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Every Grammys Best Jazz Vocal Album winner

26 ceremonies, 2000–2025. 14 different winners. The longest run was Dianne Reeves, 2 years straight (2001–2002).

Dianne Reeves ×5Cécile McLorin Salvant ×3Esperanza Spalding ×3Diana Krall ×2Gregory Porter ×2
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
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 bar covers the other 23.

Who kept losing

Counting nominations in this category only, 2000–2025.

Most nominated, never won

  • Tierney Sutton6 noms
  • Karrin Allyson5 noms
  • Luciana Souza5 noms
  • Freddy Cole4 noms
  • Denise Donatelli3 noms
  • Lorraine Feather3 noms

Most losses

  • Kurt Elling7L · 1W
  • Tierney Sutton6L · 0W
  • Karrin Allyson5L · 0W
  • Luciana Souza5L · 0W
  • Freddy Cole4L · 0W
  • Cécile McLorin Salvant3L · 3W

The full list

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

More Grammys categories

Country AlbumAlbumRecordSongBanda/Norteño AlbumMúsica Mexicana AlbumJazz PerformanceJazz Instr. AlbumLarge Jazz EnsembleLatin Jazz AlbumAlt Jazz AlbumContemp. InstrumentalInstr. CompositionInstr. ArrangementVocal ArrangementEngineered AlbumAll 152 categories

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