Association for Recorded Sound Collections

For more information about the Association for Recorded Sound Collections (ARSC), sponsor of these awards, click here.

2018
Best research in recorded rock music
Best history: Prince and the Purple Rain era studio sessions : 1983 and 1984 by Duane Tudahl
Certificates of Merit: Goodnight, L.A. : the rise and fall of classic rock : the untold stories from inside the legendary recording studios by Kent Hartman; Music lessons : a musical memoir, volume 1 by Norbert Putnam
Best Research in Recorded Popular Music
Best History: Reckless daughter by David Yaffe
Best Discography: Abba : the complete recording sessions, revised and expanded edition by Carl Magnus Palm
Certificate of Merit: Talking machine west : a history and catalogue of Tin Pan Alley's western recordings, 1902–1918 by Michael A. Amundson
Best Historical Research in Recorded Jazz
Best History: Queen of bebop : the musical lives of Sarah Vaughan by Elaine M. Hayes
Best Discography: The Herbie Mann Picto-Discography (1952-2003) by Cary Ginell
Certificates of Merit: Tatum's Town: The Story of Jazz in Toledo, Ohio (1915-1985) by Bob Dietsche; New Orleans Remix by Jack Sullivan; The Godfather of British Jazz: The Life and Music of Stan Tracey by Clark Tracey
Best Historical Research in Recorded Roots, Folk or World Music
Best History: So Much Things to Say: The Oral History of Bob Marley by Roger Steffens
Best Discography: Cajun Records 1946-1989 by Nick Leigh
Certificates of Merit: Welcome to Zamrock!: How Zambia's Liberation Led to a Rock Revolution by Eothen Alapatt and Leonard Koloko; Modal Modernities: Formations of Persian Classical Music and the Recording of a National Tradition by Mohsen Mohammadi; Chinatown Opera Theatre in North America by Nancy Yunhwa Rao
Best Historical Research in Recorded Blues, Gospel, Soul, or R&B
Best History: Otis Redding: An Unfinished Life by Jonathan Gould
Certificates of Merit: The Original Blues: The Emergence of the Blues in African American Vaudeville by Lynn Abbott and Doug Seroff; Got to Be Something Here: The Rise of the Minneapolis Sound by Andrea Swennson; The New Paramount Book of Blues by Alex van der Tuuk
Best Historical Research in Recorded Classical Music
Best History: Toscanini: Musician of Conscience by Harvey Sachs
Best Discography: "Cantigas de Santa Maria" Discography by Jerome F. Weber
Certificate of Merit: Treatise on Musical Objects: An Essay Across Disciplines by Pierre Schaeffer, Christine North, and John Dack
Best Historical Research in Record Labels and General Recording Topics
Best History: Edouard-Léon Scott de Martinville, Inventor of Sound Recording: A Bicentennial Tribute by David Giovannoni, Patrick Feaster, and Anne Thiollier
Certificates of Merit: Vocalion Records by Frank Andrews; Democracy of Sound: Music Piracy and the Remaking of American Copyright in the Twentieth Century by Alex Sayf Cummings; Sonic Technologies: Popular music, Digital culture and the Creative Process by Robert Strachan

2017
Best Research in Recorded Rock Music
Best history: Lonely boy : tales from a Sex Pistol by Steve Jones with Ben Thompson
Best discography: The Immediate discography : the first 20 years by Mark Jones
Certificate of merit: Never say no to a rock star : in the studio with Dylan, Sinatra, Jagger, and more… by Glenn Berger
Best Research in Recorded Popular Music
Best history: Kika kila : how the Hawaiian steel guitar changed the sound of modern music by John W. Troutman
Best discography: Four boys and a guitar : the story and music of the Mills Brothers by Douglas E. Friedman
Certificate of merit: A Cole Porter companion by Don M. Randel, Matthew Shaftel, and Susan Forscher Weiss
Best Historical Research in Recorded Jazz
Best history: Whisper not : the autobiography of Benny Golson by Benny Golson and Jim Merod
Certificate of merit: Blue rhythm fantasy : big band jazz arranging in the Swing era by John Wriggle
Best Research in Recorded Country Music
Best history: Whisperin' Bill Anderson : an unprecedented life in country music by Bill Anderson and Peter Michael Cooper
Certificate of merit: The Knoxville sessions, 1929-1930 : Knox County stomp by Ted Olson and Tony Russell
Certificate of merit: Foggy Mountain troubadour : the life and music of Curly Seckler by Penny Parsons
Best Historical Research in Recorded Roots, Folk or World Music
Best history: American epic : the first time America heard itself by Bernard McMahon, Allison McGourty and Elijah Wald
Best Historical Research in Recorded Blues, Gospel, Soul or R&B
Best history: The art of the blues : a visual treasury of Black music's golden age by Bill Dahl
Best discography: Michael Bloomfield : the rise and fall of an American guitar hero by Ed Ward
Certificate of merit: Slim Harpo : blues king bee of Baton Rouge by Martin Hawkins
Certificate of merit: Waxing the gospel : mass evangelism & the phonograph, 1890-1900 by Richard Martin
Certificate of merit: Race records and the American recording industry, 1919-1945 : an illustrated history
by Allan Sutton
Best Historical Research in Recorded Classical Music
Best history: Barbirolli : a chronicle of a career by Raymond Holden
Certificate of merit: Performing life : the story of Ruth Posselt, American violinist by Diana Lewis Burgin

Best Historical Research on General Recording Topics
Best history: Uproot : travels in twenty-first-century music and digital culture by Jace Clayton (aka DJ Rupture)
Best discography: Australia's most comprehensive vinyl record guide : a definitive catalogue of music released by artists and bands who shaped the music industry around the world for 70 years by Thomas Balacco
Certificate of merit: Recorded sound in Czech lands, 1900-1946 by Gabriel Gössel and Filip Šír
Certificate of merit: The untold story of the talking book by Matthew Rubery
Best Historical Research in Record Labels
Best history: Godfather of the music business : Morris Levy by Richard Carlin
Best discography: The Gramophone Company's first Indian recordings, 1899-1907 by Michael Kinnear
Certificate of merit: "The 1898 Gramophone Co. Studio : new perspectives" (A three part series) by Peter Adamson, in For the record : the journal of the City of London phonograph and gramophone society, 56: 448-456; 59: 147-156; 60: 206-213
Certificate of merit: Attractive Hebrews : the Lambert Yiddish cylinders, 1901-1905 by Henry Sapoznik and Richard Martin, with the assistance of Mayrent Institute for Yiddish Culture and the Mills Music Library at the University of Wisconsin-Madison
Certificate of merit: Motown : the sound of young America by Adam White, Barney Ales, and Andrew Loog Oldham

2016
Best Research in Recorded Rock Music
Best history: Sam Phillips : the man who invented rock 'n' roll by Peter Guralnick
Certificate of merit: Beatles gear by Andy Babiuk
Certificate of merit: Everybody's heard about the bird : the true story of 1960s rock 'n' roll in Minnesota by Rick Shefchik

