
  • various artists (Philadelphia Chickens)
  • Tom Paxton (When Bullfrogs Croak)
Not listed
2003Riders in the Sky (Monsters, Inc. Scream Factory Favorites)
beat 4 others
  • Richard Perlmutter (Beethoven's Wig - Sing Along Symphonies)
  • Various Artists (Big Songs For Little Kids - I Feel Like Praising)
  • Cathy Fink & Marcy Marxer (Pocket Full Of Stardust)
  • Tom Paxton (Your Shoes, My Shoes)
Walt Disney
2002Various artists (Elmo & the Orchestra)
beat 4 others
  • Cathy Fink & Marcy Marxer with Brave Combo (All Wound Up! A Family Music Party)
  • Keb' Mo' (Big Wide Grin)
  • Trout Fishing in America (InFINity)
  • Georgia S. Lucking (Little House Of Music Level 1 Package)
Sony
2001Riders in the Sky (Woody's Roundup: A Rootin' Tootin' Collection of Woody's Favorite Songs)
beat 4 others
  • Kenny Loggins (More Songs from Pooh Corner)
  • Cathy Fink & Marcy Marxer (Pillow Full Of Wishes)
  • Sweet Honey in the Rock (Still The Same Me)
  • Tom Chapin (This Pretty Planet)
Walt Disney
2000Various artists (The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland)repeat
beat 5 others
  • Various Artists (A Bug's Life Sing-Along)
  • Dinorock (Dreamosaurus)
  • Ella Jenkins (Ella Jenkins And A Union Of Friends Pulling Together)
  • John McCutcheon (John McCutcheon's Four Seasons: Springsongs)
  • Mannheim Steamroller (Mannheim Steamroller Meets the Mouse)
Not listed