They say you shouldn't judge a book by its cover, but when it comes to an album, what's on the outside can be just as important and culturally impactful as the found music within.
For the 68th Grammy Awards, set to take place on February 1, new categories have been added as the music industry continues to evolve. For instance, following Beyonce's historic win for Best Country Album for COWBOY CARTER at the 2025 Grammy Awards, the ceremony has now split the category into two parts: Best Traditional Country Album and Best Contemporary Country Album.
Additionally, as digital music and streaming platforms continue to rise, the Grammys have added another new category for this year's awards: Best Album Cover. Following the cultural phenomenon that was Charli XCX's brat, the music industry realized just how much an album's artwork can impact popular culture, fashion, film, social media trends, and more.
A brief history of the Grammy Award for Best Album Cover
While the Grammy Award for Best Album Cover is set to be presented for the first time this year, the concept itself isn't exactly new to the Grammys. From 1959 to 1961, the Grammy Award for Best Album Cover was bestowed, with Frank Sinatra's Frank Sinatra Sings For Only the Lonely being the first to ever take home the award.
From 1962 to 1965, the award was split into two divisions, Classical and Non-classical, and then was split into Graphic Arts and Photography divisions from 1966 to 1968. The award went back to simply Best Album Cover in 1969, until being renamed Best Album Package in 1974. It remained Best Album Package for nearly twenty years before being rebranded as Best Recording Package in 1994.
The following year, boxed sets were deemed no longer eligible for the Best Recording Package award, and were made into their own separate award: Grammy Award for Best Boxed or Special Limited Edition package. The Grammy Award for Best Recording Package aims to recognize the complete "visual representation" of an album, and is not limited to just the album's cover.
In 2025, while streaming continued to rise, so did the popularity of physical media. Vinyl, cassette, and CD sales have skyrocketed in recent years, continuing to show just how much music fans gravitate towards owning physical copies of their favorite albums, whether it's Aerosmith's Toys In The Attic or Sabrina Carpenter's Man's Best Friend.
Regarding the addition of the Best New Album Cover award for the 2026 Grammys, Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr says, "In today's digital world, album covers are arguably more impactful than ever. Chances are, there's an iconic cover that's instantly recognizable to you, even if you never owned the physical album. Their cultural significance is undeniable."
He adds, "That's one of the reasons members of the art director community and our Awards & Nominations members felt this Category was necessary. The Packaging Field has always thrived, but we expect this to be one of our most inclusive Categories to date."
This year's nominees for Best Album Cover
Nearly 50 years after the category was renamed to Best Recording Package, the Grammy Award for Best Album Cover is making its triumphant return. The award will be presented to the art director of the respective album.
This year's nominated album covers are Chromakopia by Tyler, The Creator (Tyler Okonma); The Crux by Djo (Jake Hirshland, Joe Keery, Neil Krug, Taylor Vandergift & William Wesley II); Debí Tirar Más Fotos by Bad Bunny (Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio); Glory by Perfume Genius (Cody Critcheloe & Andrew J.S.); and Moisturizer by Wet Leg (Iris Luz, Lava La Rue & Rhian Teasdale).
The best Grammy-winning album covers
With this exciting new category soon upon us, and a definitive winner soon to be awarded next month, its worth looking back on some of the most iconic Grammy Award-winning album covers in history.
Frank Sinatra Sings For Only The Lonely (1958) -- Frank Sinatra
Sinatra's album of yearning and lost love was the first to ever win the Grammy for Best Album Cover -- and rightfully so. The front cover, painted by Nicholas Volpe, portrays Sinatra as a clown with a single tear running down his cheek. On the back cover is an aerial view sketch of a lamp post.
While the album itself is fueled by deep heartbreak and unrequited romance, the story goes that when Sinatra was once asked which album was his favorite, his answer was Only The Lonely -- without question.
The Barbra Streisand Album (1963) -- Barbra Streisand
In 1964, Barbra Streisand's debut full-length album won the Grammy Award for Best Album Cover in the non-classical division, which was presented to the album's art director John Berg. Berg was nominated for a total of 26 Grammys, taking home several for Best Album Cover and Best Album Package -- some of which can be found further down in this list.
Revolver (1966) -- The Beatles
The Beatles' groundbreaking and experimental Revolver took home the Grammy for Best Album Cover - Graphic Arts in 1967. Widely considered to be one of the greatest, most innovative, and most impactful albums in the history of modern music, Revolver marked a stark musical shift for The Beatles, with many considering the album as the start of the band's psychedelic era.
To amplify the band's strong sonic shift, German bassist, artist, and longtime friend Klaus Voorman wanted to create an album cover that matched this change. Using photos taken by famed Beatles photographer Robert Freeman, Voorman illustrated these photos, pulling inspiration from artist Aubrey Beardsley.
