The Juno Award for "Instrumental Album of the Year" has been awarded since 1976, as recognition each year for the best instrumental album in Canada. The award was originally called the "Instrumental Artist of the Year".
Winners
Instrumental Artist(s) of the Year (1976 - 1987) Year Performing artist(s) Nominees Ref.1976 Hagood HardyLiona Boyd François Dompierre André Gagnon Moe Koffman1977 Hagood HardyBlack Light Orchestra Al Cherney François Dompierre André Gagnon1978 André Gagnon Liona Boyd Hagood Hardy Moe Koffman1979 Liona BoydBlack Light Orchestra André Gagnon Hagood Hardy Frank Mills1980 Frank MillsLiona Boyd André Gagnon Hagood Hardy Gino Soccio1981 Frank Mills Liona Boyd Hagood Hardy Moe Koffman Claire Lawrence1982 Liona Boyd The Emeralds André Gagnon Hagood Hardy Frank Mills1983 Liona Boyd All-Star Swing Band The Emeralds Frank Mills The Spitfire Band1984 Liona Boyd Canadian Brass Hagood Hardy Frank Mills The Spitfire Band1985 Canadian Brass Hagood Hardy Frank Mills The Spitfire Band Zamfir1986 David Foster Liona Boyd Canadian Brass Moe Koffman Zamfir1987 David Foster Liona Boyd Canadian Brass Hagood Hardy Frank Mills
Instrumental Artist(s) of the Year (1989 - 1998) Year Performing artist(s) Nominees Ref.1989 David Foster Canadian Brass Manteca Frank Mills Zamfir1990 Manteca Liona Boyd Canadian Brass Frank Mills Tafelmusik1991 Ofra Harnoy Exchange (Steve Sexton and Gerald O'Brien) Michael Jones Moe Koffman Ian Tamblyn1992 Shadowy Men on a Shadowy Planet John Arpin Jacques de Koninck David Foster Graham Townsend1993 Ofra Harnoy John Arpin Exchange (Steve Sexton and Gerald O'Brien) Manteca Skywalk1994 Ofra Harnoy John Arpin André Gagnon Jacques de Koninck Shadowy Men on a Shadowy Planet1995 André Gagnon Hennie Bekker Wayne Chaulk Marie-Andree Ostiguy Quartetto Gelato1996 Liona Boyd Richard Abel George Amatino Hennie Bekker André Gagnon1997 Ashley MacIsaac Richard Abel Hennie Bekker Samuel Reid and Ernest Lyons Sandule and Nikolai1998 LeahyJesse Cook Oscar Lopez Robert Michaels Mythos
Best Instrumental Album (1999 - 2002) Year Performing artist(s) Work Nominees Ref.1999 Natalie MacMaster My Roots Are ShowingHoward Baer and Dan Gibson, Celtic Awakening David Bradstreet and Dan Gibson, Whispering Woods Jesse Cook, Vertigo Casadh An tSúgáin (Oliver Schroer and John Herberman), Celtic Dance2000 Natalie MacMaster In My HandsDavid Bradstreet and Dan Gibson, Natural Sleep Inducement Rob Crabtree and Oliver Schroer, The Piper's Legacy John Herberman and Dan Gibson, Piano Cascades Robert Michaels, Utopia2001 Jesse Cook Free FallOliver Schroer, Celtic Devotion Pavlo, Fantasia Dan Gibson, Ron Allen and Dr. Lee Bartel, Natural Massage Therapy Dan Gibson, Ron Allen and Dr. Lee Bartel, Natural Relaxation2002 Oscar Lopez Armando's FireRichard Abel, Inspiration Classique Dan Gibson and David Bradstreet, Angel's Embrace Dan Gibson and John Herberman, The English Country Garden Kenny Vehkavaara, Fiesta Del Sol
Instrumental Album of the Year (2003 - Present)
Year Performing artist(s) Work Nominees Ref.2003 Robert Michaels AllegroHoward Baer, Celtic Mystique Liona Boyd, Camino Latino / Latin Journey Oliver Schroer and Dan Gibson, Lakeside Retreat The Swingfield Big Band, Big Band Love Songs2004 I Sorenti Italian Love SongsRichard Abel, Romance George Carlaw, Stress Less The Covingtons, Country Christmas Michel Cusson, Un homme et son péché2005 Oscar Lopez Mi Destino/My DestinyLonghouse, A Warrior's Journey Loretto Reid and Dan Gibson, Celtic Reverie Montgomery Smith, Rest & Relaxation Kenny Vehkavaara nad Rob Piltch, Mediterranean Nights2006 Daniel Lanois BelladonnaGeorge Carlaw, Christmas Serenity Bobby Creed & His Orchestra, Sentimental Strings Tomas Hamilton, Balance Nancy Walker, Rainy Days and Mondays2007 Sisters Euclid Run Neil RunBell Orchestre, Recording a Tape the Colour of the Light Joël Fafard, ...and another thing Johannes Linstead, Café Tropical Natalie MacMaster, Yours Truly2008 Jayme Stone The UtmostBob Lanois, Snake Road Amon Tobin, Foley Room Richard