Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Composition

Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Composition
Awarded forquality instrumental compositions
CountryUnited States
Presented byNational Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences
First awarded1960
Currently held byJohn Williams, "Helena's Theme" (2024)
Websitegrammy.com

The Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Composition (including its previous names) has been awarded since 1960. The award is presented to the composer of an original piece of music (not an adaptation), first released during the eligibility year. In theory, any style of music is eligible for this category, but winning compositions are usually in the jazz or film score genres.

The Grammy is awarded to the composer(s) of the music, not to the performing artist, except if the artist is also the composer. There have been several minor changes to the name of the award:

  • In 1959 it was awarded as Best Musical Composition First Recorded and Released in 1958 (over 5 minutes duration)
  • In 1960 it was awarded as Best Musical Composition First Recorded and Released in 1959 (more than 5 minutes duration)
  • In 1962 it was awarded as Best Instrumental Theme or Instrumental Version of Song
  • From 1963 to 1964 and from 1967 to 1970 it was awarded as Best Instrumental Theme
  • In 1965 it was awarded as Best Instrumental Composition (other than jazz)
  • From 1971 to the present it has been awarded as Best Instrumental Composition

Years reflect the year in which the Grammy Awards were presented, for works released in the previous year.

Recipients

[edit]
Year[I] Composer(s) Work Performing artist(s) Nominees
Performers are in parentheses 		Ref.
1958 Nelson Riddle "Cross Country Suite" Nelson Riddle
1959 Duke Ellington Anatomy of a Murder Duke Ellington
1962 Galt MacDermot "African Waltz" Cannonball Adderley
1963 Bobby Scott & Ric Marlow "A Taste of Honey" Eddie Cano
1964 Norman Newell, Nino Oliviero & Riz Ortolani "More" - Theme from Mondo Cane Vic Dana
1965 Henry Mancini "The Pink Panther Theme" Henry Mancini
1966 Not awarded
1967 Neal Hefti "Batman Theme" Neal Hefti
1968 Lalo Schifrin Theme from Mission: Impossible Lalo Schifrin
1969 Mason Williams "Classical Gas" Mason Williams
1970 John Barry Theme from Midnight Cowboy John Barry
1971 Alfred Newman "Love Theme" from Airport Alfred Newman
1972 Michel Legrand Theme from Summer of '42 Michel Legrand
1973 Theme from Brian's Song
1974 Gato Barbieri Theme from Last Tango in Paris Chuck Mangione and also Herb Alpert
1975 Mike Oldfield "Tubular Bells" – Theme from The Exorcist Mike Oldfield
1976 Michel Legrand "Images" Michel Legrand & Phil Woods
1977 Chuck Mangione "Bellavia" Chuck Mangione
1978 John Williams "Main Title" from Star Wars John Williams
1979 "Theme" from Close Encounters of the Third Kind
1980 John Williams Main Title Theme from Superman John Williams
1981 "The Empire Strikes Back"
1982 Mike Post Theme from Hill Street Blues Mike Post
1983 John Williams "Flying" – Theme from E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial John Williams
1984 Giorgio Moroder "Love Theme" from Flashdance Various artists (Helen St. John)
1985 Tie
Randy Newman "The Natural" Randy Newman
John Williams "Olympic Fanfare & Theme" the official music of the XXIII Olympiad John Williams
1986 Jan Hammer "Theme" from Miami Vice Jan Hammer
1987 John Barry "Out of Africa" John Barry
1988 Ron Carter, Herbie Hancock, Billy Higgins & Wayne Shorter "Call Sheet Blues" Various artists
1989 Mike Post Theme from L.A. Law Mike Post
1990 Danny Elfman Theme from Batman Sinfonia of London Orchestra
1991 Pat Metheny "Change of Heart" Roy Haynes, Dave Holland & Pat Metheny
1992 Elton John "Basque" James Galway
1993 Benny Carter "Harlem Renaissance Suite" Benny Carter
1994 Kenny G "Forever in Love" Kenny G
1995 Michael Brecker "African Skies" Michael Brecker
1996 Bill Holman "A View From the Side" The Bill Holman Band
1997 Herbie Hancock & Jean Hancock "Manhattan (Island of Lights and Love)" Herbie Hancock
1998 Wayne Shorter "Aung San Suu Kyi" Herbie Hancock & Wayne Shorter
1999 Bela Fleck, Future Man & Victor Lemonte Wooten "Almost 12" Bela Fleck and the Flecktones
2000 Don Sebesky "Joyful Noise Suite" Don Sebersky
2001 John Williams Theme from Angela's Ashes John Williams
2002 Alan Silvestri Cast Away – "End Credits" Alan Silvestri
2003 Thomas Newman Six Feet Under "Title Theme" Thomas Newman
2004 Wayne Shorter "Sacajawea" Wayne Shorter
2005 Paquito D'Rivera "Merengue" Yo-Yo Ma
2006 Billy Childs "Into The Light" Billy Childs Ensemble
2007 John Williams "A Prayer for Peace" John Williams
2008 Maria Schneider "Cerulean Skies" Maria Schneider Orchestra
2009 John Williams "The Adventures of Mutt" John Williams
2010 Michael Giacchino "Married Life" Michael Giacchino
  • Steve Wiest – "Ice-Nine" (University of North Texas One O'Clock Lab Band)
  • Bob Florence – "Fluffy" (Bob Florence Limited Edition)
  • Tim Davies – "Counting to Infinity" (Tim Davies Big Band)
  • Paquito D'Rivera – "Borat in Syracuse" (Paquito D'Rivera Quintet)
2011 Billy Childs "The Path Among The Trees" Billy Childs Ensemble
2012 Béla Fleck & Howard Levy "Life in Eleven" Béla Fleck and the Flecktones
2013 Chick Corea "Mozart Goes Dancing" Chick Corea & Gary Burton
2014 Clare Fischer "Pensamientos for Solo Alto Saxophone and Chamber Orchestra" Clare Fischer Orchestra
2015 John Williams "The Book Thief" John Williams [1]
2016 Arturo O'Farrill "The Afro Latin Jazz Suite" Arturo O'Farrill & The Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra featuring Rudresh Mahanthappa [2]
2017 Ted Nash "Spoken at Midnight" Ted Nash Big Band
  • Thomas Newman – "Bridge of Spies (End Title)"
  • Tim Davies – "The Expensive Train Set (An Epic Sarahnade for Double Big Band)" (Tim Davies Big Band)
  • Alan Ferber – "Flow" (Alan Ferber Nonet)
  • Ennio Morricone – "L'Ultima Diligenza di Red Rock - Versione Integrale"
 [3]
2018 Arturo O'Farrill "Three Revolutions" Arturo O'Farrill & Chucho Valdés [4]
2019 Terence Blanchard "Blut und Boden (Blood and Soil)" Terence Blanchard [5]
2020 John Williams "Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge Symphonic Suite" John Williams [6]
2021 Maria Schneider "Sputnik" Maria Schneider Orchestra [7]
2022 Lyle Mays "Eberhard" Lyle Mays [8]
2023 Geoffrey Keezer "Refuge" Geoffrey Keezer [9]
2024 John Williams "Helena's Theme" John Williams
2025 Winner TBA on 2 February 2025 [10]