Undoubtedly, Voorman's unconventional album cover went hand-in-hand with The Beatles' musical direction at the time, resulting in the kind of album that a band can only create once in a lifetime.
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967) -- The Beatles
That being said, The Beatles and their knack for culturally significant album covers didn't stop there. The following year, The Beatles were fully immersed in their psychedelic period, releasing Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band.
Pulling inspiration from their childhoods, counterculture, and art, Sgt. Peppers is widely regarded by scholars as one of the first concept albums, as well as one of the first albums to be considered art rock or prog rock.
The album's cover, put together by Peter Blake and Jann Haworth, is widely recognized, even if you aren't a diehard Beatles expert. Portraying the band in costume as Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, The Beatles are shown to be surrounded by cardboard cutouts of famous actors, writers, and musicians, as well as wax figures of The Beatles themselves borrowed from Madame Tussauds.
For the time, the album cover -- which featured 57 collage images and nine waxwork figures -- was incredibly expensive to produce. While something around £50 was the standard cost for an album cover, Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band cost a whopping £3,000, or around £48,000 ($65,000) in 2025.
Bob Dylan's Greatest Hits (1967) -- Bob Dylan
While Sgt. Pepper's took the Album Cover Grammy for Graphic Arts in 1968, Bob Dylan's Greatest Hits was bestowed the Grammy for Best Album Cover - Photography that year. The album cover, featuring a photo of Bob Dylan taken by Rowland Scherman at Dylan's concert on November 28, 1965, in Washington, D.C., was orchestrated by Berg, who was the Capitol Records art director.
Berg recognized that Dylan's distinct silhouette and hair would be instantly recognizable, and a similar image was used for his second greatest hits album, Bob Dylan's Greatest Hits Vol. II, in 1971.
Indianola Mississippi Seeds (1970) -- B.B. King
Winning the Grammy Award for Best Album Package, which was bestowed upon photographer Ivan Nagy and cover designer Robert Lockhart, the album package coincides with the album's overall homage to B.B. King's upbringing and childhood.
Featuring a copy of King's birth certificate with Indianola registration, the album's liner notes also include a note that says, "Congratulations Albert and Nora on your son Riley, September 16, 1925."
Honey (1975) -- Ohio Players
Not many know that the Ohio Players won the Grammy for Best Album Package for what is widely considered to be their best album, but many people have heard about the urban legend that surrounds it.
Following the release of their album Honey, many listeners surmised that model Ester Cordet was severely burned by the honey she is seen holding on the cover. Other versions of the rumor allege that she was stabbed to death in the recording studio, and her screams can be heard on the song "Love Rollercoaster."
However, this story has since been debunked, and the urban legend certainly didn't impede on the album's success. The album went to No. 2 on the Billboard 200 Charts, and art director Jim Ladwig received the Grammy for Best Album Package.
Against the Wind (1980) -- Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band
Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band's Against the Wind earned two Grammy Awards in 1981: Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal and Best Recording Package. Capitol Records art director Roy Kohara chose Jim Warren to paint the album's cover, as he had previously done work painting covers for books, movies, and albums.
After years of dreaming of painting album covers, Warren painted his first in 1978 for The Billy Cobham-George Duke Band. Soon after, Capitol Records wanted him to paint the cover for Against the Wind. They told Warren that they wanted horses on the album cover, and Warren, feeling hesitant from never having painted horses before, decided to overcome his fear.
Warren won the Grammy Award, and from then on, continued to incorporate horses into his paintings and still does so to this day.
Tattoo You (1981) -- The Rolling Stones
The album that truly brought The Rolling Stones into the 1980s. While the making of Tattoo You was a bit bumpy due to in-band fighting and the rush to release a new album before going out on tour, the record still topped the charts and remains a highlight within the band's discography.
The album itself contains no new material, consisting only of previously unused songs taken from the band's vaults. However, Tattoo You -- namely through the hit "Start Me Up" -- was heavily praised upon release, with many critics calling the album a return to form for The Rolling Stones.
The album's cover, put together by Peter Corriston and Hubert Kretzschmar, is a portrait photo of Mick Jagger with a heavily tattooed profile. Contrary to popular belief, the photo is in fact of Jagger, not an unknown female model.
She's So Unusual (1983) -- Cyndi Lauper
Right from the start, Cyndi Lauper defined herself as one of the most definitive pop stars of the '80s and one of the most iconic musical stars in modern pop culture. Her debut solo album, She's So Unusual, established Lauper as unconventional, spunky, and undeniably talented.
After the world was introduced to Lauper through groundbreaking hits like "She Bop," "All Through The Night," "Time After Time," and "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun," Lauper took home two Grammy Awards in 1985: Best New Artist and Best Recording Package.
