Grammy Award for Best Chamber Music/Small Ensemble Performance

Template:Short description Template:Infobox award The Grammy Award for Best Chamber Music/Small Ensemble Performance) has been awarded since 1997. In its early years, its title included the addition "(with or without a conductor)" and up to 2012 it was known as Best Small Ensemble Performance..

In 1991 the Grammy for Best Chamber Music Performance also included small ensemble performances.

2012 overhaul and 2013 renaming

In 2012 the category was combined with the Best Chamber Music Performance category.

The restructuring of these categories was a result of the Recording Academy's wish to decrease the list of categories and awards. According to the Academy, "the Chamber category was folded into the Small Ensemble category, the only distinction having been the number of players in the group (Chamber being smaller), and the fact that Small Ensemble recording could, though not necessarily, employ a conductor." <ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In the new structure, recordings are eligible if the ensemble contains 24 or fewer members, not including the conductor.

In 2013, the category was renamed as Best Chamber Music/Small Ensemble Performance.

The award goes to the winning ensemble and its conductor (if applicable). The producer(s) and engineer(s) also receive an award if they have worked on over 50% of playing time on the album.

Years reflect the year in which the Grammy Awards were presented, for works released in the previous year.

Winners and nominees

Two-time winner Pierre Boulez.

Claudio Abbado won in 1998 with the Berliner Philharmonic.

1999 winners Steve Reich and Musicians.

Two-time winners, the vocal ensemble Chanticleer.

Conductor Jeff von der Schmidt has won twice, both times alongside the Southwest Chamber Music.

Russian conductor Yuri Bashmet won in 2008.

Charles Bruffy won the award in 2009 with the Phoenix Chorale.

Spanish conductor Jordi Savall won in 2011 alongside Hespèrion XXI and La Capella Reial de Catalunya.

American violinist Hilary Hahn won in 2015 with Cory Smythe.

Violinist Patricia Kopatchinskaja won in 2018 alongside the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra.

2019 winners Kronos Quartet.

Year	Recipient(s)	Work	Nominees	Ref.
1997	Pierre Boulez (conductor) and the Ensemble Inter-Contemporain	Boulez: ...Explosante-Fixe...	Template:Smalldiv	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
1998	Claudio Abbado (conductor), Berliner Philharmonic	"Hindemith: Kammermusik No. 1 With Finale 1921, Op. 24, No. 1"	Template:Smalldiv	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
1999	Steve Reich (conductor), Steve Reich and Musicians	Reich: Music for 18 Musicians	Template:Smalldiv	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2000	Joseph Jennings (conductor) and Chanticleer	Colors of Love - Works of Thomas, Stucky, Tavener & Rands	Template:Smalldiv	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2001	Christian Gausch (producer), Wolf-Dieter Karwatky (engineer) and the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra	Shadow Dances (Stravinsky Miniatures - Tango; Suite No. 1; Octet, etc.)	Template:Smalldiv	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2002	Helmut Mühle (producer), Philipp Nedel (engineer), Gidon Kremer (producer & artist) and Kremerata Baltica	After Mozart	Template:Smalldiv	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2003	Steve Barnett (producer), Preston Smith (engineer), Joseph Jennings (conductor), Chanticleer & Handel & Haydn Society of Boston	Tavener: Lamentations and Praises	Template:Smalldiv	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2004	Jeff von der Schmidt (conductor) and Southwest Chamber Music	"Chávez: Suite for Double Quartet"	Template:Smalldiv	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2005	Jeff von der Schmidt (conductor) and Southwest Chamber Music	Chávez - Complete Chamber Music, Vol. 2	Template:Smalldiv	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2006	Pierre Boulez (conductor), Hilary Summers (performer), and Ensemble Intercontemporain	Boulez: Le Marteau Sans Maître, Dérive 1 & 2	Template:Smalldiv	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2007	Peter Rutenberg (conductor) and Los Angeles Chamber Singers' Cappella	Padilla: Sun of Justice	Template:Smalldiv	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2008	Yuri Bashmet (conductor) and Moscow Soloists; Michael Brammann, engineer; Philipp Nedel, producer	Stravinsky: Apollo, Concerto In D; Prokofiev: 20 Visions Fugitives	Template:Smalldiv	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2009	Charles Bruffy (conductor) and Phoenix Chorale	Spotless Rose: Hymns To The Virgin Mary	Template:Smalldiv	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2010	Paul Hillier (conductor); Robina G. Young, producer; Brad Michel, engineer/mixer and Ars Nova Copenhagen & Theatre of Voices	Lang, David: The Little Match Girl Passion	Template:Smalldiv	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2011	Jordi Savall, conductor; Hespèrion XXI & La Capella Reial de Catalunya	Dinastia Borja	Template:Smalldiv	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2012	Rinde Eckert (librettist/performer); Steven Mackey (composer/performer); David Frost, producer; Eighth Blackbird	Mackey: Lonely Motel - Music from Slide	Template:Smalldiv	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2013	Eighth Blackbird	Meanwhile	Template:Smalldiv	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2014	Brad Wells & Roomful of Teeth	Roomful of Teeth	Template:Smalldiv	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2015	Hilary Hahn & Cory Smythe	In 27 Pieces: The Hilary Hahn Encores	Template:Smalldiv	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2016	Eighth Blackbird	Filament	Template:Smalldiv	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2017	Third Coast Percussion	Steve Reich	Template:Smalldiv	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2018	Patricia Kopatchinskaja & the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra	Death & the Maiden	Template:Smalldiv	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2019	Laurie Anderson & the Kronos Quartet	Landfall	Template:Smalldiv	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2020	Attacca Quartet (ensemble); Antonio Oliart & Caroline Shaw (producers); Antonio Oliart (engineer)	Shaw: Orange	Template:Smalldiv	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2021	Pacifica Quartet; James Ginsburg (producer); Bill Maylone (engineer/mixer)	Contemporary Voices	Template:Smalldiv	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2022	Yo-Yo Ma & Emanuel Ax	Beethoven: Cello Sonatas - Hope and Tears	Template:Smalldiv	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2023	Attacca Quartet	Shaw: Evergreen	Template:Smalldiv	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2024	Roomful of Teeth	Rough Magic	Anthony McGill & The Pacifica Quartet – American Stories Yo-Yo Ma, Emanuel Ax & Leonidas Kavakos – Beethoven For Three: Symphony No. 6 "Pastorale" and Op 1. No. 3 Third Coast Percussion – Between Breaths Catalyst Quartet – Uncovered, Vol. 3: Coleridge-Taylor Perkinson, William Grant Still & George Walker
2025	Caroline Shaw & So Percussion	Rectangles and Circumstance	JACK Quartet – J.L. Adams: Waves & Particles Yo-Yo Ma, Leonidas Kavakos & Emanuel Ax – Beethoven for Three: Symphony No. 4 and Op. 97, 'Archduke' Beth Willer, Christopher Cerrone & Lorelei Ensemble – Cerrone: Beaufort Scales Miró Quartet – Home	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2026	Winner TBA on 1 February 2026.		Alan Pierson & The Alarm Will Sound - Dennehy: Land of Winter Neave Trio - La Mer - French Piano Trios Lili Haydn & Paul Cantelon - Lullabies for the Brokenhearted Mak Grić & Mateusz Kowalski - Slavic Sessions Third Coast Percussion - Standard Stoppages	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>