Grammy Award for Best Pop Instrumental Performance

Template:Short description Template:Infobox award The Grammy Award for Best Pop Instrumental Performance was awarded between 1969 and 2011.

• In 1969 it was awarded as Best Contemporary-Pop Performance, Instrumental
• From 1970 to 1971 it was awarded as Best Contemporary Instrumental Performance
• In 1972 it was awarded as Best Pop Instrumental Performance
• In 1973 it was awarded as Best Pop Instrumental Performance by an Instrumental Performer
• From 1974 to 1975 it was again awarded as Best Pop Instrumental Performance
• From 1986 to 1989 it was awarded as Best Pop Instrumental Performance (Orchestra, Group or Soloist)
• Since 1990 it has again been awarded as Best Pop Instrumental Performance
• The award was discontinued from 2011 in a major overhaul of Grammy categories. From 2012, all instrumental performances in the pop category (solo or with a duo/group) were shifted to either the newly formed Best Pop Solo Performance or Best Pop Duo/Group Performance categories.

A similar award for Best Instrumental Performance was awarded from 1965 to 1968. This was also in the pop field, but did not specify pop music.

Recipients

YearTemplate:Ref	Performing artist(s)	Work	Nominees	Ref.
1969	Mason Williams	"Classical Gas"	Template:Small Template:Small Template:Small Template:Small	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
1970	Blood, Sweat & Tears	"Variations on a Theme by Erik Satie"	Template:Small Template:Small Template:Small Template:Small	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
1971	Henry Mancini	Theme from Z and Other Film Music	Template:Small Template:Small Template:Small Template:Small	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
1972	Quincy Jones	Smackwater Jack	Template:Small Template:Small Template:Small Template:Small	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
1973	Billy Preston	"Outa-Space"	Template:Small Template:Small Template:Small Template:Small	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
1974	Eumir Deodato	"Also Sprach Zarathustra (2001)"	Template:Small Template:Small Template:Small Template:Small	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
1975	Marvin Hamlisch	"The Entertainer"	Template:Small Template:Small Template:Small Template:Small	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
1976	Van McCoy	"The Hustle"	Template:Small Template:Small Template:Small Template:Small	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
1977	George Benson	Breezin'	Template:Small Template:Small Template:Small Template:Small	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
1978	John Williams & the London Symphony Orchestra	Star Wars	Template:Small Template:Small Template:Small Template:Small	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
1979	Chuck Mangione	Children of Sanchez	Template:Small Template:Small Template:Small Template:Small	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
1980	Herb Alpert	"Rise"	Template:Small Template:Small Template:Small Template:Small	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
1981	Bob James and Earl Klugh	One on One	Template:Small Template:Small Template:Small Template:Small	<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
1982	Larry Carlton and Mike Post	"The Theme From Hill Street Blues"	Template:Small Template:Small Template:Small Template:Small	<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>
1983	Ernie Watts	"Chariots of Fire Theme (Dance Version)"	Template:Small Template:Small Template:Small Template:Small	<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>
1984	George Benson	"Being with You"	Template:Small Template:Small Template:Small Template:Small	<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
1985	Ray Parker Jr.	"Ghostbusters (Instrumental)"	Template:Small Template:Small Template:Small Template:Small	<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>
1986	Jan Hammer	"Miami Vice Theme"	Template:Small Template:Small Template:Small Template:Small	<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
1987	Harold Faltermeyer and Steve Stevens	"Top Gun Anthem"	Template:Small Template:Small Template:Small Template:Small	<ref>Template:Cite webTemplate:Dead link</ref>
1988	Larry Carlton	"Minute by Minute"	Template:Small Template:Small Template:Small Template:Small	<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
1989	David Sanborn	Close-Up	Template:Small Template:Small Template:Small Template:Small	<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
1990	The Neville Brothers	"Healing Chant"	Template:Small Template:Small Template:Small Template:Small	<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
1991	Angelo Badalamenti	"Twin Peaks Theme"	Template:Small Template:Small Template:Small Template:Small	<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
1992	Michael Kamen	Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves	Template:Small Template:Small Template:Small Template:Small	<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
1993	Richard Kaufman	"Beauty and the Beast"	Template:Small Template:Small Template:Small Template:Small	<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
1994	Branford Marsalis and Bruce Hornsby	"Barcelona Mona"	Template:Small Template:Small Template:Small Template:Small	<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
1995	Booker T. & the M.G.'s	"Cruisin'"	Template:Small Template:Small Template:Small Template:Small	<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
1996	Los Lobos	"Mariachi Suite"	Template:Small Template:Small Template:Small Template:Small	<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
1997	Béla Fleck and the Flecktones	"The Sinister Minister"	Template:Small Template:Small Template:Small Template:Small	<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
1998	Sarah McLachlan	"Last Dance"	Template:Small Template:Small Template:Small Template:Small	<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
1999	The Brian Setzer Orchestra	"Sleepwalk"	Template:Small Template:Small Template:Small Template:Small	<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
2000	Santana	"El Farol"	Template:Small Template:Small Template:Small Template:Small	<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
2001	The Brian Setzer Orchestra	"Caravan"	Template:Small Template:Small Template:Small Template:Small	<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
2002	Eric Clapton	"Reptile"	Template:Small Template:Small Template:Small Template:Small	<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
2003	B. B. King	"Auld Lang Syne"	Template:Small Template:Small Template:Small Template:Small	<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
2004	George Harrison	"Marwa Blues"	Template:Small Template:Small Template:Small Template:Small	<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
2005	Ben Harper	"11th Commandment"	Template:Small Template:Small Template:Small Template:Small	<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
2006	Les Paul	"Caravan"	Template:Small Template:Small Template:Small Template:Small	<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
2007	George Benson and Al Jarreau	"Mornin'"	Template:Small Template:Small Template:Small Template:Small	<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
2008	Joni Mitchell	"One Week Last Summer"	Template:Small Template:Small Template:Small Template:Small	<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
2009	Eagles	"I Dreamed There Was No War"	Template:Small Template:Small Template:Small Template:Small	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2010	Béla Fleck	"Throw Down Your Heart"	Template:Small Template:Small Template:Small Template:Small	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2011	Jeff Beck	"Nessun Dorma"	Template:Small Template:Small Template:Small Template:Small	<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

• ^{Template:Note} Each year is linked to the article about the Grammy Awards held that year.

See also

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

External links

• Official site of the Grammy Awards