The photo on the cover was taken by Annie Leibovitz, and art director Janet Perr received the Grammy. The picture shows Lauper in her signature style, wearing an all-thrifted outfit as she struts down Coney Island.
Tutu (1986) -- Miles Davis
In 1986, Miles Davis released Tutu, a tribute album dedicated to human rights and anti-apartheid activist Archbishop Desmond Tutu. The album was greatly received, as it introduced the next generation of music listeners to the jazz genre, and Davis was given the Grammy Award for Best Jazz Instrumental Performance, Soloist.
The album also won the Grammy for Best Album Package, thanks to the cover designed by Eiko Ishioka and photographed by Irving Penn. As art director, Ishioka has bestowed the award.
Death Magnetic (2008) -- Metallica
Following their highly controversial 2003 album St. Anger, many would say that Metallica came back in full swing with Death Magnetic. Representing a new era for the band, Death Magnetic was an album of many firsts.
It was their first to include bassist Robert Trujillo, and it was their first album since ...And Justice For All (1988) to not include producer Bob Rock. Additionally, Death Magnetic established Metallica as the first band to ever achieve five consecutive number one albums on the U.S. Billboard 200.
Making a strong return to their thrash metal origins, Death Magnetic brought Metallica a total of five Grammy nominations through its intricate, fast-paced compositions and bold songwriting.
Not only did Rick Rubin take home the Producer of the Year, Non-Classical award for his work on the record, but art directors Bruce Duckworth, David Turner, and Sarah Moffat won the Grammy for Best Recording Package for the album's eerie yet striking album cover.
Brothers (2010) -- The Black Keys
Through its bold simplicity, The Black Keys' 2010 album Brothers is recognized even by those who aren't familiar with The Black Keys' work. Hoping to deviate from their signature illustrated album covers, the rock duo wanted to make a complete switch, instead opting for an album cover that was as straightforward as can be.
The cover is black, with bold lettering that reads, "This is an album by The Black Keys. The name of this album is Brothers." While their label, Nonesuch, was initially skeptical, the eye-catching album cover proved to help with both the album's physical and digital sales.
The CD is also known for being heat-sensitive; if played for long enough or if the disc is touched, the label on the CD is soon revealed. The album's ingenious packaging won the Grammy Award for Best Album Package, which was bestowed upon art director Michael Carney, brother of Black Keys drummer Patrick Carney.
Blackstar (2016) -- David Bowie
When it comes to swan songs, no artist ever has or ever will release the ultimate final album quite like David Bowie. Released on his birthday, two days before his death, in 2016, Bowie recorded Blackstar in secret while he was fighting a private battle with liver cancer. The album itself heavily explores death, and many critics and fans have considered the album to be Bowie's final goodbye to the world.
The album's cover is simultaneously simple and striking. Designed by Jonathan Barnbrook, it features a white cover with a big black star on it. Below, star fragments spell out "Bowie." Barnbrook took home the Grammy for Best Recording Package, but Blackstar won a total of five Grammy Awards.
Blackstar won the Grammy Awards for Best Alternative Album, Best Recording Package, and Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical. The album's title track also won the awards for Best Rock Song and Best Rock Performance. The album was considered by many publications to be the best of 2016, and in later years is said to be one of the greatest of the 2010s.
Masseduction (2017) -- St. Vincent
Known for both her striking visuals and addictive compositions, St. Vincent continued to expand upon her signature eclectic sound with her fifth studio album, Masseduction. Through the album's exciting visual treatment, as well as its blend of pop, glam rock, and new wave influences, Masseduction won the Grammy Award for Best Recording Package.
Art director Willo Perron received the award, crafting an album cover that perfectly encapsulates the album's hard-hitting musicality and unforgettable visual and sonic resonance.
Brat (2024) -- Charli XCX
Was Brat the album that made album covers cool again? There's no denying that Brat was more than just an album (Charli XCX's sixth, to be exact). In 2024, Brat became a cultural phenomenon. That signature lime green color was found everywhere, and the memes that arose from "Brat Summer" were truly unforgettable.
Ever social media account was deciding what was and wasn't brat -- even former Vice President Kamala Harris used the "Brat Summer" marketing to her advantage. The album brought back unrelenting, fearless electronic hyperpop, and the entire world was embracing the concept of brat. If something was brat, it was unconventional, it was sexy, it was cool. Everyone wanted to be Brat.
The album was nominated for Album of the Year, and won the Grammy Awards for Best Dance/Electronic Album and Best Recording Package. The cover, similar to previous award-winning covers before it, perhaps proves that its the simple images that make the most impact. It also proved that the cover of a record is so much more than a photo.
An album cover can represent culture, community, or an unforgettable era, whether that's for the artist or for society as a whole. So that leaves one question -- what Grammy-nominated album cover will take home the award this year?