The Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Arrangement (and its subsequent name changes) has been awarded since 1963. The award is presented to the arranger(s) of the music. Only songs or tracks are eligible, no longer works (e.g. albums). The performing artist does not receive a Grammy, except if they are also the arranger.
There have been several minor changes to the name of the award:
From 1963 to 1981 the award was known as Best Instrumental Arrangement From 1982 to 1983 it was awarded as Best Arrangement on an Instrumental Recording From 1984 to 1994 it was awarded as Best Arrangement on an Instrumental From 1995 to 2014 it was again awarded as Best Instrumental Arrangement Since 2015 it has been awarded as Best Arrangement, Instrumental or A Cappella, which also includes vocal arrangements for a cappella performances.Grammy.com, 12 June 2014
Years reflect the year in which the Grammy Awards were presented, for works released in the previous year.
Recipients 1960s Year Nominee(s) Work Artist(s)1963 Henry Mancini "Baby Elephant Walk" Henry Mancini Robert Farnon Sensuous Strings of Robert Farnon Robert Farnon and His Orchestra Joe Harnell "Fly Me to the Moon Bossa Nova" Joe Harnell and His Orchestra Quincy Jones The Quintessence Quincy Jones Nelson Riddle Route 66 Theme Nelson Riddle and His Orchestra Dave Rose "The Stripper" Dave Rose Eddie Sauter "Focus" Stan Getz1964 Quincy Jones "I Can't Stop Loving You" Count Basie Robert N. Enevoldsen "Gravy Waltz" Steve Allen Marty Gold and Peter Nero "Mountain Greenery" Peter Nero Claus Ogerman "More" Kai Winding Joe Sherman "Washington Square" The Village Stompers1965 Henry Mancini "The Pink Panther Theme" Henry Mancini Bob Florence "The Song Is You" Bob Florence Richard Hayman "I Want to Hold Your Hand" Arthur Fiedler and The Boston Pops Quincy Jones "Golden Boy" (String Version) Quincy Jones Anita Kerr "Sugar Lips" Al Hirt Hugo Montenegro "The Long Ships" Hugo Montenegro Billy Strayhorn "A Spoonful of Sugar" Duke Ellington1966 Herb Alpert "A Taste of Honey" Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass Bob Florence "Mission to Moscow" Si Zentner Neal Hefti "Girl Talk" Neal Hefti Horst Jankowski "Walk in the Black Forest" Horst Jankowski Johnny Mandel "The Shadow of Your Smile" Robert Armbruster Jack Mason "A Hard Day's Night" Arthur Fiedler conducting The Boston Pops1967 Herb Alpert "What Now My Love" Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass John Barry "Born Free" John Barry Bob Florence "Michelle" Bud Shank Neal Hefti "Batman Theme" Neal Hefti Henry Mancini "Arabesque" Henry Mancini1968 Burt Bacharach "Alfie" Burt Bacharach Burt Bacharach "Casino Royale" Herb Alpert and The Tijuana Brass Hutch Davie "Music to Watch Girls By" Bob Crewe Generation Bill Holman "Norwegian Wood" Buddy Rich Claus Ogerman "Wave" Antônio Carlos Jobim Bill Reddie "West Side Story Medley" Buddy Rich1969 Mike Post "Classical Gas" Mason Williams Al Capps "Baroque-A-Nova" Mason Williams Michel Legrand "The Windmills of Your Mind" Michel Legrand Hugo Montenegro "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" Hugo Montenegro Don Sebesky "Scarborough Fair" Wes Montgomery
1970s Year Nominee(s) Work Artist(s)1970 Henry Mancini "Love Theme from Romeo and Juliet" Henry Mancini Arthur Ferrante and Lou Teicher "Midnight Cowboy" Ferrante & Teicher Dick Halligan "Variations on a Theme by Eric Satie" Blood, Sweat & Tears Quincy Jones "Walking in Space" Quincy Jones1971 Henry Mancini "Theme from Z" Henry Mancini Miles Davis "Bitches Brew" Miles Davis Quincy Jones "Gula Matari" Quincy Jones Lalo Schifrin "Theme from Medical Center" Various Artists Fred Selden "The Magic Bus Ate My Doughnut" Don Ellis Tom Sellers "Overture from Tommy" The Assembled Multitude1972 Johnny Allen and Isaac Hayes "Theme from Shaft" Isaac Hayes Michel Colombier "Earth" Michel Colombier Michel Legrand "Theme from Summer of '42" Michel Legrand Joshua Rifkin "Nightingale II" Joshua Rifkin Don Sebesky "The Rite of Spring" Hubert Laws1973 Don Ellis "Theme from The French Connection" Don Ellis Big Band Richard Carpenter "Flat Baroque" The Carpenters Quincy Jones "Money Runner" Quincy Jones Henry Mancini "Theme from The Mancini Generation" Henry Mancini Don Sebesky "Lonely Town" Freddie Hubbard1974 Quincy Jones "Summer in the City" Quincy Jones Chick Corea "Spain" Chick Corea and Return to Forever Lee Holdridge "Prologue/Crunchy Granola Suite" Neil Diamond Bill Holman "The Daily Dance" Stan Kenton and His Orchestra