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Every Grammys Best Jazz Performance winner

26 ceremonies, 2000–2025. 16 different winners. The longest run was Michael Brecker, 2 years straight (2007–2008).

Best Jazz Performance was previously known as Best Improvised Jazz Solo.

It carried the current name from 2024, was Best Improvised Jazz Solo from 2009 to 2023 and Best Jazz Instrumental Solo before that. The trophy goes to the soloist rather than to a label, so a label is shown only where the source names the record the solo came from.

Chick Corea ×5Herbie Hancock ×3Michael Brecker ×3Terence Blanchard ×2Wayne Shorter ×2
Each band is one winner’s reign. Wider means a longer run. Colored by label; hover for details.
Wayne Shorter'00
Pat Metheny'01
Michael Brecker'02
Herbie Hancock'03
Chick Corea'04
Herbie Hancock'05
Sonny Rollins'06
Michael Brecker'07–'08×2
Terence Blanchard'09–'10×2
Herbie Hancock'11
Chick Corea'12
Gary Burton & Chick Corea'13
Wayne Shorter'14
Chick Corea'15
Christian McBride'16
John Scofield'17
John McLaughlin'18
John Daversa'19
Randy Brecker'20
Chick Corea'21–'22×2
Wayne Shorter & Leo Genovese'23
Samara Joy'24
Samara Joy featuring Sullivan Fortner'25
Wins by label
  1. Heads Up120%
  2. Mack Avenue120%
  3. Stretch120%
  4. Telarc120%
  5. Videoarts Music120%

21 further wins have no label on record and are not counted in the 5 above.

21 of these 26 wins have no label on record, so the bar covers the other 5.

Who kept losing

Counting nominations in this category only, 2000–2025.

Most nominated, never won

  • Fred Hersch6 noms
  • Brad Mehldau4 noms
  • Alan Broadbent3 noms
  • Branford Marsalis3 noms
  • Donny McCaslin3 noms
  • Keith Jarrett3 noms

Most losses

  • Fred Hersch6L · 0W
  • Terence Blanchard5L · 2W
  • Brad Mehldau4L · 0W
  • Alan Broadbent3L · 0W
  • Branford Marsalis3L · 0W
  • Donny McCaslin3L · 0W

