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A visual history · Grammys

The winners who defined Instr. Composition.

65 ceremonies, 1959–2025. 47 different winners. The longest run belongs to John Williams, with 4 straight wins.

Who won most recently?
Pascal Le Boeuf in 2025 for Strands.
Who has won the most?
John Williams, 12 wins (1978, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1983, 1985, 2001, 2007, 2009, 2015, 2020, 2024).
  1. StrandsPascal Le Boeuf
  2. Helena's ThemeJohn Williams
  3. RefugeGeoffrey Keezer
  4. EberhardLyle Mays
  5. SputnikMaria Schneider
  6. Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge Symphonic SuiteJohn Williams
Years explored
1959–2025
Different winners
47
Category leader
John Williams · 12
About this record

The trophy goes to the composer rather than to a label, so a label is shown only where the source names the record the piece was released on.

2000–2025

26 ceremonies

19592025

01 / The reigns

18 winners shaped this category.

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

  1. 01
    John Williams6 wins
  2. 02
    Arturo O'Farrill2 wins
  3. 03
    Billy Childs2 wins
  4. 04
    Maria Schneider2 wins
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.
Don Sebesky'00
John Williams'01
Alan Silvestri'02
Thomas Newman'03
Wayne Shorter'04
Paquito D'Rivera'05
Billy Childs'06
John Williams'07
Maria Schneider'08
John Williams'09
Michael Giacchino'10
Billy Childs'11
Béla Fleck and Howard Levy'12
Chick Corea'13
Clare Fischer'14
John Williams'15
Arturo O'Farrill'16
Ted Nash'17
Arturo O'Farrill'18
Terence Blanchard'19
John Williams'20
Maria Schneider'21
Lyle Mays'22
Geoffrey Keezer'23
John Williams'24
Pascal Le Boeuf'25

02 / The power map

Who stood behind the winners?

Universal leads the recorded label credits with 3 wins, 2000–2025. The full distribution shows whether power was concentrated or shared.

Universal3 wins
ArtistShare2 wins
Sony2 wins
eOne1 win
Independent1 win
Motéma1 win
Wins by label
  1. Universal327%
  2. ArtistShare218%
  3. Sony218%
  4. eOne19%
  5. Independent19%
  6. Motéma19%
  7. Other19%

15 further wins have no label on record and are not counted in the 11 above.

15 of these 26 wins have no label on record, so the chart covers the other 11.

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
    Gordon Goodwin
    6 noms
  2. 02
    Vince Mendoza
    5 noms
  3. 03
    Patrick Williams
    3 noms
  4. 04
    Alexandre Desplat
    2 noms
  5. 05
    Bill Cunliffe
    2 noms
  6. 06
    Chuck Owen
    2 noms