Bob James "Easy Living/Ain't Nobody's Business If I Do" Grover Washington Jr.1975 Patrick Williams "Threshold" Patrick Williams Les Hooper "Circumvent" Les Hooper "Look What They've Done" Les Hooper Big Band Bob James "Night on Bald Mountain" Bob James Don Sebesky "Firebird/Bird of Fire" Don Sebesky1976 Pete Clarence Carpenter and Mike Post "The Rockford Files" Mike Post Randy Brecker "Some Skunk Funk" Brecker Brothers Alan Broadbent "Children of Lima" Woody Herman Thad Jones "Living for the City" Thad Jones and Mel Lewis Ron McClure "No Show" Blood, Sweat & Tears Herbert W. Spencer "Theme from Jaws" John Williams1977 Chick Corea "Leprechaun's Dream" Chick Corea Stanley Clarke "Life Is Just a Game" Stanley Clarke Bob James "Westchester Lady" Bob James Henry Mancini, Herbert W. Spencer, John Williams and Albert Woodbury "The Disaster Movie Suite" Henry Mancini conducting London Symphony Claus Ogerman "Saudades do Brasil" Antonio Carlos Jobim1978 Harry Betts, Perry Botkin Jr. and Barry De Vorzon "Nadia's Theme (The Young and the Restless)" Barry De Vorzon Chick Corea "Musicmagic" Chick Corea and Return to Forever Bob James "Scheherezade" Hubert Laws Joe Sample "Free as the Wind" The Crusaders Herbert W. Spencer "Roots Mural Theme" Quincy Jones1979 Robert Freedman and Quincy Jones "The Wiz Main Title — Overture, Part One" Various Artists Alan Broadbent "Aja" Woody Herman Band Chick Corea "Mad Hatter Rhapsody" Chick Corea Joe Roccisano "Green Earrings" Woody Herman Band Tom Tom 84 "Runnin'" Earth, Wind & Fire
1980s Year Nominee(s) Work Artist(s)1980 Claus Ogerman "Soulful Strut" George Benson Jeremy Lubbock and Harvey Mason "Wave" Harvey Mason Claus Ogerman "Lazy Afternoon" Freddie Hubbard Don Sebesky "Sebastian's Theme" Don Sebesky John Serry "Sabotage" John Serry1981 Jerry Hey and Quincy Jones "Dinorah, Dinorah" George Benson Bob Brookmeyer "Skylark" Mel Lewis Jorge Calandrelli "Forget the Woman" Eddie Daniels Dave Grusin "Marcosinho" Dave Valentin Claus Ogerman "Wave" Antônio Carlos Jobim1982 Quincy Jones and Johnny Mandel "Velas" Quincy Jones Toshiko Akiyoshi "A Bit Byas'd" Toshiko Akiyoshi – Lew Tabackin Big Band Jerry Goldsmith "The Slaves" Jerry Goldsmith Dave Grusin "Mountain Dance" Dave Grusin Billy May "South Rampart Street Parade" John Williams1983 John Williams "Flying — Theme from E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial" John Williams Clare Fischer, Ronnie Foster and Earl Klugh "Balladina" Earl Klugh Les Hooper "Pavanne" Les Hooper Big Band Lyle Mays and Pat Metheny "Are You Going with Me?" Pat Metheny Group Claus Ogerman "Pavane Pour Une Infante Defunte" Claus Ogerman featuring Jan Akkerman1984 Dave Grusin "Summer Sketches '82" Dave Grusin Toshiko Akiyoshi "Remembering Bud" Toshiko Akiyoshi - Lew Tabackin Big Band Bob Florence "Afternoon of a Prawn" Bob Florence Rob McConnell "I Got Rhythm" Rob McConnell and the Boss Brass Patrick Williams "Too Hip for the Room" Patrick Williams1985 Quincy Jones and Jeremy Lubbock "Grace (Gymnastics Theme)" Quincy Jones Stewart Copeland "Brothers on Wheels" Stewart Copeland Robert Freedman "Stardust" Wynton Marsalis Henry Mancini "Cameo for Flute '...for James'" James Galway and Henry Mancini Don Sebesky "Waltz for Debbie" Don Sebesky1986 Dave Grusin and Lee Ritenour "Early A.M. Attitude" Dave Grusin and Lee Ritenour Toshiko Akiyoshi "March of the Tadpoles" Toshiko Akiyoshi – Lew Tabackin Big Band William David Brohn "Suite of Dances from Pacific Overtures" Various Artists Chip Davis "Stille Nacht (Silent Night)" Mannheim Steamroller George Russell The African Game George Russell and the Living Time Orchestra1987 Patrick Williams "Suite Memories" Bill Watrous and Patrick Williams Jorge Calandrelli "The First Letter" Dick Hazard "Solfeggietto Metamorphosis" Eddie Daniels Bill Meyers "AM/PM" Bill Meyers Don Sebesky "Cherokee" Don Sebesky1988 Bill Holman "Take the "A" Train" The Tonight Show Band with Doc Severinsen Jorge Calandrelli "Any Time, Any Season" Sam Most Michael Convertino Main Title (Children of a Lesser God)" Shirley Walker Dave Grusin "The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter" Dave Grusin Patrick Williams "Jive Samba" Patrick Williams' New York Band1989 Roger Kellaway "Memos from Paradise" Eddie Daniels David Balakrishnan "A Night in Tunisia" Turtle Island String Quartet Bill Barber, Jimmy Johnson and Dick Oatts "Jazz Patrol" Flim & the BB's John Dankworth "Caravan" John Dankworth Henry Mancini "Suite from The Thorn Birds" Henry Mancini
1990s