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