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A visual history · Grammys

The winners who defined Jazz Performance.

56 ceremonies, 1959–2025. 33 different winners. The longest run belongs to Oscar Peterson, with 3 straight wins.

Who won most recently?
Samara Joy featuring Sullivan Fortner in 2025 for Twinkle Twinkle Little Me.
Who has won the most?
Michael Brecker, 6 wins (1989, 1996, 1997, 2002, 2007, 2008).
  1. Twinkle Twinkle Little MeSamara Joy featuring Sullivan Fortner
  2. TightSamara Joy
  3. Endangered SpeciesWayne Shorter & Leo Genovese
  4. Humpty Dumpty (Set 2)Chick Corea
  5. All BluesChick Corea
  6. SozinhoRandy Brecker
Years explored
1959–2025
Different winners
33
Category leader
Michael Brecker · 6
About this record

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.

2000–2025

26 ceremonies

19592025

01 / The reigns

Michael Brecker set the longest run.

The timeline turns the 2000–2025 record into a sequence of reigns. Longer bands reveal sustained runs; color shows the credited label.

  1. 01
    Chick Corea5 wins
  2. 02
    Herbie Hancock3 wins
  3. 03
    Michael Brecker3 wins
  4. 04
    Terence Blanchard2 wins
  5. 05
    Wayne Shorter2 wins
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

02 / The power map

Who stood behind the winners?

Heads Up leads the recorded label credits with 1 win, 2000–2025. The full distribution shows whether power was concentrated or shared.

Heads Up1 win
Mack Avenue1 win
Stretch1 win
Telarc1 win
Videoarts Music1 win
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 chart covers the other 5.

03 / The near misses

The names that kept coming back without the ending they wanted.

Counting nominations in this category only, 2000–2025.

Most nominated, never won this award

  1. 01
    Fred Hersch
    6 noms
  2. 02
    Brad Mehldau
    4 noms
  3. 03
    Alan Broadbent
    3 noms
  4. 04
    Branford Marsalis
    3 noms
  5. 05
    Donny McCaslin
    3 noms
  6. 06
    Keith Jarrett
    3 noms

Most losses in this category

  1. 01
    Fred Hersch
    6L · 0W
  2. 02
    Terence Blanchard
    5L · 2W
  3. 03
    Brad Mehldau
    4L · 0W
  4. 04
    Alan Broadbent
    3L · 0W
  5. 05
    Branford Marsalis
    3L · 0W
  6. 06
    Donny McCaslin
    3L · 0W

04 / The archive

Every year.
Every winner.

The complete reference behind the story, showing 2000–2025. Open any year to see the rest of the field when nominee records are available.

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