Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Instrumental Album

The Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Instrumental Album (previously: Best Pop Instrumental Album) is an award presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards,<ref name=Grammy>Template:Cite news</ref> to recording artists for quality instrumental albums in the pop music genre. Honors in several categories are presented at the ceremony annually by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to "honor artistic achievement, technical proficiency and overall excellence in the recording industry, without regard to album sales or chart position".<ref name=Overview>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

The award was first presented to Joe Jackson in 2001. According to the category description guide for the 52nd Grammy Awards, the award is presented to albums containing "at least 51% playing time of newly recorded pop instrumental tracks".<ref name=52nd>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> As of 2025, Larry Carlton, Taylor Eigsti, Béla Fleck, Booker T. Jones, Edgar Meyer and Snarky Puppy are the only musicians to receive the award more than once. (Snarky Puppy has had the most wins, with 4.) Gerald Albright has received the most nominations, with six.

The award goes to the artist, producer and engineer/mixer of more than 50% of playing time on the winning album. A producer or engineer/mixer who worked on less than 50% of playing time, as well as the mastering engineer, can apply for a Winners Certificate.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

In 2015, the category was renamed Best Contemporary Instrumental Album and moved from the Pop category field to the Contemporary category field.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The category description did not change.

Recipients

Joe Jackson was the first recipient of the award in 2001.

2002 award winner, Steve Lukather

2007 award winner, Peter Frampton

Béla Fleck of the 2009 award-winning group, Béla Fleck and the Flecktones

Two-time winner Larry Carlton

2010 award winner, Booker T. Jones

Four-time winners Snarky Puppy

Year{{#if:[I]|[I]|[1]}}	Performing artist(s)	Work	Nominees	Ref.
2001	Template:Sortname	Template:Sort	Template:Smalldiv	<ref name=Grammy2001>Template:Cite news</ref>
2002	Template:Sortname and Steve Lukather	Template:Sort	Template:Smalldiv	<ref name=Grammy2002>Template:Cite news</ref>
2003	Template:Sortname	Template:Sort	Template:Smalldiv	<ref name=Grammy2003>Template:Cite news</ref>
2004	Template:Sortname and Manuel Galban	Template:Sort	Template:Smalldiv	<ref name=Grammy2004>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
2005	Various artists{{#if:[II]|[II]|[2]}}	Template:Sort	Template:Smalldiv	<ref name=Grammy2005>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
2006	Template:Sortname	Template:Sort	Template:Smalldiv	<ref name=Grammy2006>Template:Cite news</ref>
2007	Template:Sortname	Template:Sort	Template:Smalldiv	<ref name=Grammy2007>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
2008	Beastie Boys	Template:Sort	Template:Smalldiv	<ref name=Grammy2008>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
2009	Béla Fleck and the Flecktones	Template:Sort	Template:Smalldiv	<ref name=Grammy2009>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
2010	Template:Sortname	Template:Sort	Template:Smalldiv	<ref name=Grammy2010>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
2011	Template:Sortname and Tak Matsumoto (B'z)	Template:Sort	Template:Smalldiv	<ref name=Grammy2011>Template:Cite news</ref>
2012	Booker T. Jones	The Road from Memphis	Template:Smalldiv	<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
2013	Chris Botti	Impressions	Template:Smalldiv	<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
2014	Herb Alpert	Steppin' Out	Template:Smalldiv	<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
2015	Chris Thile and Edgar Meyer	Bass & Mandolin	Template:Smalldiv	<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
2016	Snarky Puppy and Metropole Orkest	Sylva	Template:Smalldiv	<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
2017	Snarky Puppy	Culcha Vulcha	Template:Smalldiv	<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
2018	The Jeff Lorber Fusion	Prototype	Template:Smalldiv	<ref>[3] Template:Dead link</ref>
2019	Steve Gadd Band	Steve Gadd Band	Template:Smalldiv	<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>
2020	Rodrigo y Gabriela	Mettavolution	Template:Smalldiv
2021	Snarky Puppy	Live at the Royal Albert Hall	Template:Smalldiv	<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
2022	Taylor Eigsti	Tree Falls	Template:Smalldiv	<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
2023	Snarky Puppy	Empire Central	Template:Smalldiv	<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
2024	Béla Fleck, Zakir Hussain, Edgar Meyer ft. Rakesh Chaurasia	As We Speak	Template:Smalldiv	<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
2025	Taylor Eigsti	Plot Armor	Template:Smalldiv	<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
2026	Winner TBA on 1 February 2026		ARKAI - Brightside Gerald Clayton - Ones & Twos Béla Fleck, Edmar Castañeda & Antonio Sánchez - BEATrio Bob James & Dave Koz - Just Us Charu Suri - Shayan	<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>

^{^[I]{{#if:| }}} Each year is linked to the article about the Grammy Awards held that year.
^{^[II]{{#if:| }}} An award was presented to James R. Jensen as the producer of the album.

See also

• Grammy Award for Best Pop Instrumental Performance
• List of Grammy Award categories

References

General

• {{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }} Note: User must select the "Pop" category as the genre under the search feature.

Specific

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