The Grammy Award for Best Country Instrumental Performance was awarded from 1970 to 2011. Between 1986 and 1989 the award was presented as the Grammy Award for Best Country Instrumental Performance (Orchestra, Group or Soloist).
In 2012 the award was discontinued in a major overhaul of Grammy categories. From 2012, the best instrumental performances in the country category were shifted to either the Best Country Solo Performance or Best Country Duo/Group Performance categories, both newly formed.
Years reflect the year in which the Grammy Awards were presented, for works released in the previous year.
Recipients YearWinner(s)TitleNomineesRef.1970 Danny Davis & Nashville Brass The Nashville Brass Featuring Danny Davis Play More Nashville Sounds 1971 Chet Atkins, Jerry Reed Me & Jerry 1972 Chet Atkins "Snowbird" 1973 Charlie McCoy The Real McCoy 1974 Eric Weissberg, Steve Mandell "Dueling Banjos" 1975 Chet Atkins, Merle Travis The Atkins–Travis Traveling Show 1976 Chet Atkins "The Entertainer" 1977 Chet Atkins, Les Paul Chester and Lester 1978 Hargus "Pig" Robbins Country Instrumentalist of the Year 1979 Asleep at the Wheel "One O'Clock Jump" 1980 Doc Watson & Merle Watson "Big Sandy/Leather Britches" Osborne Brothers for Bluegrass Concerto Lester Flatt's Nashville Grass for Fantastic Pickin''' Floyd Cramer for In Concert Nashville Super Pickers for Live From Austin City Limits Vassar Clements, Doug Jernigan, Jesse McReynolds, Buddy Spicher for Nashville Jam}} | align="center"| |- ! scope="row" align="center"|1981 | Gilley's Urban Cowboy Band | "Orange Blossom Special/Hoedown" | | align="center"| |- ! scope="row" align="center"|1982 | Chet Atkins | Country, After All These Years| | align="center"| |- ! scope="row" align="center"|1983 | Roy Clark | "Alabama Jubilee" | | align="center"| |- ! scope="row" align="center"|1984 | New South | "Fireball" | | align="center"| |- ! scope="row" align="center"|1985 | Ricky Skaggs | "Wheel Hoss" | | align="center"| |- ! scope="row" align="center"|1986 | Chet Atkins, Mark Knopfler | "Cosmic Square Dance" | | align="center"| |- ! scope="row" align="center"|1987 | Ricky Skaggs | "Raisin' the Dickens" | | align="center"| |- ! scope="row" align="center"|1988 | Asleep at the Wheel | "String of Pars" | | align="center"| |- ! scope="row" align="center"|1989 | Asleep at the Wheel | "Sugarfoot Rag" | | align="center"| |- ! scope="row" align="center"|1990 | Randy Scruggs | "Amazing Grace" | | align="center"| |- ! scope="row" align="center"|1991 | Chet Atkins, Mark Knopfler | "So Soft, Your Goodbye" | | align="center"| |- ! scope="row" align="center"|1992 | Mark O'Connor | The New Nashville Cats| | align="center"| |- ! scope="row" align="center"|1993 | Chet Atkins, Jerry Reed | Sneakin' Around'' 1994 Asleep at the Wheel Featuring Eldon Shamblin, Johnny Gimble, Chet Atkins, Vince Gill, Marty Stuart & Reuben "Lucky Oceans" Gosfield "Red Wing" 1995 Chet Atkins "Young Thing" 1996 Asleep at the Wheel, Bela Fleck, Johnny Gimble "Hightower" 1997 Chet Atkins "Jam Man" 1998 Alison Krauss & Union Station "Little Liza Jane" 1999 Randy Scruggs, Vince Gill "A Soldier's Joy" 2000 Asleep at the Wheel featuring Tommy Allsup, Floyd Domino, Larry Franklin, Vince Gill & Steve Wariner "Bob's Breakdowns" 2001 Alison Brown, Bela Fleck "Leaving Cottondale" 2002 Various Artists "Foggy Mountain Breakdown" 2003 Dixie Chicks "Lil' Jack Slade" 2004 Alison Krauss & Union Station "Cluck Old Hen" 2005 Nitty Gritty Dirt Band ft. Earl Scruggs, Randy Scruggs, Vassar Clements, Jerry Douglas "Earl's Breakdown" 2006 Alison Krauss and Union Station "Unionhouse Branch" 2007 Bryan Sutton, Doc Watson "Whiskey Before Breakfast" 2008 Brad Paisley "Throttleneck" 2009 Brad Paisley, James Burton, Vince Gill, John Jorgenson, Albert Lee, Brent Mason, Redd Volkaert, Steve Wariner "Cluster Pluck" 2010 Steve Wariner "Producer's Medley" 2011 Marty Stuart "Hummingbyrd"
References