Best Research in Recorded Popular Music
Best history: Dan W. Quinn: Anthology : the king of comic singers, 1894-1917 (liner notes by Richard Martin)
Best discography: L'Argus DALIDA : discographie mondiale et cotations by Daniel Lesueur
Certificate of merit: The underground is massive : how electronic dance music conquered America by Michaelangelo Matos
Best Historical Research in Recorded Jazz
Best history: Swingin' on Central Avenue : African-American jazz in Los Angeles by Peter Vacher
Best discography: Bobby Hackett : his life in music by George Hulme and Bert Whyatt
Certificate of merit: Jazz tales from jazz legends : oral histories from the Fillius Jazz Archive at Hamilton College by Monk Rowe, with Romy Britell
Certificate of merit: The long shadow of the little giant : the life, work, and legacy of Tubby Hayes by Simon Spilett
Best Research in Recorded Country Music
Best history: Mac Wiseman : all my memories fit for print by Walt Trott
Best discography: The music of the Stanley Brothers by Gary B. Reid
Certificate of merit: Bluegrass in Baltimore by Tim Newby
Certificate of merit: West Virginia's traditional country music by Ivan M. Tribe and Jacob L. Bapst
Best Historical Research in Recorded Folk or World Music
Best history: Folksongs of another America : field recordings from the Upper Midwest, 1937-1946 by James P. Leary
Certificate of merit: Ola Belle Reed and southern mountain music on the Mason-Dixon Line by Clifford Murphy
Certificate of merit: Hear my sad story : the true tales that inspired "Stagolee," "John Henry," and other traditional American folk songs by Richard Polenberg
Best Historical Research in Recorded Blues, Gospel, Soul, or R&B
Best history: Say no to the devil : the life and musical genius of Rev. Gary Davis by Ian Zach
Certificate of merit: Country soul : making music and making race in the American south by Charles L. Hughes
Certificate of merit: A city called heaven : Chicago and the birth of gospel music by Robert Marovich
Certificate of merit: Early blues : the first stars of blues guitar by Jas Obrecht
Best Historical Research in Recorded Classical Music
Best history: Svetik : a family memoir of Sviatoslav Richter by Walter Moskalew
Best discography: The Philadelphia Orchestra : an annotated discography by Richard A. Kaplan
Certificate of merit: Joseph Holbrooke : composer, critic, and musical patriot by Paul Watt and Anne-Marie Forbes
Best Historical Research on General Recording Topics
Best history: How music got free : the end of an industry, the turn of the century, and the patient zero of piracy by Stephen Witt
Certificate of merit: Noise uprising : the audiopolitics of a world musical revolution by Michael Denning
Certificate of merit: The great British recording studios by Howard Massey
Certificate of merit: Sounding the color line : music and race in the southern imagination by Erich Nunn
Best Historical Research in Record Labels
Best history: Popkiss : the life and afterlife of Sarah Records by Michael White

2015
Best Research in Recorded Blues, Gospel, Rhythm & Blues
Best history

100 books every blues fan should own by Edward Komara and Greg Johnson
Certificate of merit
Blues all day long : the Jimmy Rogers story by Wayne E. Goins
Certificate of merit
I'll take you there : Mavis Staples, the Staple Singers, and the march up freedom's highway by Greg Kot
Certificate of merit
Preaching on wax : the phonograph and the shaping of modern African American religion by Lerone A. Martin

Best Historical Research in Classical Music
Best history
Jascha Heifetz : early years in Russia by Galina Kopytova
Best discography
Sounding authentic : the rural miniature and musical modernism by Joshua S. Walden
Certificate of merit
Constant Lambert : beyond the Rio Grande by Stephen Lloyd
Certificate of merit
Perspectives on the performance of French piano music by Scott Mccarey and Lesley A. Wright
Certificate of merit
Sir George Dyson : his life and music by Paul Spicer
Certificate of merit
Nikolay Myakovsky : the conscience of Russian music by Gregor Tassie

Best Historical Research in Recorded Country, Folk, or World Music
Best history
Bluegrass Hall of Fame inductee biographies, 1991-2014 by Fred Bartenstein, Neil V. Rosenberg, Gary Reid, Steve Spence, et al.
Best discography
Creole music of the French West Indies : a discography, 1900-1959 by Alan Boulanger, John Cowley, and Marc Monneraye
Certificate of merit
Vibe merchants : the sound creators of Jamaican popular music by Ray Hitchens

Best Research in Recorded Rock and Popular Music
Best history
Southbound : an illustrated history of Southern rock by Scott B. Bomar
Certificate of merit
Brothas be, yo like George, ain't that funkin' kinda hard on you? : a memoir by George Clinton and Ben Greenman
Certificate of merit
Encyclopedia of great popular song recordings by Steve Sullivan

Best Research in Recorded Jazz Music
Best history
Softly, with feeling : Joe Wilder and the breaking of barriers in American music by Edward Berger
Certificate of merit
Louis Armstrong : master of modernism by Thomas Brothers
Certificate of merit
An unholy row : jazz in Britain and its audience, 1945-1960 by Dave Gelly
Certificate of merit
Once was jazz : the cry of the jazz band in interwar Poland by Krzysztof Karpinski

Best Research in Record Labels
Best history/discography
Eli Oberstein's United States Record Corporation : a history and discography, 1939–1940 by Allan Sutton and Record Research Associates
Certificate of merit
The Victor discography : special labels, 1928-1940 by John Bolig
Certificate of merit
Ajax Records : a history and discography by William R. Bryant and Record Research Associates

2014
Best Research in Recorded Blues, Hip-Hop, Rhythm & Blues
Best history

Southern soul-blues by David G. Whiteis
Certificate of merit
The amazing Jimmi Mayes : sideman to the stars by Jimmi Mayes and V. C. Speek
Certificate of merit
Mojo hand : the life and music of Lightnin' Hopkins by Timothy O'Brien

Best Historical Research in Classical Music
Best history
Forbidden music : the Jewish composers banned by the nazis by Michael Haas
Best discography
Antal Doráti and his recorded legacy by Richard Chlupaty
Certificate of merit
Giacomo Meyerbeer : a discography of vintage recordings 1889-1955 by Richard Arsenty and Robert Ignatius Letellier
Certificate of merit
The great orchestrator : Arthur Judson and American Arts Management by James M. Doering
Certificate of merit
Alec Wilder by Philip Lambert

Best Historical Research in Country Music
Best history
Buck 'em! : the autobiography of Buck Owens by Buck Owens and Randy Po
Certificate of merit
The Johnson City sessions, 1928-1929 : can you sing or play old-time music? by Ted Olson and Tony Russell
Certificate of merit
Hidden in the mix : the African American presence in country music edited by Diane Pecknol

Best Historical Research in Recorded Folk or World Music
Best history
Longing for the past : the 78 rpm era in southeast Asia by David Murray
Best discography
The history and evolution of the bouzouki and its first recordings (1926-1932) by Stavros Kourousis
Certificate of merit
Robert Lachmann's oriental music broadcasts, 1936-1937 : a musical ethnography of Mandatory Palestine by Ruth F. Davis

Best Research in Recorded Rock Music
Best history
Jethro Tull's "Thick as a Brick" and "A Passion Play" : inside two long songs by Tim Smolko
Certificate of merit
Assimilate : a critical history of industrial music by S. Alexander Reed

