The 23rd Grammy Awards were held in 1981, and were broadcast live on American television. They recognized accomplishments by musicians from the year 1980.

Award winners:

• Record of the Year
  • Michael Omartian (producer) & Christopher Cross for "Sailing"

• Album of the Year
  • Michael Omartian (producer) & Christopher Cross for Christopher Cross

• Song of the Year
  • Christopher Cross for "Sailing"

• Best New Artist
  • Christopher Cross

Children's

• Best Recording for Children
  • David Levine & Lucy Simon (producers) for In Harmony/A Sesame Street Record performed by various artists

Classical

• Best Classical Orchestral Recording
  • Raymond Minshull (producer), Georg Solti (conductor) & the Chicago Symphony Orchestra for Bruckner: Symphony No. 6 in A
• Best Classical Vocal Soloist Performance
  • Henry Lewis (conductor), Leontyne Price & the Philharmonia Orchestra for Prima Donna, Vol. 5 - Great Soprano Arias From Handel to Britten
• Best Opera Recording
  • Gunther Breest , Michael Horwath (producers), Pierre Boulez (conductor), Toni Blankenheim , Franz Mazura , Yvonne Minton, Teresa Stratas & the Orchestre de l'Opera de Paris for Berg: Lulu
• Best Choral Performance, Classical
  • Carlo Maria Giulini (conductor), Norbert Balatsch (chorus master) & the Philharmonia Orchestra & Chorus for Mozart: Requiem
• Best Classical Performance- Instrumental Soloist or Soloists (with orchestra)
  • Bernard Haitink (conductor), Itzhak Perlman, Mstislav Rostropovich & the Concertgebouw Orchestra for Brahms: Violin and Cello Concerto in A Minor (Double Concerto)
  • Seiji Ozawa (conductor), Itzhak Perlman & the Boston Symphony Orchestra for Berg: Violin Concerto/Stravinsky: Violin Concerto in D
• Best Classical Performance - Instrumental Soloist or Soloists (without orchestra)
  • Itzhak Perlman for The Spanish Album
• Best Chamber Music Performance
  • Itzhak Perlman & Pinchas Zukerman for Music for Two Violins (Moszkowski: Suite For Two Violins/Shostakovich: Duets/Prokofiev: Sonata for Two Violins)
• Best Classical Album
  • Gunther Breest , Michael Horwath (producers), Pierre Boulez (conductor), Toni Blankenheim , Franz Mazura , Yvonne Minton, Teresa Stratas, & the Orchestre de l'Opera de Paris for Berg: Lulu

Comedy

• Best Comedy Recording
  • Rodney Dangerfield for No Respect

Composing and arranging

• Best Instrumental Composition
  • John Williams (composer) for The Empire Strikes Back
• Best Album of Original Score Written for a Motion Picture or a Television Special
  • John Williams (composer) for The Empire Strikes Back
• Best Instrumental Arrangement
  • Jerry Hey & Quincy Jones (arrangers) for "Dinorah, Dinorah" performed by George Benson
• Best Arrangement Accompanying Vocalist(s)
  • Christopher Cross & Michael Omartian (arrangers) for "Sailing" performed by Christopher Cross
• Best Arrangement for Voices
  • Janis Siegel (arranger) for "Birdland" performed by The Manhattan Transfer

Country

• Best Country Vocal Performance, Female
  • Anne Murray for "Could I Have This Dance?"
• Best Country Vocal Performance, Male
  • George Jones for "He Stopped Loving Her Today"
• Best Country Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group
  • Emmylou Harris & Roy Orbison for "That Lovin' You Feelin' Again"
• Best Country Instrumental Performance
  • Gilley's Urban Cowboy Band for "Orange Blossom Special/Hoedown"
• Best Country Song
  • Willie Nelson (songwriter) for "On the Road Again"

Folk

• Best Ethnic or Traditional Recording
  • Norman Dayron (producer) for Rare Blues performed by various artists

Gospel

• Best Gospel Performance, Traditional
  • Blackwood Brothers for We Come to Worship
• Best Gospel Performance, Contemporary or Inspirational
  • The Archers , Cynthia Clawson , Andrae Crouch, Tramaine Hawkins , Walter Hawkins , Dony McGuire , Reba Rambo & B.J. Thomas for The Lord's Prayer
• Best Soul Gospel Performance, Traditional
  • James Cleveland & the Charles Fold Singers for Lord, Let Me Be an Instrument
• Best Soul Gospel Performance, Contemporary
  • Shirley Caesar for Rejoice
• Best Inspirational Performance
  • Debby Boone for With My Song I Will Praise Him

Historical

• Best Historical Reissue Album
  • Keith Hardwick (producer) for Segovia - The EMI Recordings 1927-39

Jazz

• Best Jazz Vocal Performance, Female
  • Ella Fitzgerald for A Perfect Match - Ella and Basie
• Best Jazz Vocal Performance, Male
  • George Benson for "Moody's Mood"
• Best Jazz Instrumental Performance, Soloist
  • Bill Evans for I Will Say Goodbye
• Best Instrumental Jazz Performance, Group
  • Bill Evans for We Will Meet Again
• Best Instrumental Jazz Performance, Big Band
  • Count Basie for On the Road
• Best Jazz Fusion Performance, Vocal or Instrumental
  • The Manhattan Transfer for "Birdland"

Latin

• Best Latin Recording
  • Cal Tjader for La Onda Va Bien

Musical Show

• Best Cast Show Album
  • Andrew Lloyd Webber (producer and composer), Tim Rice (producer and lyricist) & the original cast with Patti Lupone & Mandy Patinkin for Evita - Premier American Recording

Packaging and Notes

• Best Album Package
  • Roy Kohara (art director) for Against the Wind performed by Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band
• Best Album Notes
  • David McClintick (notes writer) for Trilogy: Past, Present and Future performed by Frank Sinatra

Pop

• Best Pop Vocal Performance, Female
  • Bette Midler for "The Rose"
• Best Pop Vocal Performance, Male
  • Kenny Loggins for "This Is It"
• Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal
  • Barbra Streisand & Barry Gibb for "Guilty"
• Best Pop Instrumental Performance
  • Bob James & Earl Klugh for One on One

Production and engineering

• Best Engineered Recording, Non-Classical
  • James Guthrie (engineer) for The Wall performed by Pink Floyd
• Best Engineered Recording, Classical
  • Karl-August Naegler (engineer), Pierre Boulez (conductor) & the Orchestre de l'Opera de Paris for Berg: Lulu (Complete Version)
• Producer of the Year, (Non-Classical)
  • Phil Ramone
• Classical Producer of the Year
  • Robert Woods

R&B

• Best R&B Vocal Performance, Female
  • Stephanie Mills for "Never Knew Love Like This Before"
• Best R&B Vocal Performance, Male
  • George Benson for Give Me the Night
• Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal
  • The Manhattans for "Shining Star"
• Best R&B Instrumental Performance
  • George Benson for "Off Broadway "
• Best Rhythm & Blues Song
  • James Mtume & Reggie Lucas (songwriters) for "Never Knew Love Like This Before" performed by Stephanie Mills

Rock

• Best Rock Vocal Performance, Female
  • Pat Benatar for Crimes of Passion
• Best Rock Vocal Performance, Male
  • Billy Joel for Glass Houses
• Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal
  • Bob Seger & the Silver Bullet Band for Against the Wind
• Best Rock Instrumental Performance
  • The Police for "Reggatta de Blanc"

Spoken

• Best Spoken Word, Documentary or Drama Recording
  • Pat Carroll for Gertrude Stein, Gertrude Stein, Gertrude Stein