| Year | Winner(s) | Title | Nominees | Ref. |
| 1987 | Doc Watson | Riding the Midnight Train | - Buckwheat Zydeco for Waitin' for My Ya Ya
- New Lost City Ramblers with Elizabeth Cotten, Pete Seeger, Highwood String Band for 20th Anniversary Concert
- Queen Ida for Caught in the Act
- Rockin' Sidney for Hot Steppin' with Rockin' Sidney
| |
| 1988 | Ladysmith Black Mambazo | Shaka Zulu | - Veit Erlmann (compilation producer) for Mbube Roots, Zulu Choral Music from South Africa
- The Chieftains for Celtic Wedding
- Michael Doucet, BeauSoleil for Belizaire the Cajun
- various artists for Zulu Men's Singing Competition
| |
| 1989 | various artists | Folkways: A Vision Shared | - Bob Dylan for "Pretty Boy Floyd"
- Bulgarian State Television Female Vocal Choir for Le Mystère des Voix Bulgares
- Ladysmith Black Mambazo for Journey of Dreams
- Van Morrison, The Chieftains for Irish Heartbeat
| |
| 1990 | Bulgarian State Television Female Vocal Choir | Le Mystère des Voix Bulgares, Volume II | - The Cajun Tradition for Á la Vielle Façon
- Various American Indian Tribes for American Indian Dance Theatre
- Norman Blake, Nancy Blake for Blind Dog
- Masters of Traditional Missouri Fiddling for Now That's a Good Tune
| |
| 1991 | Doc Watson | On Praying Ground | - Toinho de Alagoas, Duda da Passira, Jose Orlando, Heleno Dos Oito Baixos for Brazil Forro: Music for Maids and Taxi Drivers
- Ladysmith Black Mambazo for Classic Tracks
- Basin Brothers for Let's Get Cajun
- The Whitstein Brothers for Old Time Duets
- Various Artists for Partisans of Vilna: Songs of World War II Jewish Resistance
| |
| 1992 | Various Artists | The Civil War | - Doc Watson for My Dear Old Southern Home
- Mike Seeger for Solo-Oldtime Country Music
- Jimmy C. Newman for The Alligator Man
- Various Artists for Le Mystère des Voix Bulgares Vol. 3
| - |
| 1993 | The Chieftains | An Irish Evening | - Norman and Nancy Blake for Just Gimme Somethin' I'm Used To
- David Holt for Grandfather's Greatest Hits
- Le Mystere des Voix Bulgares for A Cathedral Concert
- D. L. Menard, Eddie LeJeune, Ken Smith for Le Trio Cadien
| |
| 1994 | The Chieftains | The Celtic Harp | - Le Mystere des Voix Bulgares for Melody, Rhythm & Harmony
- Bill Morrissey, Greg Brown for Friend of Mine
- R. Carlos Nakai, William Eaton, Black Lodge Singers for Ancestral Voices
- Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys for Trace of Time
- Jody Stecher, Kate Brislin for Our Town
| |
| 1995 | Bob Dylan | World Gone Wrong | - BeauSoleil for L'Echo
- Bulgarian State Television Female Vocal Choir for Ritual - Le Mystere des Voix Bulgares
- Ladysmith Black Mambazo for Liph Iqiniso
- John Renbourn, Robin Williamson for Wheel of Fortune
- Mike Seeger for Third Annual Farewell Reunion
| |
| 1996 | Ramblin' Jack Elliott | South Coast | - Norman & Nancy Blake for While Passing Along This Way
- Ali Akbar Khan for Then and Now
- Laurie Lewis, Tom Rozum for The Oak and the Laurel
- Dave van Ronk for From... Another Time & Place
| |
| 1997 | Pete Seeger | Pete | - Norman & Nancy Blake for The Hobo's Last Ride
- John Hartford for Wild Hog in the Red Brush
- Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan for Intoxicated Spirit
- Ladysmith Black Mambazo for Thuthukani Ngoxolo - Let's Develop in Peace
| |
| 1998 | BeauSoleil | L'Amour Ou La Folie | - Hackberry Ramblers for Deep Water
- New Lost City Ramblers for There Ain't No Way Out
- Jo-El Sonnier for Cajun Pride
- Jody Stecher, Kate Brislin for Heart Songs: The Old Time Country Songs of Utah Phillips
| |
| 1999 | The Chieftains | Long Journey Home | - Norman Blake for Chattanooga Sugar Babe
- Greg Brown for Slant 6 Mind
- Ramblin' Jack Elliott for Friends of Mine
- Mike Seeger for Southern Banjo Sounds
| |
| 2000 | June Carter Cash | Press On | - Ramblin' Jack Elliott for The Long Ride
- David Grisman, John Hartford, Mike Seeger for Retrograss
- Bill Morrissey for Songs of Mississippi John Hurt
- Doc & Richard Watson for Third Generation Blues
| |
| 2001 | Dave Alvin | Public Domain | - Norman Blake for Far Away, Down on a Georgia Farm
- Ladysmith Black Mambazo for Live at the Royal Albert Hall
- Natalie MacMaster for My Roots Are Showing
- Jo-El Sonnier for Cajun Blood
| |
| 2002 | Various Artists | Down from the Mountain | - BeauSoleil for Looking Back Tomorrow: Beausoleil Live!