The full list

YearWinnerLabel
2025Samara Joy featuring Sullivan Fortner (Twinkle Twinkle Little Me)
beat 4 others
  • The Baylor Project (Walk With Me, Lord (SOUND | SPIRIT))
  • Lakecia Benjamin featuring Randy Brecker, Jeff "Tain" Watts, & John Scofield (Phoenix Reimagined (Live))
  • Chick Corea and Béla Fleck (Juno)
  • Dan Pugach Big Band featuring Nicole Zuraitis & Troy Roberts (Little Fears)
Not credited
2024Samara Joy (Tight)
beat 4 others
  • Adam Blackstone featuring the Baylor Project & Russell Ferranté (Vulnerable (Live))
  • Fred Hersch and Esperanza Spalding (But Not for Me)
  • Jon Batiste (Movement 18' (Heroes))
  • Lakecia Benjamin (Basquiat)
Not credited
2023Wayne Shorter & Leo Genovese (Endangered Species)
beat 5 others
  • Ambrose Akinmusire (Rounds (Live))
  • Gerald Albright (Keep Holding On)
  • Melissa Aldana (Falling)
  • Marcus Baylor (Call of the Drum)
  • John Beasley (Cherokee/Koko)
Not credited
2022Chick Corea (Humpty Dumpty (Set 2))repeat
beat 4 others
  • Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah (Sackodougou)
  • Kenny Barron (Kick Those Feet)
  • Jon Batiste (Bigger Than Us)
  • Terence Blanchard (Absence)
Not credited
2021Chick Corea (All Blues)
beat 4 others
  • Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah (Guinevere)
  • Regina Carter (Pachamama)
  • Gerald Clayton (Celia)
  • Joshua Redman (Moe Honk)
Not credited
2020Randy Brecker (Sozinho)
beat 4 others
  • Melissa Aldana (Elsewhere)
  • Julian Lage (Tomorrow Is The Question)
  • Branford Marsalis (The Windup)
  • Christian McBride (Sightseeing)
Not credited
2019John Daversa (Don't Fence Me In)
beat 4 others
  • Regina Carter (Some Of That Sunshine)
  • Fred Hersch (We See)
  • Brad Mehldau (De-Dah)
  • Miguel Zenón (Cadenas)
Not credited
2018John McLaughlin (Miles Beyond)
beat 4 others
  • Sara Caswell (Can't Remember Why)
  • Billy Childs (Dance of Shiva)
  • Fred Hersch (Whisper Not)
  • Chris Potter (Ilimba)
Not credited
2017John Scofield (I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry)
beat 4 others
  • Joey Alexander (Countdown)
  • Ravi Coltrane (In Movement)
  • Fred Hersch (We See)
  • Brad Mehldau (I Concentrate on You)
Not credited
2016Christian McBride (Cherokee)
beat 4 others
  • Joey Alexander (Giant Steps)
  • Donny McCaslin (Arbiters of Evolution)
  • Joshua Redman (Friend or Foe)
  • John Scofield (Past Present)
Mack Avenue
2015Chick Corea (Fingerprints)
beat 4 others
  • Kenny Barron (The Eye of the Hurricane)
  • Fred Hersch (You & the Night & the Music)
  • Joe Lovano (Recorda Me)
  • Brad Mehldau (Sleeping Giant)
Not credited
2014Wayne Shorter (Orbits)
beat 4 others
  • Terence Blanchard (Don't Run)
  • Paquito D'Rivera (Song for Maura)
  • Fred Hersch (Song Without Words #4: Duet)
  • Donny McCaslin (Stadium Jazz)
Not credited
2013Gary Burton & Chick Corea (Hot House)
beat 4 others
  • Ravi Coltrane (Cross Roads)
  • Chick Corea (Alice in Wonderland)
  • Kenny Garrett (J. Mac)
  • Brad Mehldau (Ode)
Not credited
2012Chick Corea (500 Miles High)
beat 4 others
  • Randy Brecker (All or Nothing at All)
  • Ron Carter (You Are My Sunshine)
  • Fred Hersch (Work)
  • Sonny Rollins (Sonnymoon for Two)
Not credited
2011Herbie Hancock (A Change Is Gonna Come)
beat 4 others
  • Alan Broadbent (Solar)
  • Keith Jarrett (Body and Soul)
  • Hank Jones (Lonely Woman)
  • Wynton Marsalis (Van Gogh)
Not credited
2010Terence Blanchard (Dancin' 4 Chicken)repeat
beat 4 others
  • Gerald Clayton (All Of You)
  • Roy Hargrove (Ms. Garvey, Ms. Garvey)
  • Martial Solal (On Green Dolphin Street)
  • Miguel Zenón (Villa Palmeras)
Not credited
2009Terence Blanchard (Be-Bop)
beat 4 others
  • Till Brönner (Seven Steps to Heaven)
  • Gary Burton & Chick Corea (Waltz for Debby)
  • Pat Metheny (Son of Thirteen)
  • James Moody (Be–Bop)
Not credited
2008Michael Brecker (Anagram)repeat
beat 4 others
  • Terence Blanchard (Levees)
  • Herbie Hancock (Both Sides Now)
  • Hank Jones (Lullaby)
  • Paul McCandless (1000 Kilometers)
Heads Up
2007Michael Brecker (Some Skunk Funk)
beat 4 others
  • Paquito D'Rivera (Paq Man)
  • Taylor Eigsti (Freedom Jazz Dance)
  • Roy Haynes (Hippidy Hop (Drum Solo))
  • Branford Marsalis (Hope)
Telarc/BHM Productions
2006Sonny Rollins (Why Was I Born?)
beat 4 others
  • Alan Broadbent (Round Midnight)
  • Ravi Coltrane (Away)
  • Herbie Hancock (The Source)
  • Branford Marsalis (A Love Supreme -- Acknowledgement)
Not credited
2005Herbie Hancock (Speak Like a Child)
beat 4 others
  • Alan Broadbent (What's New)
  • Don Byron (I Want To Be Happy)
  • Donny McCaslin (Bulería, Soleá y Rumba)
  • John Scofield (Wee)
Videoarts Music/Bluebird
2004Chick Corea (Matrix)
beat 4 others
  • Joey DeFrancesco (All or Nothing at All)
  • Keith Jarrett (Butch and Butch)
  • Pat Martino (Africa)
  • Mike Melvoin (All or Nothing at All)
Stretch
2003Herbie Hancock (My Ship)
beat 4 others
  • Michael Brecker (Naima)
  • Pete Christlieb (Chelsea Bridge)
  • Tommy Flanagan (Sunset & the Mockingbird)
  • Pat Metheny (Proof)
Not credited
2002Michael Brecker (Chan's Song)
beat 4 others
  • Kenny Barron and Regina Carter (Fragile)
  • Terence Blanchard (Lost in a Fog)
  • Gary Burton (Move)
  • Pat Martino (All Blues)
Not credited
2001Pat Metheny ((Go) Get It)
beat 4 others
  • Kenny Barron (Passion Dance)
  • Terence Blanchard (I Thought About You)
  • Michael Brecker (Outrance)
  • Keith Jarrett (I Got It Bad And That Ain't Good)
Not credited
2000Wayne Shorter (In Walked Wayne)
beat 4 others
  • Gary Burton (Straight Up and Down)
  • Chick Corea (Wigwam)
  • Stefon Harris (There Is No Greater Love)
  • Chris Potter (In Vogue)
Not credited

More Grammys categories

Rock AlbumCountry AlbumAlbumRecordPop SoloPop Duo/GroupTrad. Pop AlbumPop Vocal (Female)Pop Vocal (Male)Pop Duo/Group (Vocal)Pop CollaborationDance RecordingDance AlbumDance PopRemixed RecordingCountry SoloAll 152 categories

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