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Every Grammys Best Contemporary Classical Composition winner

26 ceremonies, 2000–2025. 22 different winners.

Best Contemporary Classical Composition was previously known as Best Classical Contemporary Composition.

The words were reordered in the 2012 restructuring; the award itself did not change.

Jennifer Higdon ×3Christopher Rouse ×2Michael Daugherty ×2
One band per year, because no winner has gone back-to-back in the years on record. Colored by label; scroll sideways for the full run.
Pierre Boulez'00
George Crumb'01
Christopher Rouse'02
John Tavener'03
Dominick Argento'04
John Adams'05
William Bolcom'06
Osvaldo Golijov'07
Joan Tower'08
John Corigliano'09
Jennifer Higdon'10
Michael Daugherty'11
Robert Aldridge'12
Stephen Hartke'13
Maria Schneider'14
John Luther Adams'15
Stephen Paulus'16
Michael Daugherty'17
Jennifer Higdon'18
Aaron Jay Kernis'19
Jennifer Higdon'20
Christopher Rouse'21
Caroline Shaw'22
Kevin Puts'23
Jessie Montgomery'24
Gabriela Ortiz'25

Who kept losing

Counting nominations in this category only, 2000–2025.

Most nominated, never won

  • Arvo Pärt4 noms
  • Andy Akiho3 noms
  • Thomas Adès3 noms
  • Andrew Norman2 noms
  • Christopher Theofanidis2 noms
  • Derek Bermel2 noms

Most losses

  • Arvo Pärt4L · 0W
  • Andy Akiho3L · 0W
  • George Crumb3L · 1W
  • Jennifer Higdon3L · 3W
  • Thomas Adès3L · 0W
  • Andrew Norman2L · 0W