Best Historical Research in Recorded Popular Music
Best history
Nilsson : the life of a singer-songwriter by Alyn Shipton
Certificate of merit
Late life jazz : the life and career of Rosemary Clooney by Ken Crossland and Malcolm Macfarlan

Best Research in Recorded Jazz Music
Best history
Mingus speaks! by Charles Mingus and John F. Goodman
Certificate of merit
The jazz life of Dr. Billy Taylor by Billy Taylor and Teresa L. Reed
Certificate of merit
More important than the music : a history of jazz discography by Bruce D. Epperson

Best Research in Record Labels
Best history
The John Fahey handbook : with a complete illustrated discography and labelography of Fonotone & Takoma Records by Claudio Guerrieri
Best discography
Emerson records : a history and discography, part 1: complete 10" & 12" issues by William R. Bryant ; edited by Allan Sutton
Certificate of merit
Edison Amberol cylinders, 1908-1913 by Allan Sutton

Best Historical Research on General Recording Topics
Best history

Recording history : the British record industry 1888-1931 by Peter Martland
Best discography
A Scottish vernacular discography, 1888-1960 by Bill Dean-Myatt
Certificate of merit
Dyskopedia poloników 1919-1939 by Katarzyna Janczewska-Solomko
Certificate of merit
Black Europe by Jeffrey P. Green, Rainer Lotz et al.
Certificate of merit
Triple entendre : furniture music, Muzak, Muzak-Plus by Herve Vanel

2013
Best Research in Recorded Blues, Gospel, Rhythm & Blues, or Soul Music
Best history

When I left home : my story by Buddy Guy and David Ritz
Certificate of merit
Bounce : rap music and local identity in New Orleans, by Matt Miller

Best Research in Recorded Classical Music
Best history
Charles Munch by D. Kern Holoman
Best discography
Giacomo Puccini : a discography by Roger Flury
Certificate of merit
The Bjorling sound : a recorded legacy by Stephen Hastings
Certificate of merit
Frosch : critical discography of the Strauss opera "Die frau ohne schatten" by John Hunt
Certificate of merit
Great Wagner conductors : a listener's companion by Jonathan Brown

Best Research in Recorded Country Music
Best history
Satan is real : the ballad of the Louvin Brothers, by Charlie Louvin
Certificate of merit
Bluegrass bluesman : a memoir, by Josh Graves

Best Research in Recorded Folk, World, or Ethnic Music
Best history
The beautiful music all around us : field recordings and the American experience by Stephen Wade
Best discography
The Arhoolie Foundation's Strachwitz Frontera Collection of Mexican and Mexican American recordings by Agustin Gurza
Certificate of merit
Recording culture : Powwow music and the Aboriginal recording industry on the Northern Plains by Christopher Scales
Certificate of merit
Ancestral imprints : histories of Irish traditional music and dance by Therese Smith

Best Research in Recorded Rock Music
Best history
Revolver : how The Beatles reimagined rock 'n 'roll by Robert Rodriguez
Certificate of merit
Teen beat mayhem! by Mike Markesich
Certificate of merit
Bruce Springsteen and the promise of rock 'n' roll by Marc Dolan

Best Research in Recorded Popular Music
Best history
A natural woman : a memoir by Carole King
Best discography
Paul Whiteman : pioneer in American music, 1930-1967, vol. 2 by Don Rayno
Certificate of merit
Arlo Guthrie : the Warner/Reprise years by Hank Reineke

Best Research in Recorded Jazz Music
Best history
Mr. P.C. : the life and music of Paul Chambers by Rob Palmer
Certificate of merit
Pepper Adams' Joy Road : an annotated discography by Gary Carner
Certificate of merit
Big band jazz in black West Virginia by Christopher Wilkinson
Certificate of merit
Born to play : the Ruby Braff discography and directory of performances by Thomas Hustad
Certificate of merit
The Boston jazz chronicles : faces, places and nightlife, 1937-1962 by Richard Vacca
Certificate of merit
Vince Guaraldi at the piano by Derrick Bang

Best Research in Record Labels
Best discography
The Capitol Records Childrens' Series: 1944 to 1956, the complete discography by Jack Mirtle
Certificate of merit
360 Sound: The Columbia Records Story by Sean Wilentz
Certificate of merit
Always in trouble : an oral history of ESP-Disk', the most outrageous record label in America by Jason Weiss
Certificate of merit
The American Zonophone discography, volume I : ten- and twelve-inch popular series (1904–1912) by William R. Bryant

Best General Research in Recorded Sound
Best history

Pictures of sound : one thousand years of educed audio : 980-1980 by Patrick Feaster
Best discography
Patrick Conway and his Famous Band by Mark Fonder
Certificate of merit
MP3 : the meaning of a format by Jonathan Sterne
Certificate of merit
Music, sound, and technology in America : a documentary history of early phonograph, cinema, and radio, edited by Timothy D. Taylor, Mark Katz and Tony Grajeda

2012
Best Research in Recorded Blues, Gospel, Rhythm & Blues, or Soul Music
Best history

Mississippi John Hurt : his life, his times, his blues by Philip R. Ratcliffe
Best discography
The blues discography 1971-2000 : the later years : a selective discography by Robert Ford and Bob McGrath
Certificate of merit
I feel so good : the life and times of Big Bill Broonzy by Bob Riesman
Certificate of merit
The chitlin' circuit and the road to rock and roll by Preston Lauterbach

Best Research in Recorded Classical Music
Best history
George Szell : a life of music by Michael Charry
Best discography
Concert Hall : discography of the Concert Hall Society and Concert Hall Society Record Club, by John Hunt
Certificate of merit
Richard Strauss : a musical life by Raymond Holden
Certificate of merit
Dennis Brain : a life in music by Stephen J. Gamble and William C. Lynch

Best Research in Recorded Country, Ethnic, or Folk Music
Best history
Crowe on the banjo : the music life of J. D. Crowe by Marty Godbey
Certificate of merit
Jim Reeves : his untold story : the life & times of country music's greatest singer by Larry Jordan

Best Research in Recorded Rock or Popular Music
Best history
Pop song piracy : disobedient music distribution since 1929 by Barry Kernfeld
Certificate of merit
Tori Amos : in the studio by Jake Brown
Certificate of merit
Everything is an afterthought : the life and writings of Paul Nelson by Kevin Avery
Certificate of merit
Had me a real good time : The Faces before and after by Andrew Neill

Best Research in Recorded Jazz Music
Best history
Norman Granz : the man who used jazz for justice by Tad Hershorn
Certificate of merit
Clark : the autobiography of Clark Terry by Clark Terry
Certificate of merit
What a wonderful world : the magic of Louis Armstrong's later years by Ricky Riccardi
Certificate of merit
The studio recordings of the Miles Davis Quintet, 1965-68 by Keith Waters

Best Research in Record Labels
Best history
The last sultan : the life and times of Ahmet Ertegun by Robert Greenfield
Best discography
Beka Records : a discography by Frank Andrews and Bill Dean-Myatt
Certificate of merit
Indestructible and U-S Everlasting Cylinders : an illustrated history and cylinderography by Kurt Nauck and Allan Sutton
Certificate of merit
The Starday story : the house that country music built by Nathan D. Gibson

