How many times has a Grammy been taken away?

The answer is: Once

The Recording Academy has only revoked a Grammy Award once in its entire history, and the story behind it is pure 1990s music drama. Milli Vanilli, the German-French pop duo, won Best New Artist at the 1990 Grammy Awards on the strength of "Girl You Know It's True" (their North American debut). The album was a monster hit, topping the Billboard charts and launching three #1 singles. They were ready for stardom until everyone realized they were the faces, not the voices, behind the music.

The facade crumbled when Rob Pilatus and Fab Morvan were performing live in Connecticut and their backing track malfunctioned, skipping repeatedly while they panicked on stage. Their producer, Frank Farian, finally cracked under pressure and admitted he'd hired actual singers to record the album while Rob and Fab just lip-synced and looked pretty.

Milli Vanilli was actually embarrassed by everything and had planned to return their Grammy voluntarily, accepting that they hadn't earned it. But news leaked to the academy, and before the duo could make their announcement, news broke that the Recording Academy was revoking the award. There was an attempt to rebuild their careers by recording with their real voices, but the damage to their reputation was irreparable. Decades later, they remain the only act to lose a Grammy.