Multiple wins

[edit]
Wins Composers
12
John Williams
3
Michel Legrand
Wayne Shorter
2
John Barry
Billy Childs
Bela Fleck
Herbie Hancock
Arturo O'Farrill
Mike Post
Maria Schneider

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "57th Grammy Nominees". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on November 13, 2015. Retrieved December 5, 2014.
  2. ^ "Grammy Nominations 2016: See the Full List of Nominees". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. December 7, 2015. Archived from the original on December 10, 2015. Retrieved December 7, 2015.
  3. ^ "Grammy Nominations 2017: See the Full List of Nominees". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. December 6, 2016. Archived from the original on December 6, 2016. Retrieved December 6, 2016.
  4. ^ Lynch, Joe (November 28, 2017). "Grammys 2018: See the Complete List of Nominees". Billboard. Retrieved November 29, 2017.
  5. ^ "61st Annual GRAMMY Awards". GRAMMY.com. Archived from the original on December 7, 2018. Retrieved December 7, 2018.
  6. ^ "Grammy Awards Nominations: The Complete List". Variety. 2019-11-20. Retrieved 2019-11-20.
  7. ^ Grammy.com, 24 November 2020
  8. ^ "2022 GRAMMYs Awards: Complete Nominations List". GRAMMY.com. 2021-11-23. Retrieved 2021-11-28.
  9. ^ "2023 GRAMMY Nominations: See The Complete Nominees List". www.grammy.com. Retrieved 2022-11-18.
  10. ^ "2025 GRAMMYs: See The OFFICIAL Full Nominations List | GRAMMY.com". grammy.com. Retrieved 2024-11-10.
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