Best General Research in Recorded Sound
Spoken word : postwar American phonograph cultures by Jacob Smith

2011
Best Research in Recorded Blues, Gospel, Rhythm & Blues, or Soul Music
Best history

Lightnin' Hopkins : his life and blues by Alan Govenar
Certificate of merit
Long lost blues : popular blues in America, 1850-1920 by Peter C. Muir
Certificate of merit
Raisin' Cain : the wild and raucous story of Johnny Winter by Mary Lou Sullivan and Johnny Winter

Best Research in Recorded Classical Music
Best history
Adolf Busch : the life of an honest musician by Tully Potter
Best discography
Mahler discography by Peter Fülöp
Certificate of merit
Gregor Piatigorsky : the life and career of the virtuoso cellist by Terry King

Best Research in Recorded Country, Ethnic, or Folk Music
Best history
My name is Gauhar Jaan : the life and times of a musician by Vikram Sampath
Certificate of merit
Gone to the country : the new Lost City Ramblers and the folk music revival by Ray Allen

Best Research in Recorded Rock or Popular Music
Best history
Restless giant : the life and times of Jean Aberbach and Hill and Range Songs by Bar Biszick-Lockwood
Certificate of merit
A biographical guide to the great jazz and pop singers by Will Friedwald
Certificate of merit
I don't sound like nobody : remaking music in 1950s America, by Albin J. Zak

Best Research in Recorded Jazz Music
Best history (tie)
That's got 'em! : the life and music of Wilbur C. Sweatman, by Mark Berresford
and
Hot jazz for sale : Hollywood's Jazz Man Record Shop by Cary Ginell
Certificate of merit
African rhythms : the autobiography of Randy Weston by Randy Weston

Best Research in Record Labels
House of hits : the story of Houston's Gold Star/SugarHill Recording Studios by Bradley and Charles Roger Wood

Best Ongoing Research in Business of Recorded Sound
The Lindström project : contributions to the history of the record industry/Beiträge Geschichte der Schallplattenindustrie, volume 2 by by Pekka Gronow and Christiane Hofer

2010
Best Research in Recorded Blues, Gospel, Rhythm & Blues, or Soul Music
Best work

Chuck Berry international directory by Morten Reff
Certificate of merit
Give my poor heart ease : voices of the Mississippi blues by William Ferris
Certificate of merit
Hand me my travelin' shoes : in search of Blind Willie McTell by Michael Gray

Best Research in Recorded Classical Music
Best work
Kirill Kondrashin : his life in music by Gregor Tassie
Certificate of merit
Othmar Schoeck : life and works by Chris Walton

Best Research in Recorded Country Music
Best work
Man of constant sorrow : my life and times by Ralph Stanley and Eddie Dean
Certificate of merit
The songs of Jimmie Rodgers : a legacy in country music by Jocelyn R. Neal

Best Recorded Folk, Ethnic, or World Music
Best discography
La musique antillaise en France discographie 1929-1959 / French-Caribbean Music in France a Discography 1929-1959 by Alain Boulanger, John Cowley, and Marc Monneraye
Best history

Wildman of rhythm : the life and music of Benny Moré by John Radanovich
Certificate of merit
Ramblin' Jack Elliott : the never-ending highway by Hank Reineke

Best Research in General History of Recorded Sound
Best work
How does it sound now? : legendary engineer and vintage gear by Gary Gottlieb
Certificate of merit
Selling sounds : the commercial revolution in American music by David Suisman

Best Research in Record Labels
Best work
Three score & ten : topic records at 70 by David Suff
Certificate of merit
King of the Queen City : the story of King Records by John Hartley Fox

Best Research in Recorded Jazz Music
Best history
Jade visions : the life and music of Scott LaFaro by Helene LaFaro-Fernández
and
The ghosts of Harlem : sessions with jazz legends by Hank O’Neal
Certificate of merit
From Harlem to Hollywood : my life in music by Van Alexander and Stephen Fratallone

Best Research in Recorded Rock and Popular Music
Best work
American dance bands on record and film, 1915-1942 by Richard J. Johnson and Bernhard H. Shirley
Best history
Perry Como : a biography and complete career record by Malcolm Macfarlane and Ken Crossland
Certificate of merit
Sonic boom : the history of Northwest rock, from "Louie Louie" to "Smells like teen spirit" by Peter Blecha
Certificate of merit
Record makers and breakers : voices of the independent rock 'n' roll pioneers by John Broven

2009
Best Research in Recorded Blues, Rhythm & Blues, or Soul Music
Best discography

I got two wings : incidents and anecdotes of the two-winged preacher and electric guitar evangelist, Elder Utah Smith by Lynn Abbot
Certificate of merit
Texas blues : the rise of a contemporary sound by Alan B. Govenar

Best Research in Recorded Classical Music
Best Discography
Boston Symphony Orchestra : an augmented discography by James H. North
Best history
Charles Ives omnibus by James Mack Burk
Certificate of merit
After the golden age : romantic pianism and modern performance by Kenneth Hamilton
Certificate of merit
Sprechstimme in Arnold Schoenberg's Pierrot Lunaire : a study of vocal performance practice by Aidan Soder

Best Research in Recorded Country Music
Best work
Linthead stomp : the creation of country music in the Piedmont South by Patrick Huber
Certificate of merit

Working girl blues : the life and music of Hazel Dickens by Hazel Dickens and Bill C. Malone
Certificate of merit
Liner notes to "Merle Haggard: Concepts Live…1968-1976" by Deke Dickerson

Best Recorded Folk, Ethnic, or World Music
Best work
Mexican American mojo : popular music, dance, and urban culture in Los Angeles, 1935–1968 by Anthony Macias
Certificate of merit
Lemko folk music on wax cylinders and American recordings, 1901-1930 by Bogdan Horbal and Walter Maksimovich

Best Research in General History of Recorded Sound
Best work
Den talande maskinen : de forsta inspelade ljuden i Sverige och norden (The talking machine : the first recorded sounds in Sweden and Scandinavia) by Tony Franzén, Gunnar Sundberg, and Lars Thelander
Certificate of merit
Sound media : a theory of live journalism and musical recording by Lars Nyre

Best Research in Record Labels
Best Discography
Montgomery Ward records : a discography by Allan Sutton

Best history
Revolutionizing children's records : the Young People's Records and Children's Record Guild Series, 1946-1977 by David Bonner
Certificate of merit
The Edison discography (1926-29) by Raymond R. Wile

Best Research in Recorded Jazz Music
Best work
The John Coltrane reference by Chris DeVito, David Wild, Yasuhiro Fujioka, and Wolf Schmaler; edited by Lewis Porter
Best history
A power stronger than itself : the AACM and American experimental music by George E. Lewis
Certificate of merit
Backstory in blue : Ellington at Newport '56 by John Fass Morton
Certificate of merit
Playing the changes : Milt Hinton's life in stories and photographs by Milt Hinton, David Berger and Holly Maxson
Certificate of merit
Miles Davis, Miles smiles, and the invention of post bop by Jeremy Yudkin
Certificate of merit
Luck's in my corner : the life and music of Hot Lips Page by Todd Bryant Weeks
Certificate of merit
Delightfulee : the life and music of Lee Morgan by Jeffrey McMillan
Certificate of merit
Monk's music : Thelonious Monk and jazz history in the making by Gabriel Solis

