The Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Composition (including its previous names) has been awarded since 1960. The award is presented to the composer of an original piece of music (not an adaptation), first released during the eligibility year. In theory, any style of music is eligible for this category, but winning compositions are usually in the jazz or film score genres.
History The Grammy is awarded to the composer(s) of the music, not to the performing artist, except if the artist is also the composer. There have been several minor changes to the name of the award:
In 1959 it was awarded as Best Musical Composition First Recorded and Released in 1958 (over 5 minutes duration) In 1960 it was awarded as Best Musical Composition First Recorded and Released in 1959 (more than 5 minutes duration) In 1962 it was awarded as Best Instrumental Theme or Instrumental Version of Song From 1963 to 1964 and from 1967 to 1970 it was awarded as Best Instrumental Theme In 1965 it was awarded as Best Instrumental Composition (other than jazz) From 1971 to the present it has been awarded as Best Instrumental Composition
Years reflect the year in which the Grammy Awards were presented, for works released in the previous year.
1950s Year Nominee(s) Work Artist(s)1958 Nelson Riddle Cross Country Suite Nelson Riddle Samuel Barber Vanessa Dimitri Mitropoulos Johnny Mandel I Want to Live! Johnny Mandel Richard Rodgers Victory at Sea, Vol. II Robert Russell Bennett Kurt Weill Mahagonny Lotte Lenya1959 Duke Ellington Anatomy of a Murder Duke Ellington Morton Gould "St. Lawrence Suite" Morton Gould Henry Mancini More Music from Peter Gunn Henry Mancini Sergei Prokofiev Prokoviev: The Overture Russe Op.72 Jean Martinon conducting the Paris Conservatoire Orchestra Dmitri Shostakovich Shostakovich: Concerto #2 for Piano and Orchestra, Op. 101 Leonard Bernstein conducting the New York Philharmonic
1960s Year Nominee(s) Work Artist(s)1962 Galt MacDermot African Waltz Cannonball Adderley Duke Ellington Paris Blues Duke Ellington Bob Merrill "Theme from Carnival!" Original Broadway Cast Nino Rota La Dolce Vita Nino Rota Dimitri Tiomkin The Guns of Navarone Dimitri Tiomkin1963 Ric Marlow and Bobby Scott "A Taste of Honey" Eddie Cano Elmer Bernstein and Mack David "Walk on the Wild Side" Elmer Bernstein Acker Bilk "Stranger on the Shore" Acker Bilk Henry Mancini "Baby Elephant Walk" Henry Mancini Nelson Riddle Route 66 Theme Nelson Riddle Dave Rose "The Stripper" Dave Rose1964 Norman Newell, Nino Oliviero and Riz Ortolani "More (Theme from Mondo Cane)" Vic Dana Steve Allen and Ray Brown "Gravy Waltz" Steve Allen Bob Goldstein and David Shire "Washington Square" The Village Stompers Maurice Jarre Lawrence of Arabia Maurice Jarre Jean "Toots" Theilemans "Bluesette" Jean "Toots" Theilemans1965 Henry Mancini "The Pink Panther Theme" Henry Mancini Lee Adams and Charles Strouse "Theme from Golden Boy" Various Artists (Quincy Jones and Sammy Kaye) Russ Daymon "Cotton Candy" Al Hirt Buddy Killen and Billy Sherrill "Sugar Lips" Jack Marshall "Theme from The Munsters" Various Artists1967 Neal Hefti "Batman Theme" Neal Hefti D. J. Edwards "Trumpet Pickin'" Al Hirt Priscilla Hubbard "Prissy" Chet Atkins Henry Mancini "Arabesque" Henry Mancini Alex North "Who's Afraid?" Alex North1968 Lalo Schifrin "Mission: Impossible" Lalo Schifrin Burt Bacharach and Hal David "Casino Royale" Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass Chico Buarque de Hollanda "A Banda" Hugo Montenegro "Hurry Sundown" Hugo Montenegro Josef Zawinul "Mercy, Mercy, Mercy" Cannonball Adderley Quintet1969 Mason Williams "Classical Gas" Mason Williams Neal Hefti The Odd Couple Neal Hefti Krzysztof Komeda "Rosemary's Baby" Rick Powell Hugo Montenegro and Ennio Morricone "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" Hugo Montenegro Lalo Schifrin "Theme from The Fox" Lalo Schifrin
1970s Year Nominee(s) Work Artist(s)1970 John Barry "Midnight Cowboy" John Barry Robert Cobert "Quentin's Theme" The Charles Randolph Grean Sounde Quincy Jones "Mackenna's Gold (Main Title)" Quincy Jones Herbie Mann Memphis Underground Herbie Mann Bobby Warren and Harlow Wilcox "Groovy Grubworm" Harlow Wilcox and the Oakies1971 Alfred Newman "Airport Love Theme" Alfred Newman Miles Davis "Bitches Brew" Miles Davis Quincy Jones "Gula Matari" Quincy Jones Henry Mancini "Love Theme from Sunflower" Henry Mancini Lalo Schifrin "Theme from Medical Center" Lalo Schifrin1972 Michel Legrand "Theme from Summer of '42" Michel Legrand Duke Ellington New Orleans Suite Duke Ellington Isaac Hayes "Theme from Shaft" Isaac Hayes Francis Lai "Theme from Love Story" Francis Lai and His Orchestra / Henry Mancini and His Orchestra Chuck Mangione "Hill Where the Lord Hides" Chuck Mangione1973 Michel Legrand "Brian's Song" Michel Legrand Don Ellis "Theme from The French Connection" Don Ellis Big Band Joe Greene and Billy Preston "Outa-Space" Billy Preston Henry Mancini "Brass on Ivory" Henry Mancini Nino Rota "Theme from The Godfather" Nino Rota1974 Gato Barbieri "Theme from Last Tango in Paris" Chuck Mangione / Herb Alpert Jan Akkerman and Thijs van Leer "Hocus Pocus" Focus Manu Dibango "Soul Makossa" Manu Dibango Billy Preston "Space Race" Billy Preston Edgar Winter "Frankenstein" Edgar Winter1975 Mike Oldfield "Tubular Bells — Theme from The Exorcist" Mike Oldfield Benny Golson "Along Came Betty" Quincy Jones Herbie Hancock, Paul Jackson, Harvey Mason and Bennie Maupin "Chameleon" Herbie Hancock Barry White "Barry's Theme" Barry White "Rhapsody in White"1976 Michel Legrand "Images" Michel Legrand and Phil Woods Pete Clarence Carpenter and Mike Post "The Rockford Files" Mike Post Sylvester Levay and Stephen Prager "Fly, Robin, Fly" Silver Convention Chuck Mangione "Chase the Clouds Away" Chuck Mangione Van McCoy "The Hustle" Van McCoy1977 Chuck Mangione "Bellavia" Chuck Mangione Henry Mancini "The White Dawn" Henry Mancini Chick Corea "Leprechaun's Dream" Chick Corea Louis Johnson, Quincy Jones and Johnny Mandel "Midnight Soul Patrol" Quincy Jones Skip Scarborough and Maurice White "Earth, Wind & Fire" Earth, Wind & Fire Stevie Wonder "Contusion" Stevie Wonder1978 John Williams "Star Wars — Main Title" John Williams Carol Connors, Bill Conti and Ayn Robbins "Gonna Fly Now (Theme from Rocky)" Maynard Ferguson Gerald Fried and Quincy Jones "Roots Medley (Motherland, Roots, Mural Theme)" Quincy Jones Marvin Hamlisch "Bond '77/James Bond Theme" Marvin Hamlisch Josef Zawinul "Birdland" Weather Report1979 John Williams "Theme from Close Encounters of the Third Kind" John Williams Nick Ashford, Quincy Jones and Valerie Simpson "End of the Yellow Brick Road" Ashford & Simpson Chick Corea "Friends" Chick Corea Chuck Mangione "Consuelo's Love Theme" Chuck Mangione Group Lee Ritenour "The Captain's Journey" Lee Ritenour
