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Every Grammys Best Jazz Instrumental Album winner

26 ceremonies, 2000–2025. 22 different winners. The longest run was John Scofield, 2 years straight (2016–2017).

Best Jazz Instrumental Album was previously known as Best Jazz Instrumental Album, Individual or Group.

It took its current name in 2012, when it absorbed Best Contemporary Jazz Album, which was retired, and Best Latin Jazz Album, which came back a year later.

It took over from Best Latin Jazz Album.

Billy Childs ×2Chick Corea ×2John Scofield ×2Wayne Shorter ×2
Each band is one winner’s reign. Wider means a longer run. Colored by label; hover for details.
Gary Burton, Chick Corea, Roy Haynes, Dave Holland and Pat Metheny'00
Branford Marsalis'01
Sonny Rollins'02
Herbie Hancock, Michael Brecker and Roy Hargrove'03
Wayne Shorter'04
McCoy Tyner with Gary Bartz, Terence Blanchard, Christian McBride and Lewis Nash'05
Wayne Shorter'06
Chick Corea'07
Michael Brecker'08
Chick Corea & Gary Burton'09
Chick Corea & John McLaughlin'10
James Moody'11
Corea, Clarke & White'12
Pat Metheny'13
Terri Lyne Carrington'14
Chick Corea'15
John Scofield'16–'17×2
Billy Childs'18
Wayne Shorter Quartet'19
Brad Mehldau'20
Chick Corea, Christian McBride & Brian Blade'21
Ron Carter, Jack DeJohnette and Gonzalo Rubalcaba'22
Terri Lyne Carrington, Kris Davis, Linda May Han Oh, Nicholas Payton, and Matthew Stevens'23
Billy Childs'24
Chick Corea and Béla Fleck'25
Wins by label
  1. Independent627%
  2. Universal523%
  3. Impulse!29%
  4. Warner29%
  5. Heads Up15%
  6. IPO15%
  7. Other523%

4 further wins have no label on record and are not counted in the 22 above.

4 of these 26 wins have no label on record, so the bar covers the other 22.

Who kept losing

Counting nominations in this category only, 2000–2025.

Most nominated, never won

  • Branford Marsalis Quartet3 noms
  • Dave Holland Quintet3 noms
  • Fred Hersch Trio3 noms
  • Gerald Clayton3 noms
  • Kenny Garrett3 noms
  • Bill Charlap Trio2 noms

Most losses

  • Branford Marsalis Quartet3L · 0W
  • Dave Holland Quintet3L · 0W
  • Fred Hersch Trio3L · 0W
  • Gerald Clayton3L · 0W
  • Kenny Garrett3L · 0W
  • Bill Charlap Trio2L · 0W