Best Research in Recorded Rock and Popular Music
Best work
Sgt. Pepper and the Beatles : it was forty years ago today by Olivier Julien
Certificate of merit
Mondo exotica : sounds, visions, obsessions of the cocktail generation by Francesco Adinolfi
Certificate of merit
So you want to be a rock 'n' roll star : The Byrds day-by-day, 1965-1973 by Christopher Hjort
Certificate of merit
Hot burritos : the true story of The Flying Burrito Brothers by John Einarson and Chris Hillman

2008
Best Research in Recorded Blues, Rhythm & Blues, or Soul Music
Best discography

The gospel discography : a discography of post-war African-American gospel records from 1943 to 1970 by Cedric Hayes and Bob Laughton
Best history
How Britain got the blues : the transmission and reception of American blues style in the United Kingdom by Roberta Freund Schwartz
Certificate of merit
Cross the water blues : African American music in Europe, edited by Neil A. Wynn

Best Research in Recorded Classical Music
Best Discography
Joan Tower : the comprehensive bio-bibliography by Ellen K. Grolman
Best history
Moondog : the Viking of 6th Avenue : the authorized biography by Robert Scotto
Certificate of merit
Sigmund Romberg by William A. Everett

Best Research in Recorded Country Music
Best work
Country music originals : the legends and the lost by Tony Russell
Certificate of merit
Public cowboy no. 1 : the life and times of Gene Autry by Holly George-Warren
Certificate of merit
Charlie Monroe : I'm old Kentucky bound : his recordings, 1938-1956, liner notes by Richard K. Spottswood
Certificate of merit
Whiskey river (take my mind) : the true story of Texas honky-tonk by Johnny Bush with Rick Mitchell
Certificate of merit
The selling sound : the rise of the country music industry by Diane Pecknold

Best Recorded Folk, Ethnic, or World Music
Best discography
Hawaiian and Hawaiian guitar records, 1891-1960 by T. Malcolm Rockwell
Best history
Dub : soundscapes and shattered songs in Jamaican reggae by Michael E. Veal

Best Research in General History of Recorded Sound
The complete guide to vintage children’s records : identification and value guide by Peter Muldavin

Best Research in Record Labels
Best Discography
Beltona : a label listing and history by William Dean-Myatt
Best history
Horizons touched : the music of ECM by Steve Lake and Paul Griffiths

Best Research in Recorded Jazz Music
Best work
Lennie Tristano : his life in music by Eunmi Shim
Certificate of merit
Subversive sounds : race and the birth of jazz in New Orleans by Charles Hersch
Certificate of merit
The Original Hot Five recordings of Louis Armstrong by Gene H. Anderson
Certificate of merit
Ragtime : an encyclopedia, discography, and sheetography by David A. Jasen

Best Research in Recorded Popular Music
Best Discography
The complete New Zealand music charts, 1966-2006 : singles, albums, DVDs, compilations by Dean Scapolo
Best history
Lonely avenue : the unlikely life and times of Doc Pomus by Alex Halberstadt
Certificate of merit
Tearing down the wall of sound : the rise and fall of Phil Spector by Mick Brown

Best Research in Recorded Rock Music
The Beatles swan song : "She loves you" and other records by Bruce Spizer
Best history
Inside the music of Brian Wilson : the songs, sounds, and influences of the Beach Boys' founding genius by Philip Lambert
Certificate of merit
Jimmy Page : magus, musician, man : an unauthorized biography by George Case

2007
Best Research in Recorded Blues, Rhythm & Blues, or Soul Music

The blues discography 1943-1970, comp. Les Fancourt; Encyclopedia of the blues, edited by Edward Komara
Certificate of merit:
Presence and pleasure : the funk grooves of James Brown and Parliament by Anne Danielsen

Best Research in Recorded Classical Music
Best Discography:
New York Philharmonic : the authorized recordings, 1917-2005 : a discography by James H. North
Best history:
Lionel Tertis : the first great virtuoso of the viola by John White
Certificate of merit:
Women composers and music technology in the United States : crossing the line by Elizabeth Hinkle-Turner

Best Research in Recorded Country Music
Best discography:
Old Shep : the Red Foley recordings 1933-1950, liner notes by Cary Ginell
Best history:
How Nashville became Music City, U.S.A. : 50 years of Music Row by Michael Kosser
Certificate of merit:
No one to cry to : a long, hard ride into the sunset with Foy Willing of The Riders of the Purple Sage by Sharon Lee Willing

Best Recorded Folk, Ethnic, or World Music
Best discography:
West Indian rhythm : Trinidad Calypsos, 1938-1940, discography by John Cowley, Donald R. Hill, Dick Spottswood
Best history:
The dawn of Indian music in the West by Peter Lavezzoli
Certificates of merit:
Arsenio Rodriguez and the transnational flows of Latin popular music by David F. García; America's polka king : the real story of Frankie Yankovic and his music by Bob Dolgan; Texas zydeco by Charles Roger Wood

2006
Blues/Rhythm & Blues/Soul
Dream boogie : the triumph of Sam Cooke by Peter Guralnick
Certificate of merit:
Dewey and Elvis : the life and times of a rock 'n' roll deejay by Louis Cantor

Classical
Best discography:
While spring and summer sang : Thomas Beecham and the music of Frederick Delius by Lyndon Jenkins
Best history:
Rachmaninoff : life, works, recordings by Max Harrison

Country
King of the cowboys, Queen of the West : Roy Rogers and Dale Evans by Ray White

Folk/Ethnic/World
Bob Marley and the Wailers : the definitive discography by Roger Steffens and Leroy Jodie Pierson
Certificate of merit:
The encyclopedia of native music : more than a century of recordings from wax cylinder to the Internet by Brian Wright-McLeod

Rap/Hip hop
Can't stop won't stop : a history of the hip-hop generation by Jeff Chang

Rock
Grit, noise, and revolution : the birth of Detroit rock 'n' roll by David Carson
Certificate of merit: 
Soft Machine : Out-bloody-rageous by Graham Bennett
Certificate of merit:
Dream a little dream of me : the life of "Mama" Cass Elliot by Eddi Fiegel
Jazz
Best discography:
Stan Getz : an annotated bibliography and filmography with song and session information for albums by Nicholas Churchill
Best history:
Take five : the public and private lives of Paul Desmond by Doug Ramsey and Paul Caulfield (discography); The last Miles : the music of Miles Davis 1980-1991 by George Cole
Certificates of Merit:
Pioneers of jazz : the story of the Creole Band by Lawrence Gushee; Bix : the definitive biography of a jazz legend : Leon "Bix" Beiderbecke (1903-1931) by Jean Pierre Lion; The uncrowned king of swing : Fletcher Henderson and big band jazz by Jeffrey Magee

Labels/General history
Best history:
Echo and reverb : fabricating space in popular music recording, 1900-1960
Best discography:
Edison blue Amberol cylinders by Allan Sutton

