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A visual history · Grammys

The winners who defined Jazz Vocal Album.

39 ceremonies, 1977–2025. 23 different winners. The longest run belongs to Al Jarreau, with 2 straight wins.

Who won most recently?
Samara Joy in 2025 for A Joyful Holiday.
Who has won the most?
Dianne Reeves, 5 wins (2001, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2015).
  1. A Joyful HolidaySamara Joy
  2. How Love BeginsNicole Zuraitis
  3. Linger AwhileSamara Joy
  4. Songwrights Apothecary LabEsperanza Spalding
  5. Secrets Are the Best StoriesKurt Elling featuring Danilo Pérez
  6. 12 Little SpellsEsperanza Spalding
Years explored
1977–2025
Different winners
23
Category leader
Dianne Reeves · 5
About this record

Best Jazz Vocal Album was first awarded in 1977, so it does not run the full 1959–2025 window.

2000–2025

26 ceremonies

19772025

01 / The reigns

Dianne Reeves 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
    Dianne Reeves5 wins
  2. 02
    Cécile McLorin Salvant3 wins
  3. 03
    Esperanza Spalding3 wins
  4. 04
    Diana Krall2 wins
  5. 05
    Gregory Porter2 wins
Each band is one winner’s reign. Wider means a longer run. Colored by label; hover for details.
Diana Krall'00
Dianne Reeves'01–'02×2
Diana Krall'03
Dianne Reeves'04
Nancy Wilson'05
Dianne Reeves'06
Nancy Wilson'07
Patti Austin'08
Cassandra Wilson'09
Kurt Elling'10
Dee Dee Bridgewater'11
Terri Lyne Carrington & Various Artists'12
Esperanza Spalding'13
Gregory Porter'14
Dianne Reeves'15
Cécile McLorin Salvant'16
Gregory Porter'17
Cécile McLorin Salvant'18–'19×2
Esperanza Spalding'20
Kurt Elling featuring Danilo Pérez'21
Esperanza Spalding'22
Samara Joy'23
Nicole Zuraitis'24
Samara Joy'25

02 / The power map

Who stood behind the winners?

Universal leads the recorded label credits with 10 wins, 2000–2025. The full distribution shows whether power was concentrated or shared.

Universal10 wins
Independent5 wins
Mack Avenue3 wins
MCG Jazz2 wins
EmArcy1 win
Heads Up International1 win
Wins by label
  1. Universal1043%
  2. Independent522%
  3. Mack Avenue313%
  4. MCG Jazz29%
  5. EmArcy14%
  6. Heads Up International14%
  7. Other14%

3 further wins have no label on record and are not counted in the 23 above.

3 of these 26 wins have no label on record, so the chart covers the other 23.

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
    Tierney Sutton
    6 noms
  2. 02
    Karrin Allyson
    5 noms
  3. 03
    Luciana Souza
    5 noms
  4. 04
    Freddy Cole
    4 noms
  5. 05
    Denise Donatelli
    3 noms
  6. 06
    Lorraine Feather
    3 noms

Most losses in this category

  1. 01
    Kurt Elling
    7L · 1W
  2. 02
    Tierney Sutton
    6L · 0W
  3. 03
    Karrin Allyson
    5L · 0W
  4. 04
    Luciana Souza
    5L · 0W
  5. 05
    Freddy Cole
    4L · 0W
  6. 06
    Cécile McLorin Salvant
    3L · 3W