The full list

YearWinnerLabel
2025Gabriela Ortiz (Revolución Diamantina)
beat 4 others
  • Andrea Cassarubios (Seven for Solo Cello)
  • Valerie Coleman (Revelry)
  • David Lang (Composition as Explanation)
  • Kaija Saariaho (Adriana Mater)
Unrecorded
2024Jessie Montgomery (Rounds)
beat 4 others
  • Thomas Adès (Dante)
  • Andy Akiho (In That Space, In That Time)
  • William Brittelle (Psychedelics)
  • Missy Mazzoli (Dark with Excessive Bright)
Unrecorded
2023Kevin Puts (Contact)
beat 4 others
  • Andy Akiho (Ligneos Suite)
  • Derek Bermel (Intonations)
  • Sofia Gubaidulina (The Wrath of God)
  • Carlos Simon (Requiem for the Enslaved)
Unrecorded
2022Caroline Shaw (Narrow Sea)
beat 4 others
  • Andy Akiho (Seven Pillars)
  • Louis Andriessen (The Only One)
  • Clarice Assad (Archetypes)
  • Jon Batiste (Movement 11)
Unrecorded
2021Christopher Rouse (Symphony No. 5)
beat 4 others
  • Carlisle Floyd (Prince of Players)
  • Ted Hearne (Place)
  • Thomas Adès (Piano Concerto)
  • Richard Danielpour (The Passion Of Yeshua)
Unrecorded
2020Jennifer Higdon (Harp Concerto)
beat 5 others
  • Derek Bermel (Migration Series For Jazz Ensemble & Orchestra)
  • Wynton Marsalis (Violin Concerto In D Major)
  • Andrew Norman (Sustain)
  • Caroline Shaw (Orange)
  • Julia Wolfe (Fire In My Mouth Show)
Unrecorded
2019Aaron Jay Kernis (Violin Concerto)
beat 4 others
  • Jake Heggie (Great Scott)
  • Missy Mazzoli (Vespers For Violin)
  • Mason Bates (The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs)
  • Du Yun (Air Glow)
Unrecorded
2018Jennifer Higdon (Viola Concerto)
beat 4 others
  • Zhou Tian (Concerto For Orchestra)
  • Adam Schoenberg (Picture Studies)
  • Tigran Mansurian (Requiem)
  • Richard Danielpour (Songs Of Solitude)
Unrecorded
2017Michael Daugherty (Tales of Hemingway)
beat 4 others
  • Jennifer Higdon (Cold Mountain)
  • Christopher Theofanidis (Bassoon Concerto)
  • Kip Winger (Conversations With Nijinsky)
  • Mason Bates (Anthology of Fantastic Zoology)
Unrecorded
2016Stephen Paulus (Prayers and Remembrances)
beat 4 others
  • Gerald Barry (The Importance of Being Earnest)
  • Andrew Norman (Play)
  • Joan Tower (Stroke)
  • Julia Wolfe (Anthracite Fields)
Unrecorded
2015John Luther Adams (Become Ocean)
beat 4 others
  • Anna Clyne (Prince of Clouds)
  • George Crumb (Voices From The Heartland)
  • Stephen Paulus (Concerto For Two Trumpets & Band)
  • Roberto Sierra (Sinfonía No. 4)
Unrecorded
2014Maria Schneider (Winter Morning Walks)
beat 4 others
  • Magnus Lindberg (Piano Concerto No. 2)
  • Arvo Pärt (Adam's Lament)
  • Esa-Pekka Salonen (Violin Concerto)
  • Caroline Shaw (Partita for 8 Voices)
Unrecorded
2013Stephen Hartke (Meanwhile - Incidental Music To Imaginary Puppet Plays)
beat 4 others
  • Tania León (Inura For Voices, Strings & Percussion)
  • Uģis Prauliņš (The Nightingale)
  • Einojuhani Rautavaara (Cello Concerto No. 2 Towards the Horizon)
  • Steven Stucky (August 4, 1964)
Unrecorded
2012Robert Aldridge (Elmer Gantry)
beat 4 others
  • George Crumb (The Ghosts Of Alhambra)
  • Jefferson Friedman (String Quartet No. 3)
  • Steven Mackey (Lonely Motel - Music From Slide)
  • Poul Ruders (Piano Concerto No. 2)
Unrecorded
2011Michael Daugherty (Deus ex Machina)
beat 4 others
  • Hans Werner Henze (Appassionatamente Plus)
  • Magnus Lindberg (Graffiti)
  • Arvo Pärt (Symphony No. 4)
  • Rodion Shchedrin (The Enchanted Wanderer)
Unrecorded
2010Jennifer Higdon (Percussion Concerto)
beat 4 others
  • George Crumb (The Winds Of Destiny)
  • Arvo Pärt (In Principio)
  • Roberto Sierra (Missa Latina 'Pro Pace)
  • Yehudi Wyner (Chiavi in Mano)
Unrecorded
2009John Corigliano (Mr. Tambourine Man: Seven Poems Of Bob Dylan)
beat 4 others
  • Marc-André Dalbavie (Flute Concerto)
  • Michael Gandolfi (The Garden Of Cosmic Speculation)
  • George Tsontakis (Violin Concerto No. 2)
  • Chris Walden (Symphony No. 1, The Four Elements)
Unrecorded
2008Joan Tower (Made In America)
beat 4 others
  • Joan Albert Amargós (Northern Concerto)
  • David Chesky (Concerto For Bassoon And Orchestra)
  • Jennifer Higdon (Zaka)
  • Peter Lieberson (Neruda Songs)
Unrecorded
2007Osvaldo Golijov (Ainadamar)
beat 4 others
  • Elliott Carter (Boston Concerto)
  • Christopher Theofanidis (The Here And Now)
  • David Del Tredici (Paul Revere's Ride)
  • James MacMillan (A Scotch Bestiary)
Unrecorded
2006William Bolcom (Songs Of Innocence And Of Experience)
beat 4 others
  • Carlos Franzetti (Corpus Evita)
  • Ned Rorem (Nine Episodes For Four Players)
  • Osvaldo Golijov (Ayre)
  • Peter Boyer (Ellis Island: The Dream of America)
Unrecorded
2005John Adams (On the Transmigration of Souls)
beat 4 others
  • Jennifer Higdon (Concerto For Orchestra)
  • Tigran Mansurian (... and then I was in time again)
  • André Previn (Violin Concerto)
  • Valentyn Silvestrov (Requiem For Larissa)
Unrecorded
2004Dominick Argento (Casa Guidi)
beat 4 others
  • George Rochberg (Symphony No. 5)
  • José Serebrier (Symphony No. 3)
  • György Kurtág (Signs, Games And Messages)
  • Benjamin Lees (Symphony No. 5 "Kalmar Nyckel")
Unrecorded
2003John Tavener (Lamentations & Praises)
beat 4 others
  • John Adams (Naïve and Sentimental Music)
  • Osvaldo Golijov (Yiddishbbuk Inscriptions For String Quartet)
  • Sofia Gubaidulina (Johannes-Passion)
  • Arvo Pärt (Orient & Occident)
Unrecorded
2002Christopher Rouse (Concert de Gaudí)
beat 3 others
  • Poul Ruders (The Handmaid's Tale)
  • John Tavener (Total Eclipse)
  • Pierre Boulez (Sur Incises)
Unrecorded
2001George Crumb (Star-Child)
beat 4 others
  • Heiner Goebbels (Surrogate Cities)
  • Nicholas Maw (Violin Concerto)
  • Ned Rorem (Evidence Of Things Not Seen)
  • Rodion Shchedrin (Concerto Cantabile)
Unrecorded
2000Pierre Boulez (Répons)
beat 4 others
  • Aaron Jay Kernis (Air For Violin)
  • John Tavener (Eternity's Sunrise)
  • Thomas Adès (Asyla)
  • Andrew Imbrie (Requiem)
Unrecorded

More Grammys categories

Pop AlbumRap AlbumRock AlbumCountry AlbumMúsica Mexicana AlbumJazz PerformanceJazz Vocal AlbumJazz Instr. AlbumLarge Jazz EnsembleLatin Jazz AlbumAlt Jazz AlbumContemp. InstrumentalInstr. CompositionInstr. ArrangementVocal ArrangementEngineered AlbumAll 152 categories

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