Most losses in this category

  1. 01
    Gordon Goodwin
    6L · 0W
  2. 02
    Vince Mendoza
    5L · 0W
  3. 03
    John Williams
    4L · 6W
  4. 04
    Chick Corea
    3L · 1W
  5. 05
    Paquito D'Rivera
    3L · 1W
  6. 06
    Patrick Williams
    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
2025Pascal Le Boeuf (Strands)
beat 4 others
  • André 3000, Surya Botofasina, Nate Mercereau and Carlos Niño (I Swear, I Really Wanted to Make a 'Rap' Album but This Is Literally the Way the Wind Blew Me This Time)
  • Shelton G. Berg (At Last)
  • Chick Corea (Remembrance)
  • Christopher Zuar (Communion)
Not credited
2024John Williams (Helena's Theme)
beat 4 others
  • Lakecia Benjamin (Amerikkan Skin)
  • Gordon Goodwin and Raymond Scott (Cutey and the Dragon)
  • Ludwig Göransson (Can You Hear the Music)
  • Edgar Meyer (Motion)
Walt Disney
2023Geoffrey Keezer (Refuge)
beat 4 others
  • Paquito D'Rivera (African Tales)
  • Pascal Le Boeuf (Snapshots)
  • Danilo Pérez (Fronteras (Borders) Suite: Al-Musafir Blues)
  • Miguel Zenón (El Pais Invisible)
Not credited
2022Lyle Mays (Eberhard)
beat 4 others
  • Vince Mendoza (Concerto for Orchestra: Finale)
  • Tom Nazziola (Cat and Mouse)
  • Arturo O'Farrill (Dreaming in Lions: Dreaming in Lions)
  • Brandee Younger (Beautiful Is Black)
Not credited
2021Maria Schneider (Sputnik)
beat 4 others
  • Alexandre Desplat (Plumfield)
  • Remy Le Boeuf (Strata)
  • Arturo O'Farrill (Baby Jack)
  • Christian Sands (Be Water II)
ArtistShare
2020John Williams (Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge Symphonic Suite)
beat 4 others
  • Fred Hersch (Begin Again)
  • Brian Lynch (Crucible for Crisis)
  • Christian McBride (Walkin' Funny)
  • Vince Mendoza (Love, A Beautiful Force)
Not credited
2019Terence Blanchard (Blut und Boden (Blood and Soil))
beat 4 others
  • Alexandre Desplat (The Shape of Water)
  • Jeremy Kittel (Chrysalis)
  • John Powell and John Williams (Mine Mission)
  • Alan Silvestri (Infinity War)
Not credited
2018Arturo O'Farrill (Three Revolutions)
beat 4 others
  • Pascal Le Boeuf (Alkaline)
  • Vince Mendoza (Chorus #3)
  • Chuck Owen (Warped Cowboy)
  • Nate Smith (Home Free (For Peter Joe))
Not credited
2017Ted Nash (Spoken at Midnight)
beat 4 others
  • Tim Davies (The Expensive Train Set (An Epic Sarahnade for Double Big Band))
  • Alan Ferber (Flow)
  • Ennio Morricone (L'Ultima Diligenza di Red Rock – Versione Integrale)
  • Thomas Newman (Bridge of Spies (End Title))
Motéma
2016Arturo O'Farrill (The Afro Latin Jazz Suite)
beat 4 others
  • David Balakrishnan (Confetti Man)
  • Rich DeRosa (Neil)
  • Marshall Gilkes (Vesper)
  • Bob Mintzer (Civil War)
Not credited
2015John Williams (The Book Thief)
beat 4 others
  • Stanley Clarke (Last Train to Sanity)
  • Gordon Goodwin (Life in the Bubble)
  • Edgar Meyer and Chris Thile (Tarnation)
  • Rufus Reid (Recognition)
Sony Classical/Fox Music
2014Clare Fischer (Pensamientos for Solo Alto Saxophone and Chamber Orchestra)
beat 4 others
  • Gordon Goodwin (California Pictures for String Quartet)
  • Scott Healy (Koko on the Boulevard)
  • Vince Mendoza (String Quartet No. 1: Funky Diversion in Three Parts)
  • Chuck Owen (Bound Away)
Not credited
2013Chick Corea (Mozart Goes Dancing)
beat 4 others
  • Chris Brubeck and Dave Brubeck (Music of Ansel Adams: America)
  • Bill Cunliffe (Overture, Waltz and Rondo)
  • Bill Holman (Without a Paddle)
  • Chuck Loeb (December Dream)
Not credited
2012Béla Fleck and Howard Levy (Life in Eleven)
beat 4 others
  • Randy Brecker (I Talk to the Trees)
  • Russell Ferrante (Timeline)
  • Gordon Goodwin (Hunting Wabbits 3 (Get Off My Lawn))
  • John Hollenbeck (Falling Men)
eOne
2011Billy Childs (The Path Among the Trees)
beat 4 others
  • Gerald Clayton (Battle Circles)
  • Bill Cunliffe (Fourt Stream... La Banda)
  • Tim Hagans (Box of Cannoli)
  • Patrick Williams (Aurora)
Not credited
2010Michael Giacchino (Married Life)
beat 4 others
  • Tim Davies (Counting to Infinity)
  • Paquito D'Rivera (Borat in Syracuse)
  • Bob Florence (Fluffy)
  • Steve Wiest (Ice-Nine)
Not credited
2009John Williams (The Adventures of Mutt)
beat 4 others
  • Chick Corea (Alegria)
  • Russell Ferrante (Claire's Closet)
  • Gordon Goodwin (Hit the Ground Running)
  • Dave Grusin (Danzón de Etiqueta)
Concord
2008Maria Schneider (Cerulean Skies)
beat 4 others
  • Harry Connick Jr. (Ash Wednesday)
  • Béla Fleck (Spectacle)
  • Philip Glass (I Knew Her (from Notes on a Scandal))
  • Mark Walker (Deep Six)
ArtistShare
2007John Williams (A Prayer for Peace)unverified
beat 4 others
  • Taylor Eigsti (Argument)
  • Fred Hersch (Valentine)
  • John Williams (Sayuri's Theme and End Credits)
  • Patrick Williams (A Concerto in Swing)
Decca
2006Billy Childs (Into the Light)
beat 3 others
  • Michael Giacchino (The Incredits)
  • John Williams (Anakin's Betrayal)
  • John Williams (The Ferry Scene)
Not credited
2005Paquito D'Rivera (Merengue)unverified
beat 4 others
  • Maria Schneider (Three Romances)
  • Slide Hampton (Past Present & Future)
  • Maria Schneider (Bulería, Soleá y Rumba)
  • Gabriel Yared (Ada Plays (from Cold Mountain))
Not credited
2004Wayne Shorter (Sacajawea)
beat 4 others
  • Michael Brecker (Broadband)
  • Gordon Goodwin (Hunting Wabbits)
  • Vince Mendoza (Amoroso)
  • Kim Richmond (Precious Promises)
Verve
2003Thomas Newman (Six Feet Under Title Theme)
beat 4 others
  • James Newton Howard (Signs – Main Titles)
  • Randy Newman (The Ride of the Doors)
  • Kenny Werner (Inspiration)
  • John Williams (Hedwig's Theme)
Universal
2002Alan Silvestri (Cast Away – End Credits)
beat 4 others
  • Tan Dun (The Eternal Vow)
  • John Patitucci (Communion)
  • Gonzalo Rubalcaba (Oren (Pray))
  • Patrick Williams (Theme from Blonde)
Not credited
2001John Williams (Theme from Angela's Ashes)
beat 4 others
  • Gordon Goodwin (Sing, Sang, Sung)
  • James Newton Howard (The Egg Travels)
  • Paul McCandless (Round Robin)
  • Ralph Towner (The Templars)
Sony Classical
2000Don Sebesky (Joyful Noise Suite)
beat 4 others
  • David Benoit (Dad's Room)
  • Chick Corea (Little Flamenco)
  • Paquito D'Rivera (Tropicana Nights)
  • KC Porter and Carlos Santana (El Farol)
Not credited