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 (A Joyful Holiday)
beat 4 others
  • Christie Dashiell (Journey in Black)
  • Milton Nascimento and Esperanza Spalding (Milton + Esperanza)
  • Catherine Russell and Sean Mason (My Ideal)
  • Kurt Elling and Sullivan Fortner (Wildflowers, Vol. 1)
Verve
2024Nicole Zuraitis (How Love Begins)
beat 4 others
  • Fred Hersch and Esperanza Spalding (Alive at the Village Vanguard)
  • Patti Austin featuring Gordon Goodwin's Big Phat Band (For Ella 2)
  • Gretchen Parlato and Lionel Loueke (Lean In)
  • Cécile McLorin Salvant (Mélusine)
Not credited
2023Samara Joy (Linger Awhile)
beat 4 others
  • The Baylor Project (The Evening: Live at APPARATUS)
  • Carmen Lundy (Fade to Black)
  • The Manhattan Transfer with the WDR Funkhausorchester (Fifty)
  • Cécile McLorin Salvant (Ghost Song)
Verve
2022Esperanza Spalding (Songwrights Apothecary Lab)
beat 4 others
  • Gretchen Parlato (Flor)
  • The Baylor Project (Generations)
  • Kurt Elling and Charlie Hunter (SuperBlue)
  • Nnenna Freelon (Time Traveler)
Concord
2021Kurt Elling featuring Danilo Pérez (Secrets Are the Best Stories)
beat 4 others
  • Somi with the Frankfurt Radio Big Band conducted by John Beasley (Holy Room: Live at Alte Oper)
  • Carmen Lundy (Modern Ancestors)
  • Thana Alexa (ONA)
  • Kenny Washington (What's the Hurry)
Not credited
2020Esperanza Spalding (12 Little Spells)
beat 4 others
  • Catherine Russell (Alone Together)
  • Jazzmeia Horn (Love & Liberation)
  • The Tierney Sutton Band (ScreenPlay)
  • Sara Gazarek (Thirsty Ghost)
Concord
2019Cécile McLorin Salvant (The Window)repeat
beat 4 others
  • Raul Midón with the Metropole Orkest conducted by Vince Mendoza (If You Really Want)
  • Freddy Cole (My Mood Is You)
  • Kurt Elling (The Questions)
  • Kate McGarry, Keith Ganz and Gary Versace (The Subject Tonight Is Love)
Mack Avenue
2018Cécile McLorin Salvant (Dreams and Daggers)
beat 4 others
  • Raul Midón (Bad Ass and Blind)
  • The Baylor Project (The Journey)
  • Randy Porter Trio with Nancy King (Porter Plays Porter)
  • Jazzmeia Horn (A Social Call)
Mack Avenue
2017Gregory Porter (Take Me to the Alley)
beat 4 others
  • Catherine Russell (Harlem on My Mind)
  • René Marie (Sound of Red)
  • The Tierney Sutton Band (The Sting Variations)
  • Branford Marsalis Quartet with Kurt Elling (Upward Spiral)
Blue Note
2016Cécile McLorin Salvant (For One to Love)
beat 4 others
  • Denise Donatelli (Find a Heart)
  • Lorraine Feather (Flirting with Disaster)
  • Jamison Ross (Jamison)
  • Karrin Allyson (Many a New Day: Karrin Allyson Sings Rodgers & Hammerstein)
Mack Avenue
2015Dianne Reeves (Beautiful Life)
beat 4 others
  • René Marie (I Wanna Be Evil: With Love to Eartha Kitt)
  • Gretchen Parlato (Live in NYC)
  • Billy Childs and Various Artists (Map to the Treasure: Reimagining Laura Nyro)
  • Tierney Sutton (Paris Sessions)
Concord
2014Gregory Porter (Liquid Spirit)
beat 4 others
  • Tierney Sutton (After Blue)
  • Lorraine Feather (Attachments)
  • Cécile McLorin Salvant (WomanChild)
  • Andy Bey (The World According to Andy Bey)
Blue Note
2013Esperanza Spalding (Radio Music Society)
beat 4 others