1980s Year Nominee(s) Work Artist(s)1980 John Williams "Superman Main Title Theme" John Williams Andy Armer and Randy Badazz "Rise" Herb Alpert Chick Corea "Central Park" Chick Corea Bob James "Angela (Theme from Taxi)" Bob James Marian McPartland "Ambiance" Marian McPartland1981 John Williams "The Empire Strikes Back" John Williams Chuck Mangione "Give It All You Got" Chuck Mangione John Williams "Yoda's Theme" John Williams "Imperial March (Darth Vader's Theme)" Patrick Williams "An American Concerto" Patrick Williams1982 Mike Post "The Theme from Hill Street Blues" Mike Post John Corigliano "Altered States" John Corigliano Jerry Goldsmith "The Slaves" Jerry Goldsmith Lyle Mays and Pat Metheny As Falls Wichita, So Falls Wichita Falls Pat Metheny and Lyle Mays Gerry Mulligan "For an Unfinished Woman" Gerry Mulligan1983 John Williams "Flying — Theme from E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial" John Williams Lyle Mays and Pat Metheny "Are You Going with Me?" Pat Metheny Group Claus Ogerman "In the Presence and Absence of Each Other (Parts 1, 2 and 3)" Claus Ogerman featuring Michael Brecker Tom Scott Desire Tom Scott John Williams "Adventure on Earth" John Williams1984 Giorgio Moroder "Love Theme from Flashdance" Helen St. John Michael Beinhorn, Herbie Hancock and Bill Laswell "Rockit" Herbie Hancock Dave Grusin "An Actor's Life" Dave Grusin Henry Mancini "The Thorn Birds Theme" Henry Mancini Dan Sembello and Michael Sembello "Dream Hunter" Sergio Mendes1985 Randy Newman (TIE) "The Natural" Randy Newman John Williams (TIE) "Olympic Fanfare and Theme" John Williams Elmer Bernstein "Ghostbusters (Main Title Theme)" Elmer Bernstein Pete Carpenter and Mike Post "The A-Team" Mike Post Wynton Marsalis "Hot House Flowers" Wynton Marsalis1986 Jan Hammer "Miami Vice Theme" Jan Hammer Harold Faltermeyer "Axel F" Harold Faltermeyer David Foster "Love Theme from St. Elmo's Fire" David Foster Thad Jones "With Bells On" Louis Bellson Alan Silvestri "Back to the Future" Alan Silvestri1987 John Barry "Out of Africa" John Barry Bruce Broughton Young Sherlock Holmes (Music from the Motion Picture Soundtrack) Bruce Broughton conducting The Sinfonia of London Chick Corea "Elektric City" Chick Corea Harold Faltermeyer "Top Gun Anthem" Harold Faltermeyer and Steve Stevens Dave Grusin and Lee Ritenour "Earth Run" Lee Ritenour James Horner Aliens (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) James Horner Wynton Marsalis "J Mood" Wynton Marsalis1988 Ron Carter, Herbie Hancock, Billy Higgins and Wayne Shorter "Call Sheet Blues" Dexter Gordon Claude Bolling Bolling: Suite No. 2 for Flute and Jazz Piano Trio Claude Bolling, Jean-Pierre Rampal, Pierre-Yves Sorin and Vincent Cordelette Henry Mancini "The Blues in Three" Henry Mancini Lyle Mays and Pat Metheny "Minuano (Six Eight)" Pat Metheny Group Frank Zappa "Jazz from Hell" Frank Zappa1989 Mike Post "The Theme from L.A. Law" Mike Post Chick Corea "Eternal Child" Chick Corea Elektric Band Benny Carter "Central City Sketches (Side 2)" Benny Carter David Foster "Winter Games" David Foster John Williams "Olympic Spirit" John Williams
1990s