The GRAMMY Awards are upon us; each year, the best and brightest in the music industry gather to celebrate the previous year’s musical releases with a grand awards ceremony. The Award itself is considered to be the recording industry’s most prestigious award and is voted on by The Recording Academy’s membership. The first telecast was November 29, 1959 and has become one of the highest-rated and most watched specials. 

The Mormon Tabernacle Choir has its own history with the GRAMMYS. The Choir won the Award for Best Pop Performance by a Vocal Group or Chorus in 1959, for “Battle Hymn of the Republic.” It has also been nominated in four additional GRAMMY categories over the years. In 1967, “Bless This House” was nominated for Best Classical Choral Performance. In 2007, the album, Spirit of the Season, featuring Sissel, was nominated for Best Classical Crossover Album and Best Engineered Album in the classical category. In 2009, the album Noel, by Josh Groban, featuring the Choir, was nominated for Best traditional Pop Vocal Album.

Here are two of the songs that earned the Choir GRAMMY recognition. The first, “Bless This House,” comes from the album, The Essential Mormon Tabernacle Choir. The second, “Battle Hymn of the Republic,” appears on Spirit of America, and has been performed for numerous U.S. Presidents. Enjoy these videos in preparation for this year’s GRAMMYS.