The full list

YearWinnerLabel
2025Chick Corea and Béla Fleck (Remembrance)
beat 4 others
  • Ambrose Akinmusire featuring Bill Frisell and Herlin Riley (Owl Song)
  • Kenny Barron featuring Kiyoshi Kitagawa, Johnathan Blake, Immanuel Wilkins & Steve Nelson (Beyond This Place)
  • Lakecia Benjamin (Phoenix Reimagined (Live))
  • Sullivan Fortner (Solo Game)
Not credited
2024Billy Childs (The Winds of Change)
beat 4 others
  • Kenny Barron (The Source)
  • Lakecia Benjamin (Phoenix)
  • Adam Blackstone (Legacy: The Instrumental Jawn)
  • Pat Metheny (Dream Box)
Not credited
2023Terri Lyne Carrington, Kris Davis, Linda May Han Oh, Nicholas Payton, and Matthew Stevens (New Standards Vol. 1)
beat 4 others
  • Peter Erskine Trio (Live in Italy)
  • Joshua Redman, Brad Mehldau, Christian McBride, and Brian Blade (LongGone)
  • Wayne Shorter, Terri Lyne Carrington, Leo Genovese, and Esperanza Spalding (Live at the Detroit Jazz Festival)
  • Yellowjackets (Parallel Motion)
Not credited
2022Ron Carter, Jack DeJohnette and Gonzalo Rubalcaba (Skyline)
beat 4 others
  • Jon Batiste (Jazz Selections: Music from and Inspired by Soul)
  • Terence Blanchard featuring the E Collective and the Turtle Island Quartet (Absence)
  • Chick Corea, John Patitucci and Dave Weckl (Akoustic Band Live)
  • Pat Metheny (Side-Eye NYC (V1.IV))
Not credited
2021Chick Corea, Christian McBride & Brian Blade (Trilogy 2)
beat 4 others
  • Ambrose Akinmusire (On The Tender Spot of Every Calloused Moment)
  • Terri Lyne Carrington & Social Science (Waiting Game)
  • Gerald Clayton (Happening: Live at the Village Vanguard)
  • Redman Mehldau McBride Blade (RoundAgain)
Universal Music/Concord
2020Brad Mehldau (Finding Gabriel)
beat 4 others
  • Joey DeFrancesco (In the Key of the Universe)
  • Branford Marsalis Quartet (The Secret Between the Shadow and the Soul)
  • Christian McBride (Christian McBride's New Jawn)
  • Joshua Redman Quartet (Come What May)
Nonesuch
2019Wayne Shorter Quartet (Emanon)
beat 4 others
  • Tia Fuller (Diamond Cut)
  • Fred Hersch Trio (Live in Europe)
  • Brad Mehldau Trio (Seymour Reads the Constitution!)
  • Joshua Redman, Ron Miles, Scott Colley & Brian Blade (Still Dreaming)
Blue Note
2018Billy Childs (Rebirth)
beat 4 others
  • Bill Charlap Trio (Uptown, Downtown)
  • Joey DeFrancesco & The People (Project Freedom)
  • Fred Hersch (Open Book)
  • Chris Potter (The Dreamer Is the Dream)
Mack Avenue
2017John Scofield (Country for Old Men)repeat
beat 4 others
  • Kenny Barron Trio (Book of Intuition)
  • Peter Erskine (Dr. Um)
  • Fred Hersch Trio (Sunday Night at the Vanguard)
  • Joshua Redman & Brad Mehldau (Nearness)
Impulse!
2016John Scofield (Past Present)
beat 4 others
  • Joey Alexander (My Favorite Things)
  • Terence Blanchard featuring the E-Collective (Breathless)
  • Robert Glasper and the Robert Glasper Trio (Covered: Recorded Live at Capitol Studios)
  • Jimmy Greene (Beautiful Life)
Impulse!
2015Chick Corea (Trilogy)
beat 4 others
  • Brian Blade and the Fellowship Band (Landmarks)
  • Fred Hersch Trio (Floating)
  • Bobby Hutcherson, David Sanborn, Joey DeFrancesco featuring Billy Hart (Enjoy the View)
  • Jason Moran (All Rise: A Joyful Elegy for Fats Waller)
Concord
2014Terri Lyne Carrington (Money Jungle: Provocative in Blue)
beat 4 others
  • The New Gary Burton Quartet (Guided Tour)
  • Gerald Clayton (Life Forum)
  • Kenny Garrett (Pushing the World Away)
  • Christian McBride Trio (Out Here)
Concord Jazz
2013Pat Metheny (Unity Band)
beat 4 others
  • Chick Corea, Eddie Gómez & Paul Motian (Further Explorations)