2005
Best research in recorded blues
Moanin' at midnight : the life and times of Howlin' Wolf by James Segrest and Mark Hoffman
Certificate of Merit:
Robert Johnson : mythmaking and contemporary American culture by Patricia R. Schroeder

Best research in recorded classical music
Best discography.
Leroy Anderson : a bio-bibliography by Burgess Speed, Eleanor Anderson, and Steve Metcalf
Best history.
Performing music in the age of recording by Robert Philip
Best research in recorded folk or country music
Country music records : a discography, 1921-1942 by Tony Russell

Best research in recorded world music
Git Zaman Gel Zaman by Cemal Unlu
Certificate of Merit:
Albanian urban lyric song in the 1930s by Eno Koco

Best research in general history of recorded sound
Lost sounds : Blacks and the birth of the recording industry, 1890-1919 by Tim Brooks
Certificate of Merit:
Capturing sound : how technology has changed music by Mark Katz

Best research in recorded jazz
Albert Ayler : holy ghost by Ben Young, editor
Certificate of Merit:
Tom Talbert : his life and times by Bruce Talbot
Certificate of Merit:
Queen : the life and music of Dinah Washington by Nadine Cohodas
Certificate of Merit:
The complete Columbia recordings of Woody Herman, 1945 -1947 by Loren Schoenberg

Best research in record labels
Discography of OKeh Records, 1918-1934 by  Ross Laird and Brian Rust
Certificate of Merit:
Fonotipia Recordings : a centennial survey by Michael E. Henstock
Certificate of Merit:
Syrena Record : Poland's first recording company, 1904-1939 by Tomasz Lerski
Certificate of Merit:
Victor Red Seal discography, volume I : single-sided series (1903-1925) by John R. Bolig

Best research in recorded popular music
That moaning saxophone : the six Brown brothers and the dawning of a musical craze by Bruce Vermazen

Best research in recorded rhythm & blues, soul, or gospel music
People get ready : a new history of Black gospel music by Robert Darden
Certificate of Merit:
House on fire : the rise and fall of Philadelphia soul by John A. Jackson

Best research in recorded rock or rap music
Freddy Fresh presents the rap records by Freddy Fresh
Certificate of Merit:
Nirvana : the complete recording sessions by Rob Jovanovic


2004
Best research in recorded popular music
Best discography.
Paul Whiteman : pioneer in American music : volume 1, 1890-1930 by Don Rayno
Best history.
Sondheim on music : minor details and major decisions by Mark Eden Horowitz and Stephen Sondheim (2d ed. (2010) here)

Best research in recorded classical music
Performing Brahms : early evidence of performing style, edited by Michael Musgrave and Bernard D. Sherman

Best research in recorded rock, rhythm & blues or soul
The holy profane : religion in Black popular music by Teresa L. Reed; tied with Swinging the machine : modernity, technology and African-American culture between the world wars by Joel Dinerstein

Best research in recorded jazz music
Best history.
Good vibes : a life in jazz by Terry Gibbs and Cary Ginell
Best discography. 
Jean "Django" Reinhardt : a contextual bio-discography, 1910-1953 by Paul Vernon

Best research in recorded blues and gospel music
Great God a'mighty! the Dixie Hummingbirds : celebrating the rise of soul gospel music by Jerome Zolten

Best research in record labels or manufacturers
Folkways Records : Moses Asch and his encyclopedia of sound by Anthony Olmstead

2003
Best Research in Recorded Popular Music
Encyclopedia of contemporary Christian music by Mark Allan Powell


Best Research in Recorded Folk or Ethnic Music
Reggae & Caribbean music by Dave Thompson
Certificate of merit:
Sam Manning : the Complete Output, 1924-1930, vols. 1 & 2 by John Cowley and Steve Shapiro, liner notes to Jazz Oracle CD set

Best Research in Recorded Country Music
Will you miss me when I'm gone? : the Carter Family and their legacy in American music by Mark Zwonitzer and Charles Hirshberg; tied with Country music sources : a biblio-discography of commercially recorded traditional music by Guthrie T. Meade, Richard K. Spottswood, and Douglas S. Meade

Best Research in Recorded Classical Music
George Crumb: a bio-bibliography by David Cohen; tied with Emanuel Feuermann by Annette Morreau

Best Research in Rock, Rhythm & Blues, or Soul
Every sound there is : the Beatles' Revolver and the transformation of rock and roll by Russell Reising; tied with Brown-eyed handsome man : the life of Chuck Berry by Bruce Pegg

Best Research in Recorded Jazz
Rat race blues : the musical life of Gigi Gryce by Noal Cohen and Michael Fitzgerald; tied with Something to live for : the music of Billy Strayhorn by Walter van de Leur
Certificate of merit:
A love supreme : the story of John Coltrane's signature album by Ashley Kahn
Certificate of merit:
Charlie Barnet : an illustrated biography and discography of the Swing Era big band leader by Dan Mather

Best Research in Recorded Blues and Gospel Music
Blues with a feeling : the Little Walter story by Tony Glover, Scott Dirks, and Ward Gaines
Certificate of merit:
Can't be satisfied : the life and times of Muddy Waters by Robert Gordon
Certificate of merit:
The Pilgrim Jubilees by Alan Young

Best Research in General Discography and History of Recorded Sound
Music inspired by art : a guide to recordings by Gary Evans

Best Research in Record Labels or Manufacturers
Motown : music, money, sex, and power by Gerald L. Posner

2002
Best Research in Recorded General Popular Music

Bing Crosby : a pocketful of dreams — the early years, 1903-1940 by Gary Giddins

Best Research in Recorded Folk or Ethnic Music
Yellow music : media culture and colonial modernity in Chinese Jazz Age by Andrew F. Jones

Best Research in Recorded Country Music
Discography of Western swing and hot string bands, 1928-1942 by Cary Ginell and Kevin Coffey

Best Research in Recorded Classical Music
Best Discography.
Witold Lutoslawski : a bio-bibliography by Stanislaw Bedkowski and Stinislaw Hrabia
Best History.
Sviatoslav Richter : notebooks and conversations by Bruno Monsaingeon; translated by Stewart Spencer
Certificate of Merit.
Pietro Mascagni : a bio-bibliography by Roger Flury

Best Research in Recorded Rock, Rhythm & Blues, or Soul
Orbison by Colin Escott; discography by Richard Weize. liner notes to Bear Family CD set

Best Research in Recorded Jazz
Best History.
The Miller companion to jazz in Canada : and Canadians in jazz by Mark Miller
Best Discography.
Brilliant corners : a bio-discography of Thelonious Monk compiled by Chris Sheridan
Certificate of Merit.
Before Motown : a history of jazz in Detroit, 1920-1960 by Lars Bjorn with Jim Gallert

Best Research in Recorded Blues
Screamin' and hollerin' the blues : the worlds of Charley Patton by David Evans, John Fahey, Edward Komara, and Dick Spottswood, liner notes to Revenant CD set

Best General Research in Recorded Sound
Beyond recall : a record of Jewish musical life in Nazi Berlin, 1933-1938 by Rainer E. Lotz, Horst J. P. Bergmeier, and Ejal Jakob Eisler, liner notes to Bear Family CD set
Certificate of Merit.
Aural history : essays on recorded sound, ed. by Andy Linehan