- John Hartford for Hamilton Ironworks
- Roger McGuinn, Various Artists for Treasures from the Folk Den
- Various Artists for Avalon Blues - A Tribute to the Music of Mississippi John Hurt
| |
| 2003 | Doc Watson | Legacy | - Fiddlers 4 (Michael Doucet, Darol Anger, Bruce Molsky, and Rushad Eggleston) for Fiddlers 4
- Cathy Fink, Marcy Marxer for Postcards
- Jorma Kaukonen for Blue Country Heart
- Peter Rowan, Don Edwards for High Lonesome Cowboy
- Various Artists for Evangeline Made - A Tribute to Majun Music
| |
| 2004 | June Carter Cash | Wildwood Flower | - Steve Forbert for Any Old Time
- Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys for Bon Reve
- Earl Scruggs, Doc Watson, Ricky Skaggs for The Three Pickers
- Pete Seeger & Friends for Seeds: The Songs of Pete Seeger, Volume 3
| |
| 2005 | Various Artists | Beautiful Dreamer | - BeauSoleil for Gitane Cajun
- Norman & Nancy Blake for The Morning Glory Ramblers
- Rosalie Sorrels & Friends for My Last Go Round
- Dave Van Ronk for ...And the Tin Pan Bended, and the Story Ended...
| |
| 2006 | Tim O'Brien | Fiddler's Green | - The Chieftains for Live from Dublin - A Tribute to Derek Bell
- Jimmie Dale Gilmore for Come On Back
- Tom Paxton for Live In the UK
- Jo-El Sonnier for Cajun Mardi Gras!
| |
| 2007 | Bruce Springsteen | We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions | - Ramblin' Jack Elliott for I Stand Alone
- Odetta for Gotta Let It Shine
- Linda Ronstadt, Ann Savoy for Adieu False Heart
- Ralph Stanley for A Distant Land to Roam: Songs of the Carter Family
| |
| 2008 | Levon Helm | Dirt Farmer | - David Bromberg for Try Me One More Time
- Peter Case for Let Us Now Praise Sleepy John
- Cathy Fink for Banjo Talkin'
- Charlie Louvin for Charlie Louvin
| |
| 2009 | Pete Seeger | At 89 | - Kathy Mattea for Coal
- Tom Paxton for Comedians & Angels
- Peggy Seeger for Bring Me Home
- Rosalie Sorrels for Strangers In Another Country
| |
| 2010 | Loudon Wainwright III | High Wide & Handsome: The Charlie Poole Project | - David Holt, Josh Goforth for Cutting Loose
- Maura O'Connell for Naked With Friends
- Jimmy Sturr and His Orchestra for Polka Cola: Music That Refreshes
- Various Artists for Singing Through the Hard Times: A Tribute to Utah Phillips
| |
| 2011 | Carolina Chocolate Drops | Genuine Negro Jig | - Luther Dickinson & the Sons of Mudboy for Onward and Upward
- The John Hartford Stringband for Memories of John
- Maria Muldaur for Maria Muldaur & Her Garden of Joy
- Ricky Skaggs for Ricky Skaggs Solo: Songs My Dad Loved
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