  • Chick Corea & Gary Burton (Hot House)
  • Kenny Garrett (Seeds from the Underground)
  • Ahmad Jamal (Blue Moon)
Nonesuch
2012Corea, Clarke & White (Forever)
beat 5 others
  • Gerald Clayton (Bond: The Paris Sessions)
  • Fred Hersch (Alone at the Vanguard)
  • Joe Lovano & Us Five (Bird Songs)
  • Sonny Rollins (Road Shows Vol. 2)
  • Yellowjackets (Timeline)
Concord
2011James Moody (Moody 4B)
beat 4 others
  • John Beasley (Positootly!)
  • Clayton Brothers (The New Song and Dance)
  • Vijay Iyer Trio (Historicity)
  • Danilo Pérez (Providencia)
IPO
2010Chick Corea & John McLaughlin (Five Peace Band Live)
beat 4 others
  • Gary Burton, Pat Metheny, Steve Swallow & Antonio Sánchez (Quartet Live)
  • The Clayton Brothers (Brother To Brother)
  • John Patitucci Trio (Remembrance)
  • Allen Toussaint (The Bright Mississippi)
Concord
2009Chick Corea & Gary Burton (The New Crystal Silence)
beat 4 others
  • Bill Frisell (History, Mystery)
  • Brad Mehldau Trio (Brad Mehldau Trio Live)
  • Pat Metheny featuring Christian McBride & Antonio Sánchez (Day Trip)
  • Alan Pasqua, Dave Carpenter & Peter Erskine (Standards)
Concord
2008Michael Brecker (Pilgrimage)
beat 4 others
  • The Bill Charlap Trio (Live at the Village Vanguard)
  • Joe Lovano and Hank Jones (Kids: Live at Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola)
  • John Patitucci (Line by Line)
  • Joshua Redman (Back East)
Heads Up
2007Chick Corea (The Ultimate Adventure)
beat 4 others
  • Ornette Coleman (Sound Grammar)
  • Trio Beyond (Saudades)
  • Kenny Garrett (Beyond the Wall)
  • Sonny Rollins (Sonny, Please)
Stretch
2006Wayne Shorter (Beyond the Sound Barrier)
beat 4 others
  • Terence Blanchard (Flow)
  • Billy Childs Ensemble (Lyric)
  • Wynton Marsalis (Live at the House of Tribes)
  • Kenny Wheeler with Dave Holland, Chris Potter & John Taylor (What Now?)
Verve
2005McCoy Tyner with Gary Bartz, Terence Blanchard, Christian McBride and Lewis Nash (Illuminations)
beat 4 others
  • Bill Charlap Trio (Somewhere)
  • Roy Haynes (Fountain of Youth)
  • Keith Jarrett, Gary Peacock & Jack DeJohnette (The Out-of-Towners)
  • Branford Marsalis Quartet (Eternal)
Telarc
2004Wayne Shorter (Alegría)
beat 4 others
  • Chick Corea (Rendezvous in New York)
  • Stefon Harris (The Grand Unification Theory)
  • Dave Holland Quintet (Extended Play: Live at Birdland)
  • Pat Martino (Think Tank)
Verve
2003Herbie Hancock, Michael Brecker and Roy Hargrove (Directions in Music: Live at Massey Hall)
beat 4 others
  • Michel Camilo (Triangulo)
  • Dave Douglas (The Infinite)
  • Wayne Shorter (Footprints Live!)
  • McCoy Tyner (McCoy Tyner Plays John Coltrane: Live at the Village Vanguard)
Verve
2002Sonny Rollins (This Is What I Do)
beat 4 others
  • Stefon Harris and Jacky Terrasson (Kindred)
  • Roy Haynes with Dave Holland, Roy Hargrove, Dave Kikoski and Kenny Garrett (Birds of a Feather – A Tribute To Charlie Parker)
  • Dave Holland Quintet (Not For Nothin)
  • Pat Martino (Live at Yoshi's)
Milestone
2001Branford Marsalis (Contemporary Jazz)
beat 4 others
  • Kenny Barron (Spirit Song)
  • Michael Brecker (Time Is of the Essence)
  • Dave Holland Quintet (Prime Directive)
  • Martial Solal & Johnny Griffin (In & Out)
Sony Music
2000Gary Burton, Chick Corea, Roy Haynes, Dave Holland and Pat Metheny (Like Minds)
beat 4 others
  • Chick Corea & Origin (Change –)
  • Branford Marsalis Quartet (Requiem)
  • Brad Mehldau (Art of the Trio 4: Back at the Vanguard)
  • Gonzalo Rubalcaba (Inner Voyage)
Concord

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