  • Kurt Elling (1619 Broadway: The Brill Building Project)
  • Luciana Souza (The Book of Chet)
  • Al Jarreau and Metropole Orchestra (Live)
  • Denise Donatelli (Soul Shadows)
Heads Up International
2012Terri Lyne Carrington & Various Artists (The Mosaic Project)
beat 4 others
  • Tierney Sutton (American Road)
  • Kurt Elling (The Gate)
  • Roseanna Vitro (The Music of Randy Newman)
  • Karrin Allyson (Round Midnight)
Concord Jazz
2011Dee Dee Bridgewater (Eleanora Fagan (1915–1959): To Billie with Love from Dee Dee)
beat 4 others
  • Lorraine Feather (Ages)
  • Freddy Cole (Freddy Cole Sings Mr. B)
  • Gregory Porter (Water)
  • Denise Donatelli (When Lights Are Low)
EmArcy
2010Kurt Elling (Dedicated to You: Kurt Elling Sings the Music of Coltrane and Hartman)
beat 4 others
  • Tierney Sutton (Desire)
  • Randy Crawford and Joe Sample (No Regrets)
  • Roberta Gambarini (So in Love)
  • Luciana Souza (Tide)
Concord
2009Cassandra Wilson (Loverly)
beat 4 others
  • Stacey Kent (Breakfast on the Morning Tram)
  • Norma Winstone (Distances)
  • Kate McGarry (If Less Is More...Nothing Is Everything)
  • Karrin Allyson (Imagina: Songs of Brazil)
Blue Note
2008Patti Austin (Avant Gershwin)
beat 4 others
  • Freddy Cole (Music Maestro Please)
  • Kurt Elling (Nightmoves)
  • Tierney Sutton (On the Other Side)
  • Dee Dee Bridgewater (Red Earth)
Rendezvous Music
2007Nancy Wilson (Turned to Blue)
beat 4 others
  • Roberta Gambarini (Easy to Love)
  • Karrin Allyson (Footprints)
  • Diana Krall (From This Moment On)
  • Nancy King (Live at Jazz Standard with Fred Hersch)
MCG Jazz
2006Dianne Reeves (Good Night, and Good Luck)
beat 4 others
  • Nnenna Freelon (Blueprint of a Lady: Sketches of Billie Holiday)
  • Luciana Souza (Duos II)
  • Tierney Sutton (I'm with the Band)
  • Dee Dee Bridgewater (J'ai deux amours)
Not credited
2005Nancy Wilson (R.S.V.P. (Rare Songs, Very Personal))
beat 4 others
  • Al Jarreau (Accentuate the Positive)
  • Andy Bey (American Song)
  • Queen Latifah (The Dana Owens Album)
  • Jamie Cullum (Twentysomething)
MCG Jazz
2004Dianne Reeves (A Little Moonlight)
beat 4 others
  • Kurt Elling (Man in the Air)
  • Shirley Horn (May the Music Never End)
  • Aaron Neville (Nature Boy: The Standards Album)
  • Luciana Souza (North and South)
Blue Note
2003Diana Krall (Live in Paris)
beat 4 others
  • Natalie Cole (Ask a Woman Who Knows)
  • Luciana Souza (Brazilian Duos)
  • Etta Jones (Etta Jones Sings Lady Day)
  • Patti Austin (For Ella)
Verve
2002Dianne Reeves (The Calling)repeat
beat 4 others
  • Karrin Allyson (Ballads: Remembering John Coltrane)
  • Kurt Elling (Flirting with Twilight)
  • Mose Allison (The Mose Chronicles: Live in London, Vol. 1)
  • Shirley Horn (You're My Thrill)
Blue Note
2001Dianne Reeves (In the Moment – Live in Concert)
beat 4 others
  • Dee Dee Bridgewater (Live at Yoshi's)
  • Kurt Elling (Live in Chicago)
  • Freddy Cole (Merry-Go-Round)
  • Nnenna Freelon (Soulcall)
Blue Note
2000Diana Krall (When I Look in Your Eyes)
beat 4 others
  • Dianne Reeves (Bridges)
  • Etta James (Heart of a Woman)
  • Carla Cook (It's All About Love)
  • Cassandra Wilson (Traveling Miles)
Verve