On March 15, 1962, Judy at Carnegie Hall won Album of the Year, making Garland the first woman to win this Grammy category.
At the 4th Annual Grammy Awards, held on March 15, 1962, Judy Garland's live double album Judy at Carnegie Hall won the Grammy Award for Album of the Year, making her the first woman in history to receive this most prestigious of Grammy honors.
The album, recorded during her sold-out April 1961 concert at Carnegie Hall in New York City, captured Garland at the peak of her live performing powers, delivering a marathon set of standards, show tunes, and signature songs to a rapturous audience. The recording was celebrated for its raw emotional power and remains one of the most acclaimed live albums ever released.
Garland's win was historically significant not only because of the album's artistic merit but because it broke a gender barrier in an industry and award category that had, in its first three years, been dominated by male artists and producers behind male-fronted projects. Her victory demonstrated that a female vocalist's live album could be recognized as the very best recorded work of the year, opening doors for future generations of women recording artists. The album spent 95 weeks on the Billboard chart and remains a landmark of American vocal performance.