Best Research in Record Labels or Manufacturers
Brunswick Records : a discography of recordings, 1916-1931 [in 4 volumes] by Ross Laird
Certificate of Merit.
Okeh race records : the 8000 "race" series by Laurie Wright (self-published)

Best Research in the Preservation or Reproduction of Recorded Sound
Broadcast transcription discs by James R. Powell, Jr.; Phonographs with flair : a century of style in sound reproduction by Timothy C. Fabrizio and George F. Paul

2001
Best Research in Recorded General Popular Music

Popular American recording pioneers, 1895-1925 by Tim Gracyk and Frank Hoffmann
Certificate of Merit.
Mel Torme : a chronicle of his recordings, books and films by George Hulme

Best Research in Recorded Folk or Ethnic Music
Romancing the folk : public memory and American roots music by Benjamin Filene
Certificate of Merit.
Can't you hear me callin' : the life of Bill Monroe, father of bluegrass by Richard D. Smith

Best Research in Recorded Classical Music
Best Discography.
Tristan und Isolde on record : a comprehensive discography of Wagner's music drama with a critical introduction to the recordings by Jonathan Brown
Best History.
Meilensteine der Bach-Interpretation 1750-2000 : eine werkgeschichte im wandel by Martin Elste

Best Research in Recorded Rock, Rhythm & Blues, or Soul
The Who on record : a critical history, 1963-1998 by John Atkins
Certificate of Merit.
Race, rock, and Elvis by Michael T. Bertrand

Best Research in Recorded Jazz or Blues
Best History.
Kind of blue by Ashley Kahn
Best Discography/History.
Artie Shaw : a musical biography and discography by Vladimir Simosko
Certificate of Merit.
An unsung cat : the life and music of Warne Marsh by Safford Chamberlain
Certificate of Merit.
The half ain't been told : an Otis Spann career discography by Bill Rowe; revised and updated by Chris Smith and Howard Rye

Best Research the General History of Recorded Sound
Off the record : the technology and culture of sound recording in America by David Morton

Best Research in Record Labels or Manufacturers
Best Discography.
The R & B indies by Bob McGrath
Best History.
Spinning the blues into gold : the Chess brothers and the legendary Chess Records by Nadine Cohodas
Certificate of Merit.
American record labels and companies : an encyclopedia (1891-1943) by Allan Sutton and Kurt Nauck
Certificate of Merit.
Suomalaitsen äänilevyjen luettelo, 1901-1945 by Rainer Strommer

Best Research in Phonographs
Discovering antique phonographs by Timothy C. Fabrizio and George F. Paul

2000
Recorded General Popular Music

Sessions with Sinatra : Frank Sinatra and the art of recording by Charles L. Granata
Certificate of Merit.
Marigold : the music of Billy Mayerl by Peter Dickinson
Recorded Classical Music
More EJS : a discography of the Edward J. Smith recordings by William Shaman and William J. Collins
Recorded Rock, Rhythm & Blues, or Soul
Careless love : the unmaking of Elvis Presley by Peter Guralnick
Certificate of Merit.
The great alternative rock and indie discography by Martin Strong
Recorded Jazz
Groovin' high : the life of Dizzy Gillespie by Alyn Shipton; Jimmy Dorsey : a study in contrasts by Robert L. Stockdale
Recorded Blues
A blues life by Henry Townsend as told to Bill Greensmith
Recorded Folk or Ethnic Music
Klezmer! : Jewish music from old world to our world by Henry Sapoznik
General History of Recorded Sound
A spiral way : how the phonograph changed ethnography by Erika Brady
Record Labels or Manufacturers
The Columbia master book discography (4 vols.) by Tim Brooks and Brian Rust
Certificate of Merit.
Little Wonders records : a history and discography edited by Tim Brooks
Phonographs
Antique phonograph gadgets, gizmos, and gimmicks by Timothy Fabrizio and George Paul

1999
Recorded General Popular Music

"Lotte Lenya : a centenary tribute," by Richard Weize, Rainer E. Lotz, et al., liner notes to Bear Family CDs (1998)
Recorded Classical Music
"Budapest String Quartet", discography by Phil Hart in the ARSC Journal: Part 1 1924-1940, in vol. 28/2 (1997), Part 2 1941-1954, in vol.29/1 (1998), Part 3 1955-1966, in vol. 29/2 (1998)
Recorded Rock, Rhythm & Blues, or Soul
Elvis Presley : a life in music : the complete recording sessions by Ernst Jorgensen
Certificate of Merit.
The Deadhead's taping compendium, volume 1 : 1959-1974 by Michael M. Getz and John R. Dwork
Recorded Jazz, Blues, or Gospel
John Coltrane : his life and music by Lewis Porter
Certificate of Merit.
Dixonia : a bio-discography of Bill Dixon compiled by Ben Young
Recorded Country Music
The encyclopedia of country music : the ultimate guide to the music edited by Paul Kingsbury
Recorded Folk or Ethnic Music
Music of Hindu Trinidad : songs from the India diaspora by Helen Myers
Record Labels or Manufacturers
Making people's music : Moe Asch and Folkways Records by Peter D. Goldsmith

1998
Recorded General Popular Music

Hitler's airwaves : the inside story of Nazi radio broadcasting and propaganda swing by Horst J. P. Bergmeier and Rainer E. Lotz
Recorded Classical Music
The orchestra on record, 1896-1926 : an encyclopedia of orchestral recordings made by the acoustical process by Claude Arnold
Certificate of Merit.
The London Philharmonic discography by Philip Stuart
Recorded Rock, Rhythm & Blues, or Soul
American Bandstand : Dick Clark and the making of a rock 'n' roll empire by John A. Jackson
Recorded Jazz or Blues
The birth of bebop : a social and musical history by Scott DeVeaux
Certificate of Merit.
Space is the place : the lives and times of Sun Ra by John F. Szwed
Recorded Gospel Music
Roosevelt's blues : African-American blues and gospel songs on FDR by Guido van Rijn
Certificate of Merit.
Woke me up this morning : Black gospel singers and the gospel life by Alan Young
Recorded Country Music
Ramblin' Rose : the life and career of Rose Maddox by Jonny Whiteside
Certificate of Merit.
"Cliff Bruner and His Texas Wanderers," liner notes by Kevin Coffey to the 5-CD set (Bear Family Records [BCD 15932] 1997)
Certificate of Merit.
The Statler Brothers discography, compiled by Alice Y. Holtin
Recorded Folk or Ethnic Music
A day for the hunter, a day for the prey : popular music and power in Haiti by Gage Averill
Record Labels or Manufacturers
Soulsville U.S.A. : the story of Stax Records by Rob Bowman
Phonographs
The talking machine : an illustrated compendium by Timothy C. Fabrizio and George F. Paul

