The 29th Grammy Awards were held in 1987. They recognized accomplishments by musicians from the previous year.

Award winners:

• Record of the Year
  • Russ Titelman (producer), Steve Winwood (producer & artist) for "Higher Love"

• Album of the Year
  • Paul Simon (producer & artist) for Graceland

• Song of the Year
  • Burt Bacharach & Carole Bayer Sager (songwriters) for "That's What Friends Are For" performed by Dionne Warwick, Elton John, Gladys Knight & Stevie Wonder

• Best New Artist
  • Bruce Hornsby & the Range

Blues

• Best Traditional Blues Recording
  • Albert Collins, Johnny Copeland & Robert Cray for Showdown!

Children's

• Best Recording for Children
  • Jim Henson, Kathryn King & Geri Van Rees (producers) for The Alphabet performed by the Sesame Street cast

Classical

• Best Classical Orchestral Recording
  • Michael Haas (producer), Georg Solti (conductor) & the Chicago Symphony Orchestra for Liszt: A Faust Symphony
• Best Classical Vocal Soloist Performance
  • Andre Previn (conductor), Kathleen Battle & the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra for Kathleen Battle Sings Mozart
• Best Opera Recording
  • Elizabeth Ostrow (producer), John Mauceri (conductor), James Billings , Joyce Castle , Maris Clement , David Eisler , Jack Harrold , John Lankston , Erie Mills , Scott Reeve & the New York City Opera Orchestra for Bernstein: Candide
• Best Choral Performance (other than opera)
  • James Levine (conductor), Margaret Hillis (choir director) & the Chicago Symphony Orchestra & Chorus for Orff: Carmina Burana
• Best Classical Performance - Instrumental Soloist or Soloists (with or without orchestra)
  • Vladimir Horowitz for Horowitz - The Studio Recordings, New York 1985
• Best Chamber Music Performance
  • Emanuel Ax & Yo-Yo Ma for Beethoven: Cello and Piano Sonata No. 4 in C & Variations
• Best Contemporary Composition
  • Witold Lutoslawski (composer) & Esa-Pekka Salonen (conductor) for Lutoslawski: Symphony No. 3
• Best Classical Album
  • Thomas Frost (producer) & Vladimir Horowitz for Horowitz - The Studio Recordings, New York 1985

Comedy

• Best Comedy Recording
  • Bill Cosby for Those of You With or Without Children, You'll Understand

Composing and arranging

• Best Instrumental Composition
  • John Barry (composer) for Out of Africa
• Best Arrangement on an Instrumental
  • Patrick Williams (arranger) for "Suite Memories" performed by Bill Watrous & Patrick Williams
• Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocals
  • David Foster (arranger) for "Somewhere" performed by Barbra Streisand

Country

• Best Country Vocal Performance, Female
  • Reba McEntire for "Whoever's in New England"
• Best Country Vocal Performance, Male
  • Ronnie Milsap for Lost in the Fifties Tonight
• Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal
  • The Judds for "Grandpa (Tell Me 'Bout the Good Old Days)"
• Best Country Instrumental Performance (orchestra, group or soloist)
  • Ricky Skaggs for "Raisin' the Dickins"
• Best Country Song
  • Jamie O'Hara (songwriter) for "Grandpa (Tell Me 'Bout the Good Old Days)" performed by The Judds

Folk

• Best Traditional Folk Recording
  • Doc Watson for Riding the Midnight Train
• Best Contemporary Folk Recording
  • Al Bunetta , Dan Einstein & Hank Neuberger (producers) for Tribute to Steve Goodman performed by various artists

Gospel

• Best Gospel Performance, Female
  • Sandi Patti for Morning Like This
• Best Gospel Performance, Male
  • Philip Bailey for Triumph
• Best Gospel Performance by a Duo or Group, Choir or Chorus
  • Deniece Williams & Sandi Patti for "They Say"
• Best Soul Gospel Performance, Female
  • Deniece Williams for "I Surrender All"
• Best Soul Gospel Performance, Male
  • Al Green for "Going Away"
• Best Soul Gospel Performance by a Duo or Group, Choir or Chorus
  • The Winans for Let My People Go

Historical

• Best Historical Album
  • Aziz Goksel & Bob Porter (producers) for Atlantic Rhythm and Blues 1947-1974, Vols. 1-7 performed by various artists