Underhill, Kensington Suite Joey Wright, Jalopy 2009 DJ Brace presents The Electric Nosehair Orchestra NostomaniaCreaking Tree String Quartet, The Soundtrack Steve Dawson, Telescope Inhabitants, The Furniture Moves Underneath Tanya Tagaq, Auk/Blood2010 Bell Orchestre As Seen Through The WindowsBeats on Canvas, Beats on Canvas The Hylozoists, L'île de Sept Villes Pavlo, Rik Emmett and Oscar Lopez, Trifecta Sultans of String, Yalla Yalla!2011 Fond of Tigers Continent & WesternDavid Braid and Canadian Brass, Spirit Dance Creaking Tree String Quartet, Sundogs The Souljazz Orchestra, Rising Sun Jayme Stone, Room of Wonders2012 Stretch Orchestra Stretch OrchestraAndrew Collins, Cats & Dogs MAZ, Téléscope L'Orkestre des Pas Perdus, L'Âge du cuivre Colin Stetson, New History Warfare Vol. 2: Judges2013 Pugs and Crows Fantastic PicturesFive Alarm Funk, Rock the Sky Ian McDougall, The Very Thought of You Ratchet Orchestra, Hemlock Hugh Sicotte and Jon Ballantyne, Twenty Accident Free Work Days2014 Esmerine DalmakPetr Cancura, Down Home Mahogany Frog, Senna The Peggy Lee Band, Invitation Colin Stetson, New History Warfare Vol. 3: To See More Light2015 Quartango EncuentroCanadian Brass, Great Wall of China Daniel Lanois, Flesh and Machine John Stetch, Off with the Cuffs Sultans of String, Symphony!2016 Colin Stetson and Sarah Neufeld Never Were the Way She WasAfiara Quartet and Skratch Bastid, Spin Cycle Cris Derksen, Orchestral Powwow Esmerine, Lost Voices Jens Lindemann and Tommy Banks, Legacy Live2017 The Fretless Bird's NestBlitz//Berlin, Movements 1 David Braid, Flow Sarah Neufeld, The Ridge Pugs & Crows and Tony Wilson, Everyone Knows Everyone2018 Do Make Say Think Stubborn Persistent IllusionsFive Alarm Funk, Sweat Kristofer Maddigan, Cuphead Oktopus, Hapax Peregrine Falls, Peregrine Falls2019 Gordon Grdina China CloudAerialists, Group Manoeuvre Kevin Breit, Johnny Goldtooth and the Chevy Casanovas The Fretless, Live from the Art Farm Toninato/Thiessen, The Space Between Us"Shawn Mendes and the Weeknd lead the 2019 Juno nominations". CBC Music, January 29, 2019.2020 Alexandra Stréliski Inscape Kevin Hearn, Calm and Cents Bill McBirnie and Bernie Senesky, The Silent Wish Ron Davis' Symphronica, Symphronica Upfront Tanya Tagaq, ToothsayerMelody Lau, "Alessia Cara and Tory Lanez lead the 2020 Juno nominations". CBC Music, January 28, 2019.2021 Blitz//Berlin Movements IIIBruce Cockburn, Crowing Ignites David Foster, Eleven Words Flore Laurentienne, Volume 1 Gordon Grdina, Prior StreetHolly Gordon and Andrea Warner, "Here are the 2021 Juno Award winners". CBC Music, June 4, 2021. 2022 David Myles That Tall DistanceCœur de pirate, Perséides Frank Evans and Ben Plotnick, Madison Archives Jorane, Hemenetset Jens Lindemann with Jon Kimura Parker, Matt Catingub and the Canadian All Star JazzPops Orchestra, Then is Now Rhapsody in BlueHolly Gordon, "Here are all the 2022 Juno Award winners". CBC Music, May 14, 2022.2023 Esmerine Everything Was Forever Until It Was No MoreJean-Michel Blais, Aubades The Canadian Brass, Canadiana Hard Rubber Orchestra, Iguana Stephan Moccio, Lionheart Jenna Benchetrit and Arti Patel, "The Weeknd picks up 4 wins on Junos 2023 opening night". CBC News, March 11, 2023.2024 Colin Stetson When we were that what wept for the seaMeredith Bates, Tesseract Markus Floats, Fourth Album Haralabos [Harry] Stafylakis, Calibrating Friction Alexandra Stréliski, Néo-Romance "Junos 2024: full list of winners". CBC Music, March 23, 2024.2025 Intervals Memory PalaceEric Bearclaw, Distant Places Disaster Pony, Disaster Pony Ginger Beef, Ginger Beef Lara Wong and Melón Jimenez, Confluencias "Junos 2025: full list of winners". CBC Music, March 30, 2025.2026 Aaron Paris Lotusland Viviane Audet, Le piano et le torrent Jean-Michel Blais and Lara Somogyi, Désert (deluxe) Crown Lands, Ritual II Colin Stetson, The Love It Took to Leave You Natalie Harmsen, Melody Lau, Holly Gordon and Kelsey Adams, "Here are all the 2026 Juno nominees". CBC Music, March 28, 2026.
References