1997
Recorded General Popular Music

"Friedrich Hollander", liner notes by Viktor Rotthaler for the CD release by Bear Family Records (1996)
Recorded Classical Music
Otto Klemperer : his life and times by Peter Heyworth, discography by Michael Gray
Recorded Rock, Rhythm & Blues, or Soul
Doowop : the Chicago scene by Robert Pruter
Recorded Jazz, Blues, or Gospel
Stan Getz : a life in jazz by Donald L. Maggin
Recorded Country Music
Ernest Tubb : the Texas troubadour by Ronnie Pugh
Recorded Folk or Ethnic Music
"Songs for Political Action: Folk Music, Topical Songs and the American Left, 1926-1953," liner notes by Ronald D. Cohen and Dave Samuelson for the CD set issued by Bear Family Records (1996)
Record Labels or Manufacturers
Stage to studio : musicians and the sound revolution, 1890-1950 by James P. Kraft
Phonographs
Columbia phonograph companion, vol. 2 by Robert W. Baumbach

1996
Recorded General Popular Music

Tommy Dorsey : on the side by Robert L. Stockdale
Recorded Classical Music
Guillaume de Machaut : a guide to research by Lawrence Earp
Recorded Jazz, Blues, or Gospel
A life in ragtime : a biography of James Reese Europe by Reid Badger
Recorded Rock, Rhythm & Blues, or Soul
Rock Mr. Blues : the life and music of Wynonie Harris by Tony Collins
Recorded Country Music
The Waylon Jennings discography, compiled by John L. Smith
Recorded Folk or Ethnic Music
Ethnic and vernacular music, 1898-1960 : a resource and guide to recordings by Paul Vernon
Record Labels or Manufacturers
Berliner Gramophone Records : American issues, 1892-1900 by compiled by Paul Charosh

1995
Recorded General Popular Music

Television theme recordings : an illustrated discography, 1951-1994 by Steve Gelfand
Recorded Classical Music
Glyndebourne recorded : sixty years of recordings, 1934-1994 by Paul Campion and Rosy Runciman
Recorded Rock, Rhythm & Blues, or Soul
The Kinks, part one : you really got me, an illustrated world discography of the Kinks, 1964-1993 by Doug Hinman with Jason Brabazon
Certificate of Merit.
Last train to Memphis : the rise of Elvis Presley by Peter Guralnick
Recorded Jazz, Blues, or Gospel
Thinking jazz : the infinite art of improvisation by Paul F. Berliner
Recorded Country Music
Milton Brown and the founding of western swing by Cary Ginell
Recorded Folk or Ethnic Music
Cuba canta y baila : discografia de la musica Cubana, vol. 1 : 1898-1925 by Cristobal Diaz Ayala
Record Labels or Manufacturers (Histories)
Directory of American disc record brands and manufacturers, 1891-1943 by Allan Sutton
Record Labels or Manufacturers (Discographies)
EJS, discography of the Edward J. Smith recordings : the golden age of opera, 1956-1971 by William Shaman, William J. Collins, and Calvin M. Goodwin
Certificate of Merit.
His Master's Voice / Die Stimme seines Herrn : the German catalog (1898-1929), compiled by Alan Kelly.
Vintage Phonographs
The Edison cylinder phonograph companion by George Frow

1994
Recorded General Popular Music

Frank Munn : a biodiscography of the golden voice of radio by Rodney Steiner and Thomas A. Delong
Recorded Classical Music
Adelina Patti : queen of hearts by John Frederick Cone
Recorded Rock, Rhythm & Blues, or Soul
Louie, Louie : the history and mythology of the world's most famous rock 'n' roll song by Dave Marsh
Recorded Jazz, Blues, or Gospel
Going to Cincinnati : a history of the blues in the Queen City by Steven C. Tracy
Recorded Country Music
The Stonemans : an Appalachian family and the music that shaped their lives by Ivan M. Tribe
Recorded Folk or Ethnic Music
Lydia Mendoza : a family autobiography, compiled and introduced by Chris Strachwitz and Jim Nicolopulos
Record Labels or Manufacturers
The Mercury Labels : a discography by Michael Ruppli and Ed Novitsky
Recording Technology
Playback equalizer settings for 78 RPM recordings by James R. Powell, Jr. and Randall G. Stehle
General Reference in the Field of Recorded Sound
The banjo on record : a bio-discography by Uli Heier and Rainer E. Lotz

1993
Recorded General Popular Music

Dino : living high in the dirty business of dreams by Nick Tosches
Recorded Classical Music
Early recordings and musical style : changing tastes in instrumental performance, 1900-1950 by Robert Philip
Recorded Rock, Rhythm & Blues, or Soul
England's dreaming : anarchy, Sex Pistols, punk rock, and beyond by Jon Savage
Recorded Jazz, Blues, or Gospel
"Louis Jordan," liner notes by Peter Grendysa to the Bear Family Records CD set (1992)
Recorded Country Music
"Johnnie & Jack," liner notes by Eddie Stubbs and Walt Trott to the Bear Family Records CD set (1992)
Recorded Folk or Ethnic Music
A passion for polka : old-time ethnic music in America by Victor R. Greene
Record Labels or Manufacturers
Trumpet Records : an illustrated history with discography by Marc Ryan
Cataloging and Access to Recordings
Archival information processing for sound recordings by David A. Thomas (MLA Technical Report no.21, Music Library Association, 1992)

1992
Recorded General Popular Music

A Gershwin companion : a critical inventory & discography, 1916-1984 by Walter Rimler
Recorded Classical Music
Igor Stravinsky--the composer in the recording studio : a comprehensive discography by Philip Stuart
Recorded Rock, Rhythm & Blues, or Soul
For discography:  Positively Bob Dylan : a thirty-year discography, concert, and recording guide, 1960-1991 by Michael Krogsgaard
For historical research:  Big beat heat : Alan Freed and the early years of rock & roll by John A. Jackson
Recorded Jazz or Blues
The song of the Hawk : the life and recordings of Coleman Hawkins by John Chilton
Recorded Country Music
"Johnny Horton," liner notes by Colin Escott to the Bear Family Records CD set (BCD 15470, 1991)
Recorded Folk or Ethnic Music
"Michael Coleman," liner notes by Harry Bradshaw to the Viva Voce 2-cassette set (Viva Voce 004, 1991) [Later released on CD: Gael-Linn/Viva Voce CEFCD 161]
Record Labels or Manufacturers
Chicago soul by Robert Pruter

1991
Recorded General Popular Music

The complete Judy Garland : the ultimate guide to her career in films, records, concerts, radio, and television, 1935-1969 by Emily R. Coleman
Recorded Classical Music
A Gregorian chant discography by Jerome F. Weber
Recorded Rock, Rhythm & Blues, or Soul
"The Classic Carl Perkins", liner notes by Colin Escott to the Bear Family Records CD set (BCD 15494, 1990)
Recorded Jazz or Blues
You got to be original, man : the music of Lester Young by Frank Buchmann-Moller
Recorded Country, Folk, or Ethnic Music
Ethnic music on records : a discography of ethnic recordings produced in the United States, 1893 to 1942 by Richard Spottswood
Recorded Spoken Word
"The Jack Kerouac Collection", liner notes by David Perry and James Austin to the Rhino WordBeat set (R 70939, 1990)
Record Labels or Manufacturers
His Master's Voice/La voix de son maître, the French catalog : a complete catalogue of French gramophone recordings made from 1898 to 1929 in France and elsewhere by the Gramophone Company Ltd. by Alan Kelly
Preservation or Reproduction of Recordings
A manual of sound archive administration by Alan Ward