Jazz

• Best Jazz Vocal Performance, Female
  • Diane Schuur for Timeless
• Best Jazz Vocal Performance, Male
  • Bobby McFerrin for "Round Midnight"
• Best Jazz Vocal Performance, Duo or Group
  • 2+2 Plus for Free Fall
• Best Jazz Instrumental Performance, Soloist
  • Miles Davis for Tutu
• Best Jazz Instrumental Performance, Group
  • Wynton Marsalis for J Mood
• Best Jazz Instrumental Performance, Big Band
  • Doc Severinsen for The Tonight Show Band with Doc Severinsen
• Best Jazz Fusion Performance, Vocal or Instrumental
  • Bob James & David Sanborn for Double Vision

Latin

• Best Latin Pop Performance
  • Jose Feliciano for "Le Lo Lai"
• Best Tropical Latin Performance
  • Rubén Blades for Escenas
• Best Mexican-American Performance
  • Flaco Jimenez for Ay Te Dejo en San Antonio

Musical Show

• Best Cast Show Album
  • Thomas Z. Shepard (producer) & the original 1986 cast for Follies in Concert

Music Video

• Best Music Video, Short Form
  • Dire Straits for "Dire Straits - Brothers in Arms"
• Best Music Video, Long Form
  • Michael Apted (video director) & Sting for Bring on the Night

New Age

• Best New Age Recording
  • Andreas Vollenweider for Down to the Moon

Packaging and Notes

• Best Album Package
  • Eiko Ishioka (art director) for Tutu performed by Miles Davis
• Best Album Notes
  • Andrew Sarris, Frank Conroy, Gary Giddins , Jonathan Schwartz , Murray Kempton , Stephen Holden & Wilfrid Sheed for The Voice - The Columbia Years 1943-1952 performed by Frank Sinatra

Polka

• Best Polka Recording
  • Eddie Blazonczyk for Another Polka Celebration performed by Eddie Blazonczyk's Versatones
  • Jimmy Sturr for I Remember Warsaw performed by Jimmy Sturr & His Orchestra

Pop

• Best Pop Vocal Performance, Female
  • Barbra Streisand for The Broadway Album
• Best Pop Vocal Performance, Male
  • Steve Winwood for "Higher Love"
• Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal
  • Dionne Warwick, Elton John, Gladys Knight & Stevie Wonder for "That's What Friends Are For"
• Best Pop Instrumental Performance, (Orchestra, Group or Soloist)
  • Harold Faltermeyer & Steve Stevens for "Top Gun Anthem"

Production and engineering

• Best Engineered Recording, Non-Classical
  • Jason Corsaro & Tom Lord-Alge (engineers) for Back in the High Life performed by Steve Winwood
• Best Engineered Recording, Classical
  • Paul Goodman (engineer) & Vladimir Horowitz for Horowitz - The Studio Recordings, New York 1985
• Producer of the Year (Non-Classical)
  • Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis
• Classical Producer of the Year
  • Thomas Frost

R&B

• Best R&B Vocal Performance, Female
  • Anita Baker for Rapture
• Best R&B Vocal Performance, Male
  • James Brown for "Living in America"
• Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal
  • Prince & the Revolution for "Kiss"
• Best R&B Instrumental Performance (Orchestra, Group or Soloist)
  • Yellowjackets for "And You Know That"
• Best Rhythm & Blues Song
  • Anita Baker, Gary Bias & Louis A. Johnson (songwriters) for "Sweet Love" performed by Anita Baker

Reggae

• Best Reggae Recording
  • Steel Pulse for Babylon the Bandit

Rock

• Best Rock Vocal Performance, Female
  • Tina Turner for "Back Where You Started"
• Best Rock Vocal Performance, Male
  • Robert Palmer for "Addicted to Love"
• Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal
  • Eurythmics for "Missionary Man"
• Best Rock Instrumental Performance (Orchestra, Group or Soloist)
  • The Art of Noise & Duane Eddy for "Peter Gunn"

Spoken

• Best Spoken Word or Non-musical Recording
  • Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Chips Moman, Ricky Nelson, Roy Orbison, Carl Perkins & Sam Phillips for Interviews From the Class of '55 Recording Sessions